Kimber KDS9c

The KDS9c is the thinnest factory 2011 you can buy. At 1.33" wide, it is meaningfully slimmer than the Staccato C2 (1.4") and HD C4X (1.6") because Kimber tapers the frame and uses a steel magazine that necks down to single-column at the feed lips. That makes it the only 2011 that genuinely conceals like a single-stack 1911 while still feeding 15 rounds.

Pricing is the second differentiator. MSRP is $1,499 and street price has settled at roughly $1,100 to $1,300, putting the KDS9c at less than half the cost of a Staccato HD C4X and within reach of a high-end Glock 19 with aftermarket parts. The 4.09" stainless bull barrel, 7075 aluminum frame, and stainless slide are conventionally machined rather than billet-cut, but reliability testing in published reviews has run 100% across multiple ammo types. Trigger pull averages 3.25 to 3.5 lb single-action with a clean break and tactile reset typical of 1911-pattern fire control.

The catch is the magazine ecosystem. Kimber's 15-round mags are proprietary, run $47 each, and are not cross-compatible with Glock or P320. Kimber sells 10-round, 15-round, and 18-round versions plus a +3 basepad extension, so capacity options exist, but you cannot fall back on department-issued spares. The optic footprint is also proprietary: the slide ships milled flat and uses Kimber adapter plates to mount RMR or RMSc-footprint red dots. The Trijicon RMR plate runs $113, includes a replacement rear sight, and is the most common configuration. Buy the gun for slim profile and price, accept the proprietary mag and plate ecosystem.