Tiny Defender: Kimber Micro CDP .380 – Full Review.

in Authors, Fred Mastison, Gun Reviews, Handguns, Semi-Autos

Updated: February 22, 2017 BY Fred Mastison

Tiny Defender: Kimber Micro CDP .380 – Full Review.

The Kimber Micro CDP offers shooters a 1911-style pistol that is downsized to fire .380 ACP. It is well made, compact and capable.

For more information, visit https://www.kimberamerica.com/micro-cdp.

To purchase on GunsAmerica.com, click this link: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=Kimber%20Micro%20CDP.

The challenge is real. Trying to decide on a handgun that meets a very specific check list to become your daily concealed carry is a conundrum. We want the power of a .44 Magnum in a gun that we can drop in our pocket. It also needs to be reliable, smooth and of course very good looking. Is this really so much to ask? Well, we are hit every time with the laws of physics and the limitations of even advanced manufacturing capabilities. So then we wander back to reality and look at our options. The most common item on the list that people focus on is the size of the gun. Many people simply are unwilling or unable to carry a full-size gun on a daily basis. In fact, many people want the smallest frame gun they can get. With that information, we are able to narrow our search. In fact, once we narrow it down that far, there is one gun that seems to fit the bill quite well; the Kimber Micro CDP chambered in .380.

With a slim width of 1.08 inches, the Micro CDP is easy to conceal.

SPECS

Chambering: .380 ACP
Barrel: 2.75 inches
OA Length: 5.6 inches
Weight: 13.4 ounces
Grips: Rosewood
Sights: Tritium
Action: Single-action
Finish: Two-tone
Capacity: 6+1
MSRP: $869

A Tiny 1911

The Kimber Micro CDP is a two-tone pocket pistol built generally in the classic 1911 pattern. This micro blaster emerges from the masters inside the Kimber Custom Shop, which explains its exceptional fit and finish. Overall, Kimber is known for making good-looking guns, but the CDP takes that to a new level. The gun comes with a matte stainless slide paired with a black frame and good-looking rosewood grips. The overall fit and finish of the gun is solid as you would expect from Kimber. The CDP appears to be a 1911 left in the dryer too long, yet there are a couple of distinct differences. The gun varies slightly from Mr. Browning’s design in that it does not have a grip safety or barrel bushing. It does retain the thumb safety and traditional magazine release as well as its exposed hammer fire function. Also, unlike a full-size 1911, the safety does not lock the slide into battery. There are two sides to this coin and each gun owner can decide where they land. With this design, the slide can be run on an empty chamber with the safety on. One the other hand, the engaged safety will not keep the slide from rearward motion when the gun is in your holster. Like its full-sized brother, the CDP is designed to be carried in condition one—cocked and locked. To those who have cut their teeth on striker-fired guns this can seem foreign, yet it has been standard operating procedure for the 1911 since, well…1911 (and before, depending upon how you look at it). For those who are fans of the 1911 style, the CDP is an oasis in a polymer striker fired desert.

The .380 ACP pistol packs in a 6+1 capacity, which offers a good amount of firepower in a very tiny package.

Small, But Serious

The tale of the tape on the CDP shows us a gun that is designed to be a micro fighter. Made with a lightweight aluminum frame and a stainless steel slide, it comes in at just over 13 ounces empty. Add to that its small footprint of a 4-inch height and 5.6-inch length and you have a solid yet compact weapon. The CDP comes with a full-length guide rod and an eight-pound recoil spring. The 2.75-inch barrel is ramped and has a 1:16 LH twist. Kimber also includes a set of what I consider to be “real” sights. They are fixed low profile three-dot tritium night sights. Most importantly they are made of steel. The trigger is a traditional 1911-style piece that has a factory setting of seven pounds. I must be honest and say I had to confirm this with a trigger gauge. The gun feels more like a light five-pound trigger but that is the beauty of the 1911 trigger. Finishing it out is what Kimber calls a “Carry Melt” finish. This is a process carried out in the custom shop that works to eliminate sharp corners and smooths the gun out for comfortable concealed carry.

Kimber considered the needs of southpaws with the Micro CDP and provided an ambidextrous safety.

I have a love/hate relationship with most of the micro-style guns on the market. I admire and enjoy their small size, yet find them unpleasant to shoot for any prolonged period of time. This is exceptionally problematic for anyone who will be carrying these guns for defensive purposes. In short, you need to train with your gun and the jumpy, snappy nature of many pocket guns shorten those sessions dramatically. How can you be expected to accurately hit your target if you have not practiced? In fact, I attribute this lack of range time to many of the “accuracy issues” people experience with small pistols. The Kimber CDP bucks this trend by being much easier to control. It is a mixture of grip angle, weight and of course trigger design. I found the CDP easy to manage even during longer strings of fire. The recoil was less than in other pistols with a welcome byproduct of quicker follow-up shots. The gun pointed instinctively and would be good for longer training sessions.

The pistol has the “Carry Melt” treatment that rounds all the sharp edges for better concealment characteristics.

90-Grain Gorilla

It is at this point that we need to address the 90-grain gorilla in the room. The .380 round is not exactly known for its place on the power chart. In fact .380 is considered to be the “power floor” of defensive rounds. Its overall lack of mass and velocity are a handicap we must acknowledge. However, modern .380 ammo has been capable of producing impressive results in the FBI performance protocol. This is especially true with Federal Ammunition manufacturing their well respected HST rounds specifically for the .380 short market. Their new version of the HST is optimized to be run in shorter barrel guns. Even with this advancement, the .380 simply is what it is; a small caliber weapon. The last thing I will bring to the table on this though is obviously the most critical. A small caliber gun is better than no gun. I have yet to find anyone to volunteer to get shot by a .380 and with good shot placement a .380 can save your life.

The pistol employs a locked-breech, tilting barrel system of functioning that keeps weight and bulk to a minimum.

Run it

Performance of the CDP was impressive on the range. With only a 2.75-inch barrel I expected hand span sized groups but it was astronomically better than that. Using a test distance of 10 yards, my best group was just over 1.25 inch. This was shot off hand and was made possible by the great trigger and real sights on the gun. I did have a couple hiccups on function as it failed to feed twice. I liberally oiled the gun and the issue cleared up for the rest of the testing. Testing included the standard slow fire group tests, but I also ran it as I would any weapon designed for personal protection. This is where the finish of the gun began to really stand out. Its smooth finish made it a very comfortable gun to run. Even with my large hands, the gun was easy to get into the fight and keep in the fight. I would ultimately put base pads on the magazines to help with seating, but that is a personal preference. The gun is well balanced and felt very good in my hands.

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The author was able to get very good results at 10 yards with the tiny pistol.

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The author ran the pistol through some drills and was surprised how pleasant it was to shoot, considering its size.

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As a 1911 lover, it seemed like the gun was a natural fit for me. Even with the short sight radius, it was quick to get on target. Kimber was kind enough to include extra mags for the testing and I am glad they did. Six rounds goes pretty quick and is a solid reminder that if you are going to carry a micro gun, you would be well advised to carry at least one extra magazine as well. Like the gun, they are light and well made.The pleasant nature of the gun will allow any shooter to spend extensive time on the range and in doing so, enhance their skills. It will also give them a chance to break the gun in. It is a process I find critical with any gun I choose to carry as a defensive weapon. Are there some guns out there that are ready “off the shelf?” Not in my mind. Any weapon you will be betting your life on needs to prove itself on the range in my opinion. By the time the range session had ended I had already begun to work on “That” speech. The speech that so many of us have had with our loved ones. The speech where we try to convince them why we need yet another gun. In my case it was simply a matter of letting my wife shoot the CDP. She loved it and in time the gun was doing the convincing for me. If only every gun on the market could do that for us.

The pleasant nature of the gun will allow any shooter to spend extensive time on the range and in doing so, enhance their skills. It will also give them a chance to break the gun in. It is a process I find critical with any gun I choose to carry as a defensive weapon. Are there some guns out there that are ready “off the shelf?” Not in my mind. Any weapon you will be betting your life on needs to prove itself on the range in my opinion. By the time the range session had ended I had already begun to work on “That” speech. The speech that so many of us have had with our loved ones. The speech where we try to convince them why we need yet another gun. In my case it was simply a matter of letting my wife shoot the CDP. She loved it and in time the gun was doing the convincing for me. If only every gun on the market could do that for us.

The pistol came packed in a nice zippered case with room for spare magazines.

You Will Want One

The Kimber CDP is a fantastic pocket pistol. Kimber was wise to enter this market and offer the classic 1911-style gun as an option. While the .380 round is not elephant worthy, it is certainly better than a can of pepper spray or overburdened purse. This is a 1911-style pistol and for those that have cut their teeth on striker-fired guns, there will be a familiarization curve. It is well worth it however. Kimber has done it yet again by building a gun that is not only a problem solver, but a good looking weapon to boot.