Kimber has made a name for itself with its expansive line of 1911 pistols, ranging from extremely fancy high-end guns with a ton of shine and detail to traditional guns with just enough flair to differentiate them from the average consumer peashooter.
So it shouldn’t be much of a shocker that the company has announced come 2020, it will release yet another 1911 — the Rapide Black Ice.
This particular gun bears the same shape and base functionality of its 1911 brethren, albeit while boasting competition-level accuracy right out of the box.
The Black Ice is essentially a variation of Kimber’s Rapide (DN, NS) 1911, which was unveiled just last year in two calibers: the standard .45 ACP, as well as 10mm Auto.
Kimber will offer the Black Ice in three calibers — .45 ACP, 10 mm, and 9 mm. While the .45 and 10 mm variants make use of an 8-round magazine 1911, the 9 mm version squeezes in one extra round for a total of nine in the mag.
Featuring a somewhat futuristic design, according to Kimber’s website, the gun comes with a stainless steel finish on its 9 mm and 10 mm versions, and a jet black finish on the .45 model, similar to the original Rapide.
Cutouts on both sides of the slide, pronounced cocking serrations, black G10 grips from Hogue Inc. as well as a stippled Kimber Stiplex front strap, complete the gun’s look.
Included with the Black Ice is a match-grade 5-inch DLC-coated stainless steel barrel, Tru-Glo TFX Pro Day/Night sights, and a V-cut aluminum trigger set to a 4 to 5 pound pull.
Like the Rapide, the Black Ice certainly doesn’t come cheap, with a suggested retail price of around $1500. However, keep in mind the fact that the Rapide line is geared towards competition shooting without the need for further modification or fine-tuning, and will thus sport a significantly higher price over other 1911s on the market.
Ian D’Costa is a correspondent with Gear Scout whose work has been featured with We Are The Mighty, The Aviationist, and Business Insider. An avid outdoorsman, Ian is also a guns and gear enthusiast.
