Kimber sent us a sample of their new Rapide Dawn that sports some updated cosmetics for the 112-year-old gun. Sporting stepped cocking serrations and slide lightening ports, the stainless steel gun boasts polished flats, and the stepped reliefs are coated with KimPro II for a two-tone finish. Its G10 grips also possess the same style of relief cuts as the slide to complete the updated look. Kimber TiN plates the barrel with gold, and it contrasts nicely with the stainless slide and is easily visible through the slide windows and ejection port. Its front strap has been given Kimber’s trademarked Stiplex treatment.
The Rapide Dawn also boasts extended ambidextrous thumb safeties, a detachable mag well funnel and Tru-Glo TFX Pro Day/Night sights that use a combination of tritium and fiber-optic pipettes so the sights glow in any light condition—bright day or low/no light.
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I like the sights a lot. Whether I was shooting the gun for accuracy or searching for bad guys in the shoot house, they were easy to pick up and quick to align. Its trigger left a little to be desired but, all in all, I thought the Kimber Rapide Dawn was a great value for shooters who want something unique that can be used for carry or competition.
KC: “I prefer a working man’s gun; this pistol is obviously designed with heavy emphasis on aesthetics. These open ports on the slide might allow debris to get into the gun and that is never a good thing. That being said, it looks like a good gun for range work, but not serious carry or law enforcement use. Its trigger is gritty and creepy—certainly an easy fix for an experienced DIY’er or pistol smith. Price versus value is probably just right.”
LG: “The G10 grips are machined and there are some sharp edges. A couple of minutes time with some sandpaper would fix that. Its sights are kind of cool and easy to pick up, and the ambi thumb safeties are low profile enough not to cause a problem for carry use. I’m not a fan of two-piece mag well funnels only because I have seen a number of them loosen and cause problems over the years. But the components are good, and the Rapide might make a good gun for someone wanting to dip their toes in action-shooting competition waters.”
