More than 10 Years of Hunting with the Kimber Custom II 10mm

For more than ten years a Kimber Custom II 10mm has been one of my go-to hunting sidearms, delivering accuracy, dependability, and stopping power in the classic 1911 design.

The Custom II 10mm has a five-inch barrel, rubberized grips, rear fixed sights, and a fiber optic green front sight that glows bright.

By saying the front sight “glows bright,” I mean it stands out and makes it easy to bring the gun on target against a background of shrubbery, tall grass, or other types of dense foliage.

Over the past decade I have used the Custom II 10mm in conjunction with hunting in two ways: 1. As a secondary firearm for backup, in case an animal charges, and 2. As a primary handgun for the hunt itself, particularly with wild hogs in Texas and Louisiana.

While in the field, I carry the Custom II 10mm in a Crossbreed holster chest rig. This specific rig holds the gun snug against my chest while keeping it at the perfect angle for a quick draw:

I have had numerous one-shot, one-kill experiences with the Custom II 10mm while hog hunting and I have missed opportunities–due to my mistakes–that could have been additional one-shot, one kill moments. But the thing I have learned over ten-plus years with the Custom II 10mm is that it is ready to get the job done when I am ready to do it.

There is a vast array of gun designs made by a gazillion different gun makers, and it takes something special to make one specific firearm stand out in the crowd. I am here to say that the Custom II 10mm has that something special.

From the rubberized grips that keep the pistol from slipping in my hands to the sight configuration, accuracy, functionality, and classic 1911 design, this handgun has it all. The Custom II 10mm has long been, and will continue to be, a go-to pistol for me.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He holds a PhD in Military History with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. He enjoys reading Philosophy and novels by Jack Carr and Nelson DeMille. Follow him on X: @awrhawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.