The Name
First off, KDS9c is a mouthful. It stands for Kimber Double Stack 9mm Compact, so named because, historically, Kimber has been a traditional single-stack 1911 company. They have a reputation of producing American-made, relatively affordable 1911s in nearly every conceivable shape, color, size, and style.
Over the years, the company has dabbled in a few other designs. They have a revolver and some polymer striker-fired guns as well now.
The KDS9 name highlights that this is Kimber’s first double-stack 1911-style gun. I say, “1911-style” because this is not a common double-stack 1911, also known as a 2011. While 2011s use a standard magazine pattern, the KDS9 uses a proprietary magazine design.
Magazine
The magazine was designed to reduce the grip size, which makes concealing the pistol easier. It allows users with smaller hands to more comfortably grip and control the gun. Typically, 2011s have big fat grips, because they came from 1911s – which were traditionally chambered in .45 ACP.
To double-stack the .45 cartridge, you need a big magazine tube. This was a benefit to the 2011 design because it could accommodate many different calibers, including .40 S&W, 10mm and .38 Super. The downside was that the large grip hinders smaller shooters.
Kimber designed the KDS9c specifically for the 9mm round, so the magazine could be smaller, and in turn the grip shorter. The width of the grip is about the same as a standard 2011, but the front-to-back distance is less. This creates a shorter trigger reach. The whole gun is about the size and weight of a Glock 19 – maybe just a touch larger.
Related Review: Are Staccato Double-Stack 1911-Style Pistols Worth the Money?
Features
This KDS9c that I am testing is the first model debuted in 2023. In 2024, the company unveiled the KDS9c Rail. The railed model has a Picatinny accessory rail, ambidextrous thumb safety, night sights, and is packaged with an 18-round extended magazine. It also costs a little more and is a little heavier.
Starting from the front, the KDS9c has a 4-inch, stainless-steel, fluted bull barrel with a 30-degree target crown. It’s a beautiful barrel. Clearly, a lot of machining time was put into this barrel.
There is a fiber-optic front sight and an all-black serrated rear integrated into the optic plate. The rear is windage driftable. The factory iron sights are not tall enough to co-witness with this Holosun 407K.
The slide has good serrations on the front and back. The right-side-only safety works well and snaps positively both on and off. The magazine is teardrop shaped and reversible, which is not common for 1911s. The flush-fit 15-round magazines eject with authority.
Frame
The frame is 7075 aluminum with light grenade checkering on the front strap and on the arched backstrap. The G10 grip panels have the same texture pattern. There is no grip safety, but there is a bobtail cut for less printing when carrying concealed.
Internally, my research indicates that the hammer, sear, disconnector, and thumb safety of the KDS9 pistols are all 1911 parts. The extractor is external, though, which is a modern trend on 1911 designs and helps with reliability.
The single-action trigger has a good break at 3.5 pounds. The reset is tactile and audible. The trigger can be run fast. Overall, the gun weighs a trim 25 ounces.
Shooting
On to my shooting impressions. Accuracy was good, and I had no malfunctions during my testing.
Slide-to-frame fit was loose. You can see, feel, and hear it rattle, but maybe that’s why it runs reliably. It’s not as tight as my Staccato C2, which is around the same size and designed for similar purposes, but it’s also not as expensive as the C2.
Recoil-wise, it shoots as I would expect a 25-ounce, aluminum-framed gun to shoot. It’s not super soft, and it’s a little jumpy like any lightweight gun would be. But it is totally predictable and controllable.
If I were to nit-pick, I would say it’s a little snappier than my C2 but that’s probably because the aluminum frame transfers a little more energy back to the shooter as compared to a polymer frame. However, I would have no qualms carrying this as a defensive gun.
Cons
My biggest issue with the KDS9c is the light grip texture. It’s too slippery and doesn’t lock into your hand well, making the gun prone to slipping around in your grip. While this is nice when I have to rotate the gun to reach the magazine and slide lock controls, it makes shooting fast more difficult. I really must crush the grip to tame it when shooting fast. The grip panels are proprietary as well, but I hear Kimber is working on releasing high-textured grips for the KDS9.
A couple more gripes are that the proprietary magazines are expensive, and there are not many holster options. It sort of fits in most of my 1911/2011 holsters, but there is a lot of wiggle and it does not snap in. A leather 1911 holster would probably work adequately.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this is a great multi-purpose pistol that looks like a million bucks. It is compact, accurate, and reliable with a great trigger and plenty of capacity. It’s designed for carrying, but it is just as good as a home defense gun, competition pistol, or range companion.
