It may seem like Kimber is jumping the gun, so to speak, given that this is the 2010 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, but Browning actually filed the application for his patent on Feb. 17, 1910, and the gun subsequently adopted by the U.S. military the following year was essentially the same design—so the company isn’t too far off-target. Often hailed as the pinnacle of semi-automatic pistol models, the M1911 is a truly American sidearm that is certainly worthy of such an honor.
Kimber made only 250 Centennial Editions, with one additional M1911 made especially for the NRA-ILA Auction. Kimber assigned a special serial number, KCNRA1 (Kimber Centennial NRA), to the donated piece.
The pistols were made in the Kimber Custom Shop, then forwarded to Turnbull Restoration for finishing. Frames were color casehardened and both slides and barrels were given a deep charcoal blue. True solid ivory grips were added from Dan Chesiak, and the gun comes displayed in a custom Pocumtuck Wood Specialties presentation box. Elegantly engraved scrolling embellishes the high-polish blued slide, and niter-blue metal accents can be seen on a number of parts. The lack of front slide serrations is in tune with the original M1911 design, and both the front and rear sights are dovetailed into the slide. The rear sights are adjustable for windage and elevation, although the winning bidder may be hesitant to fire the gun as much as its renowned reliability allows.
