Monday, May 28, 2007 Rama: That heavenly Raptor By Karlon N. Rama Stage Five
MUCH has been written in the American firearm press about the Kimber Raptor and the critics, law enforcement and civilian shooters alike, are in agreement—it’s a mighty fine nineteen-eleven.
And for years we sat contented simply reading their reviews. Guns & Ammo’s Gary Paul Johnston, for example, describes it as a “beautiful marriage of substance and style.”
But all that changed one afternoon about three weeks ago when Mr. Gil “Gigi” Garcia walked into the Kamagong Gun Club Firing Range at the AFP Central Command Headquarters with what I know to be the only specimen existing in Cebu.
A consummate gun lover, Gigi is one of the most active members in the club’s roster. Similarly, his teenage son Vince is one of the club’s top rifle shooters.
Handing the pistol over to me for a look-see-and-shoot, it was immediately clear that the gun was indeed all that the critics praised... plus a whole lot more.
Giving the gun back gave meaning to the Shakespearean parting-is-such-sweet-sorrow.
Introduced in 2005 by Kimber of America as part of its Custom Shop series, the Raptor and its shorter brother, the Pro Raptor, is a highly polished and blued all-steel .45 handgun built over the proven nineteen-eleven platform.
It features aggressive serrations cut on the front and rear of the slide as well as on the front strap of the grip frame. A checkered mainspring housing and lizard scales-like carvings on its wooden grip complete the profile.
The gun also features scales-like serrations on the top of the slide. More than aesthetics, the serrations offer an immensely important shooter-assisting function—it ensures a crystal clear view of the low-profile front sight from the rear wherever the angle of the sun’s glare may be.
For night encounters, the gun is fight-ready thanks to the tritium inserts bored into the fixed Meprolight front and rear sights. A radioactive compound, tritium glows at zero-light conditions.
Internally, it is all that you could expect from a Kimber Custom Shop creation—a five-inch stainless steel match-grade barrel custom fit into the slide by Kimber’s master gunsmiths and a nicely tuned trigger job that goes off after a very crisp 3.5-pound factory-set pull.
Both factors give the gun an inherent capability of sub-inch groups at 50 yards and more, provided the shooter does his job. I was able to do sub-inch groups at 15 yards, free style.
On the subject of safety, the gun has all three—an ambidextrous safety control and non-cumbersome grip safety that also actuates a proprietary firing pin safety mechanism.
About the only thing wrong with the gun is the cost. This, in turn, explains why Gigi Garcia has one and the rest of us don’t.
But to those who are willing to spend, any amount would be cheap for this heavenly raptor—a gun that feels pleasant in the hands and chic on the holster, but is inherently accurate and deadly in the field.
Eskrima. The Cacoy Doce Pares World Federation (CDP-WF) will be hosting the 2007 CDP WF Arnis Eskrima World Championships in Jakarta Indonesia from Sept. 6 to 10. The competition is open to both federation and non-federation members who wish to compete. According to Chuck Cañete, the organizers are working hard to obtain as much sponsorship as possible so competitors won’t have to spend too much. For more details, check out http://championship2007. thecmaa.com or www.eskrima. multiply.com
Personal. I would like to extend a Stage Five salute to Dr. Manny Barcenas, that Glock-slinging physician from Lapu-Lapu City, whose daughter Camille turned 11 last Sunday. My apologies for missing the roasted turkey, Doc.
