KIMBER Custom Covert II Lthough Kimber Built Its Carry Empty Weight of 31 Ozs

Te c h n i c a l d o p e b a g

Kimber’s Custom Covert II comes from the factory with a set of Crimson Trace Lasergrips in a digital desert camouflage pattern.

KIMBER Custom Covert II lthough Kimber built its carry empty weight of 31 ozs. It grip safety is employed with a reputation by offering offers the combined benefits of raised pad on its lower portion A factory-standard pistols comfortable carry and the pleas- to ensure that the grip safety is with custom features, the company ant shooting characteristics of a fully depressed when the pistol also recognizes that there will full-size pistol. is gripped. A Commander-style always be a demand for pistols Visually, the two-tone Cus- hammer mates with the pistol’s that exhibit greater attention to tom Covert II is quite appeal- beavertail grip safety. the finer details. In response, ing. Eschewing the conventional The seven-shot magazines Kimber created the Custom Shop, approach to metal finishing in supplied with the pistol feature which offers specialized prod- which crisp edges are preferred, a generous plastic bumper base ucts for just this type of customer. the Custom Covert II features a full pad. This will likely be greatly One of the Custom Shop’s newer “carry melt” treatment in which appreciated by anyone slamming offerings, the Custom Covert II, all hard edges are rounded off home a loaded magazine into the is a full-size .45 ACP duty gun. and blended. This is done to help beveled magazine well as it will Although it may seem counter- reduce the chances of the pistol prevent the lanyard loop on the intuitive, it has some unique quali- snagging on a holster or “printing” base of the mainspring housing ties and features that make it well under clothing. It is important to from impacting the palm of his or suited for the Right-To-Carry role note that, as is true with all Custom her support hand. beyond just its obvious defensive Shop offerings, the Custom Covert The carbon-steel slide and all and duty applications. II is hand-fit and -finished. controls have a matte-black oxide Specifically, the Custom The handling qualities of the finish, while the frame features Covert II (like the compact and Custom Covert II are also given a self-lubricating Desert Tan mid-size Coverts) has a frame proper attention, including a KimPro II-coated finish. The slide machined from a solid block of frontstrap with 30-line-per-inch includes the now seemingly stan- 7075-T7 aluminum that mates to checkering for increased pur- dard forward grasping grooves the pistol’s carbon-steel slide and chase. The flat, checkered main- in addition to traditional grasp- non-ramped stainless-steel barrel. spring housing has a unique ing grooves at the rear, while the The result is a full-size pistol that addition at its base—a lanyard aluminum, match-grade trigger weighs in at a light and easy-to- loop. A high-sweep beavertail has a black finish.

70 De c e m b e r 2008 w w w .americanrifleman .o r g SHOOTING RESULTS (25 YDS.) KIMBER CUSTOM COVERT II

.45 ACP Ve l . @ 15' En e r g y Gr o u p Si z e In In c h e s Manufacturer : Ki m b e r (De p t . AR), Ca l i b e r (f.p.s.) (f t .-l b s .) Sm a l l e s t La r g e s t Av e r a g e 1 La w t o n St r e e t , Yo n k e r s , NY 10705; (800) 880-2418; Fe d e r a l PD 966 Av g . 383 1.23 3.97 2.67 w w w .k i m b e r a m e r i c a .c o m No. C45C 13 Sd Ca l i b e r : .45 ACP 185-g r . JHP Ac t i o n Ty p e : r e c o i l -o p e r a t e d , Re m i n g t o n 872 Av g . 388 0.98 1.73 1.45 c e n t e r -f i r e s e m i -a u t o m a t i c p i s t o l No. GS45APB 18 Sd Fr a m e : 7075-T7 al u m i n u m 230-g r . JHP Ba r r e l : 5" Ri f l i n g : s i x g r o o v e s , 1:16" LH t w i s t Wi n c h e s t e r 776 Av g . 308 2.21 4.03 2.93 Ma g a z i n e : s e v e n -r o u n d -c a p a c i t y , No. Q4170 14 Sd d e t a c ha b l e b o x 230-g r . FMJ Si g h t s : t h r e e -d o t t r i t i u m , d r i f t -ad j u s t a b l e f o r w i n da g e ; Av e r a g e Ex t r e m e Sp r e a d 2.35 Cr i m s o n Tr a c e Las e r g r i p Me as u r e d a v e r a g e v e l o c i t y f o r 10 r o u n ds f r o m a 5" b a r r e l . Ra n g e t e m p e r a t u r e : Tr i g g e r Pu l l : 4 l b s . 77° F. Humidity: 45%. Ac c u r a c y f o r f i v e , c o n s e c u t i v e f i v e -sh o t g r o u p s a t 25 yds . Ov e r a l l Le n g t h : 8¾" f r o m a sa n d b a g . Ab b r e v i a t i o n s : FMJ (f u ll m e t al j a c k e t ), JHP (j a c k e t e d h o ll o w Wi d t h : 1¼" p o i n t ), PD (Pe r s o n al De f e n s e ), Sd (St a n da r d d e v i a t i o n ). He i g h t : 5¾" We i g h t : 31 o z s . Ac c e ss o r i e s : p las t i c c as e , m a n u al Su g g e s t e d Re t a i l Pr i c e : $1,500 The Custom Covert II features a full “carry melt” treatment (far l.) in which all hard edges are rounded. It also has a non-ambidextrous, low-profile manual safety as well as a beavertail grip safety (l.).

The Custom Covert II also has desert camouflage pattern on the malfunctions to the tightly fitted some design features that bring it bulk of their surface area with a nature of this custom pistol and that more in line with a traditionalist’s smaller portion of a wraparound it “broke in” soon thereafter. approach to the M1911, including panel in black. Accuracy was quite good, no a traditional recoil spring assem- This wraparound section, doubt due to its match-grade bly instead of a full-length guide located at the upper portion of barrel and bushing system. The rod. As with all Kimber’s M1911s, it the frontstrap and just below the pistol showed a preference for employs an internal extractor. trigger guard, features the unit’s the Remington Golden Saber The gun’s non-ambidextrous activation switch that is engaged 230-gr. ammunition in particular. low-profile thumb safety, in con- by simply squeezing in with the fir- Despite the lightweight frame, cert with the grip safety, offers no ing hand’s support fingers. A mas- recoil was reasonably mild and surprises to users familiar with the ter on/off switch is on the lower manageable. The laser unit was M1911’s operation. Internally, it rear section of the left grip panel. quite helpful during some fast- employs Kimber’s Series II firing- The actual laser unit is in a raised fire drills, and the tritium three- pin block system, which is an housing at the upper portion of the dot sights were effective and updated Swartz-type safety actu- right grip panel. easy to pick up. We also carried it ated by depressing the grip safety. For accuracy testing, we fired the in a Milt Sparks Summer Special Sighting and aiming is where pistol with three types of ammuni- II inside-the-waistband holster the Custom Covert II really shines. tion, ranging from basic “hardball” (www.miltsparks.com) for several Topping off the slide is a set of full-metal jacket loadings to high- days. The pistol’s lightweight alu- what Kimber terms “Tactical performance jacketed hollow-point minum frame was greatly appre- Wedge Tritium night sights”—a ammunition. The Custom Covert II ciated and made it quite pleasant three-dot sighting system with a experienced three failure-to-feed to carry. drift-adjustable rear unit. In addi- malfunctions in the first 50 rounds Although by no means inexpen- tion, the pistol has Crimson Trace of more than 400 rounds of test sive, the Kimber Custom Covert Lasergrips embossed with the ammunition fired. However, there II offers an outstanding pistol for Kimber logo. Complementing the were no malfunctions for the rest of those looking for a full-featured tan frame of the pistol, the Laser- the testing process. It would seem duty gun or a top-notch concealed grips have an exclusive digital reasonable to attribute the initial carry pistol.

De c e m b e r 2008 Am e r i c a n Ri f l e m a n 71 d o p e b a g

Benjamin Discovery .22 Air Rifle opular in Europe but rela- option is using a high-pressure innovative take on the PCP design, tively uncommon in the air tank, which can be difficult to namely something referred to as PUnited States, the pre- locate or expensive to use. “dual fuel” capability. In addition charged-pneumatic (or PCP) rifle The new Benjamin Discovery to being powered by compressed has been given a boost in this PCP pellet rifle, however, aims to air through the use of either a hand country through the introduction change that. Available in either pump or a high-pressure air tank, of the new Benjamin Discovery. .177 or .22 caliber and made here the Benjamin Discovery can also Pre-charged-pneumatic rifles, in the United States by Crosman, be powered with CO2. Employing based on a system of operation the bolt-action single-shot Dis- an optional adapter, the Discovery that dates back to the 16th cen- covery sells for roughly one-third can be powered up from a standard tury, offer advantages over other less than a comparable European paintball tank, although only up more-common types of air rifles. PCP rifle. But the reasonable cost to 900 p.s.i. While velocities are As compared to spring-piston is not the only reason beginners reduced, it can shoot for roughly powered air rifles, which must be and young shooters may want to 100 shots before needing a refill. cocked for each shot, PCP rifles consider the Discovery. This is due to the unique nature of provide a string of shots powered Whereas most conventional PCP CO2 and that it continues to expand by a charged air reservoir (either rifles require 3,000 p.s.i. of pres- as it turns from a liquid to a gas. from a hand pump or a high-pressure to perform effectively, the Compressed air and CO2 should sure air tank). Benjamin Discovery requires only not be combined, and a degasser There are potential disadvan- 2,000 p.s.i. to power a .177-cal. tool to empty the Discovery’s reser- tages to PCP rifles that have kept pellet up to a claimed 1000 f.p.s. voir is also available. them primarily in the hands of and a .22-cal. pellet up to 900 f.p.s. The rifle can be purchased by motivated enthusiasts and out of The result is that the Discovery can itself, but our sample Discovery those of beginners and younger be charged through the use of the was packed as a kit with a hand shooters. First, they are sig- optional hand pump. Roughly 70 pump and was chambered for nificantly more expensive than to 100 manageable strokes yield .22-cal. pellets. While affordable comparable spring-powered air 25 to 35 powerful shots before by PCP rifle standards, the $379 rifles. In addition to cost, PCP air recharging is required. In addition, price for this kit is still a substan- rifles can require the strength of an high-pressure air tanks can also be tial amount of money for many adult to fully charge them through used with the Discovery. purchasers, so a certain level of the use of a hand pump. The other The Discovery offers another quality is to be expected in this

72 De c e m b e r 2008 w w w .americanrifleman .o r g SHOOTING RESULTS (50 YDS.) BENJAMIN DISCOVERY .22

.22-Ca l . Ve l . @ 10' En e r g y Gr o u p Si z e In In c h e s Manufacturer : Cr o s m a n Co r p . Pe l l e t (f.p.s.) (f t .-l b s .) Sm a l l e s t La r g e s t Av e r a g e Di s t r i b u t o r : Py r a m yd Air (De p t . AR), 26800 Fa r g o Av e ., Un i t No. L, Be e m a n Ko d i a k 716 Av g . 24 1.23 1.78 1.48 Be d f o r d He i g h t s , OH 44146; 21.1-g r . RN 32 Sd (888) 262-4867; Cr o sm a n BHP22 843 Av g . 23 0.93 1.49 1.08 w w w .p y r a m yda i r .c o m 14.3-g r . 26 Sd Ca l i b e r : .177, .22 (t e s t e d ) Ac t i o n Ty p e : p r e -c ha r g e d p n e u m a t i c , Cr o sm a n 831 Av g . 22 1.22 1.66 1.39 b o l t -a c t i o n s i n g l e -sh o t a i r r i f l e 14.3-g r . Do m e d FTP 19 Sd Re c e i v e r : b l u e d s t e e l Ba r r e l : 24", b l u e Av e r a g e Ex t r e m e Sp r e a d 1.32 Ri f l i n g : 10-g r o o v e , 1:16" RH t w i s t Me as u r e d a v e r a g e v e l o c i t y f o r 10 r o u n ds f r o m a 24" b a r r e l . Ra n g e t e m p e r a t u r e : Si g h t s : Wi ll i a m s Fi r e Si g h t s t h r e e -d o t 74° F. Humidity: 55%. Ac c u r a c y f o r f i v e c o n s e c u t i v e , f i v e -sh o t g r o u p s a t 50 yds . f i b e r -o p t i c , f u lly ad j u s t a b l e f r o m a sa n d b a g r e s t . Ab b r e v i a t i o n s : BHP (Be n j a m i n h o ll o w p o i n t ), FTP (f i e ld t a r g e t Tr i g g e r Pu l l : s i n g l e s t a g e , 4 l b s ., 8 o z s . p e ll e t ), RN (r o u n d n o s e ), Sd (s t a n da r d d e v i a t i o n ). St o c k : Am e r i c a n w al n u t : l e n g t h o f p u ll 14": d r o p a t h e e l , 1"; d r o p a t c o m b , 1½" Ov e r a l l Le n g t h : 39" We i g h t : 5 l b s ., 2 o z s . Ac c e ss o r i e s : o w n e r ’s m a n u al , p u m p Pr i c e : $379 (as t e s t e d ), $239 f o r r i f l e o n ly

Just forward of the trigger-guard on the stock’s bottom is a pressure gauge (far l.) for the Discovery’s air reservoir marked for both compressed air and CO2 use. The reservoir is filled through a nipple that is located just below the barrel’s muzzle (l.) and is protected by a plastic cap. product—and the wood-and-steel is located in the rear portion of accidentally overfilled past 2,000 Discovery did not disappoint. the trigger guard. p.s.i., the shooter should dry fire The rifle is extremely light and Topping off the barrel is a set the rifle in a safe direction until handy, weighing in at 5 lbs., 2 ozs. It of Williams FireSights that feature pressure drops to 2,000 p.s.i. sports a one-piece stock of Ameri- fiber-optic inserts for greater To load, the bolt is opened and can walnut with a satin finish and visibility. The rear sight sports a retracted fully until two clicks are no checkering. The wood-to-metal U-shaped red insert while the front heard, and then a pellet placed fit overall was good, with only a few sight has a green rod insert, result- nose first into the breech. The bolt uneven gaps around the trigger ing in a high-visibility three-dot can be then closed gently and guard. Inlaid into the bottom of the sighting system. The rear sight unit locked down. stock just forward of the trigger is fully adjustable. In addition, the For testing, we tried the Dis- guard is a pressure gauge for the receiver has an 11 mm scope rail. covery with a selection of .22-cal. air reservoir, with markings for both To operate the rifle, ensure that pellets from Crosman and Bee- compressed air and CO2 usage. it is on safe and the bolt-action man. It proved easy to pump up to The steel barrel and breech is uncocked. Remove the plastic proper pressure with the included are of carbon steel with an evenly cap at the end of the air reser- hand pump, and it performed well applied and attractive blue fin- voir under the barrel to expose with no malfunctions. To wring out ish that is matched on the high- the fill nipple, and then attach the best possible accuracy, we pressure air reservoir under the the included hand pump’s hose. kept shot strings to 25 total before barrel. While the bolt is stainless After ensuring the bleed valve on recharging the air reservoir. The steel, the trigger guard and non- the pump is fully closed, use the FireSights provided a good sight adjustable trigger are both of pump to pressurize the reservoir picture that allowed us to get quite plastic. A simple crossbolt safety to 2,000 p.s.i. If the Discovery is good groups at 50 yds. The Benjamin Discovery 22 The American Rifleman has used the phrase “Dope Bag” since at least 1921, when Col. Townsend appears to have it all—ease of Whelen first titled his column with it. Even then, it had been in use for years, referring to a sack used use, reasonable cost and high by target shooters to hold ammunition and accessories on the firing line. “Sight dope” also was a traditional marksman’s term for sight-adjustment information, while judging wind speed and direction quality. For beginners who want to was called “doping the wind.” get into PCP rifles or for shooters

WARNING: Technical data and information contained herein are intended to provide information who simply appreciate a quality based on the limited experience of individuals under specific conditions and circumstances. They do product, the Benjamin Discovery not detail the comprehensive training procedures, techniques and safety precautions absolutely neces- is worth a look. sary to properly carry on similar activity. Read the notice and disclaimer on the contents page. Always consult comprehensive reference manuals and bulletins for details of proper training requirements, procedures, techniques and safety precautions before attempting any similar activity. De c e m b e r 2008 Am e r i c a n Ri f l e m a n 73