LAPD SWAT: Los Angeles' finest choose Kimber's Custom II

American Handgunner, Jan-Feb, 2003 by Gary Paul Johnston

On August 11, 1965, the Los Angeles Police Department became embroiled in one of the most lawless and violent incidents in American History, the (first) Watts Riot. As a young police officer with the LAPD assigned to what is now the Southwest Division, I worked 12-hour shifts during the two weeks it took to return order to the city.

In the wake of the Watts Riot, and a general escalation of drugs, violence and organized resistance against public safety -- not only in Los Angeles, but across the country -- LAPD undertook the creation of a special unit to deal efficiently with critical incidents. As early as 1967, the first element of this unit was in place. Called the Special Weapons And Tactics Team, it formed an acronym that would influence law enforcement around the world -- SWAT.

Operating out of the LAPD's highly-specialized Metropolitan Division, today's LAPD SWAT team is a different animal than that of the 1960s. Growth and refinement means team members remain cutting-edge students of the ever-changing science of crisis resolution. Which is why LAPD SWAT remains the most respected group of its kind on the planet.

An old slogan I read on a bumper sticker said, "When people are in trouble they call the police. When the police are in trouble they call SWAT!"

As LAPD SWAT's Lieutenant Mike Albanese said, "We're the last ones to call. There's nobody else. The buck stops here."

Originally a boot-string entity within the Los Angeles Police Department, the SWAT team consisted of officers who furnished much of their own equipment, including their own weapons. Not satisfied with the performance and capacity of standard issue .38 Special revolvers, SWAT requested -- and was ultimately allowed -- to carry model 1911.45 ACP semi-automatic pistols.

.45 For a Reason

Though recognized for its superb handling and reliability, the model 1911 is even more renowned for the .45 ACP cartridge it fires. Legendary for its fight-stopping power, this round and the pistol in which it was introduced began their tenure with the US Military in 1911 and served for a half-century through the Vietnam War. Remaining as popular as ever for the same reasons, this duo is now replacing the 9mm pistol in the holsters of many U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan.

But with the LAPD's heavy budgetary constraints, the department was unable to purchase 1911 pistols. When SWAT eventually received permission to issue such sidearms from Property Division -- selected from confiscated and turned-in pistols -- there were too few to satisfy the need. Officers furnished their own 1911s, and for 35 years LAPD never purchased .45 ACP 1911 pistols.

Whereas LAPD SWAT may have improved exponentially since 1967, its 1911 pistols have all but worn out. Even with regular repairs and replacement, there has always been the problem of uniformity, with SWAT 1911-type pistols being of various makes, vintages and finishes, with a variety of sights and other parts. But it was a problem unsolved until early 2002, when the decision was made to purchase new pistols.

Five Brands Tested

The model 1911 is the most popular pistol in the world. Dozens of companies manufacture them, or import their clones. And the old adage "you get what you pay for" doesn't necessarily apply. One can pay twice the money for a new pistol that won't perform as well as another.

At the top of the performance list is reliability. First and foremost, the pistol must work every time, all the time. The pistol must also be combat accurate. Depending upon which "expert" you talk to, the definition of this elusive term varies.

In my opinion, any pistol that works every time and breaks 4" with 5 shots at 25 yards is combat accurate. After reliability and accuracy comes stopping power, and the .45 ACP cartridge pretty much takes care of this by itself. Other considerations include safety, sights, trigger and ergonomics in general.

In its search for a new 1911 pistol, the LAPD SWAT Team selected to test pistols from what it considered the top five 1911 manufacturers. Kind of the "best of the best," so to speak. Though you're free to work the pieces of this puzzle, we're going to be polite and leave it to your imagination.

As one would expect, testing was rigorous. Every aspect was tested, retested and evaluated, one against the other. One by one, the guns were eliminated until the final selection was made. Kimber not only won, but won impressively. But remember, Kimber manufactures over 40 models of 1911s.

If you think the Kimber 1911 model tested by LAPD SWAT was a top-of-the-line Kimber Custom Shop Target .45, think again. It was none other than Kimber's entry level 1911 -- the Kimber Custom II. Though by Kimber's standards a "plain Jane" 1911, the Kimber Custom II still comes with plenty of special features to qualify its name. These include fixed combat sights (dovetailed front sight), rounded (no-bite) speed hammer, stainless steel throated barrel, polished feed ramp, lowered/flared ejection port, 4-, pound trigger, extended thumb safety, "beavertail" grip safety, beveled magazine well, and black checkered rubber grips. Until Kimber, most of these features were found only as aftermarket custom options. The Custom II is arguably the most .45 ACP 1911 for the money -- ever.