First Look: Kimber Camp Guard 10mm

Being in the backcountry can be unpredictable. When scouting, setting up camp, carrying water from a creek or butchering an animal, it’s not always easy to have your rifle within reach. The threats posed by bears, mountain lions, wolves and even ill-intentioned humans, though remote, are serious business when you’re on the wrong side of the probability curve. The ability to have a powerful firearm within reach at all times can be crucial, and is just the niche that the Kimber Camp Guard was designed to fill. Here are five things you need to know.

It's the 10mm Auto cartridge on the 1911 platform.
Though the Camp Guard is built on the familiar 1911 design, it is chambered in the powerful 10mm Auto cartridge. The 10mm Auto offers superior penetration over the .45 ACP and has been used successfully on some of the largest and toughest game on the planet. Heavy loads from companies such as DoubleTap Ammo push 180-grain bullets at nearly 1300 feet per second. 9 rounds (8+1) of 10mm is serious business when things go bad.

It sports RMEF rosewood grips.
The Camp Guard is a collaboration between Kimber and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, a fact that is celebrated by the handgun’s rosewood grips that are engraved with RMEF’s logo. Besides looking good, these grips provide a firm purchase.

It features stainless steel construction with two-tone finish.
The slide, frame, barrel and other assorted parts used on the Camp Guard are built from stainless steel to keep corrosion at bay in nasty weather. The slide and barrel bushing are finished with a black KimPro II finish which provides an additional layer of protection and adds to the overall good looks of the handgun.

It has a round heel frame for compact carry.
Compact guns can be hard to shoot under duress, but a full-size handgun can get in the way when you’re working hard. Kimber went for a best-of-both-worlds feel by bobbing the frame on the Camp Guard to a give it a round heel. Not only does this make the pistol easier to carry and to conceal, it eliminates some sharp edges that can catch on clothing and gear.

Custom features come standard.
The Carry Guard comes with a bunch of slick features. The grip frame’s frontstrap is checkered at a fine 30 LPI and the mainspring housing is serrated, both offering a firm grip during recoil. This handguard also uses a ramped barrel, a beavertail grip safety, a skeletonized hammer and trigger, an extended thumb safety, full-length guide rod, snag-free sights and front cocking serrations. The top of the slide is milled flat between the sights, which is a very nice touch.