RANGEMASTER

40 COMBAT HANDGUNS August 2013 combathandguns.com

Maxsell replica 1911 brings realistic intensity to defensive training!BY PAUL MARKEL PHOTOS BY SEAN UTLEY

oday, with the big push to quiet down guns by adding a suppressor, you might wonder what the future holds for a piece of equipment that is de-

liberately noisy. But consider the Maxsell Corporation Model 1911 replica, known as the Kimar 911. This pistol is specifically designed to fire blank ammunition only. As for the manufacturer’s specifications, the handgun weighs 2.5 pounds empty, has an 8.5-inch overall length, and fea-tures a black finish and wood grip panels. This single-action, exposed-hammer pistol is fed with an eight-round, single-stack magazine. This convincing replica handgun is also shipped in a hard-plastic case with one magazine, the owner’s manual and a bore brush.

The irony of this particular blank-firing 1911 clone is that it does not use .45-caliber blank ammunition. Instead, it chambers 9mm blank rounds. This is actually a good thing, despite what some traditionalists might believe, as modern 9mm blank ammunition is plentiful and relatively easy to acquire.

For all intents and purposes, the Kimar 911 is a clone or replica of the original Model 1911 pistols favored by the U.S. military for nearly 100 years. All of the manual controls, including the trigger, magazine-release button, slide stop and manual safety, function as they do on a live pistol. The only real exception is the lack of a grip safety, but that won’t be missed. The pistol fits classic leather military holsters as well as more modern molded rigs. I worked the Kimar 911 in and out of a BlackHawk Serpa holster and experienced no issues.

As for function, as mentioned earlier, the pistol is a traditional single action. This model has a narrow vent hole run-ning down the center of the barrel. The hole allows the burning gas to produce a

large, vivid flame from the muzzle, unlike many blank-firing guns that have a com-pletely plugged bore.

Practical TrainingNow that we’ve talked about the specif-ics and mechanics of the pistol, the next logical question is, “What am I supposed to do with it?” Good question. As a profes-sional trainer, my first instinct would be to use the blank gun as a training tool. Live, genuine firearms obviously must be used with great care and caution when conducting classroom training. Yes, I

understand the universal safety rules. However, using a non-firing replica gun is often a better option for conducting train-ing. Solid-plastic dummy guns or plastic-and-aluminum airsoft guns can be used to simulate a firearm, but they don’t actually “work” like a real gun would. The Kimar 1911 replica, with few exceptions,

operates and feels like a genuine firearm. The slide reciprocates and locks back on an empty magazine. The manual safety and trigger function as usual. Although they’re superfluous on a blank-firing gun, the pistol does indeed have front and rear sights. In short, the Kimar 911 pistol could be put into service very easily as a functional educational tool when conduct-ing firearms training.

We haven’t even touched on the noise-making aspects yet. The 9mm blank ammunition is indeed loud. If your only experience with blank ammo has been

with anemic, crimped .22 blanks, you are in for a surprise. Actually, when fired side-by-side next to an M16 equipped with a Blank Firing Adapter (BFA) and 5.56mm blanks, the 9mm blank pistol proved much louder.

Despite the advances in firearms replica training, the blank-firing trainer

FLASH FORCEFIREPOWER

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Though it looks, feels and operates much like a .45-caliber 1911, the Maxsell Kimar 911 is designed to fire 9mm blank rounds that feature impressive flash and sound.

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42 COMBAT HANDGUNS August 2013 combathandguns.com

RANGEMASTER

still has its place. Human beings react to loud noises. That’s just how we are built. Gunfire or simulated gunfire will trigger a neurological response in humans. Loud noises amp up the blood pressure and get our hearts pumping. The truth is that the limits on the use of a blank-firing replica gun are imposed largely by the imagination of the person setting up the training scenarios.

Real-World ApplicationsThe Kimar 911 looks like a genuine firearm: Take care to treat it like one. Clean it. The Kimar is 100-percent legal nationwide and purchasable without a firearms license. Nevertheless, in public, keep it well hidden—in a case or under-neath clothing. Do not leaving it lying around on the seat of your car, where a person passing by might see it and be-lieve it to be a real gun. Do not employ it in any situation in which a firearm would

be uncalled for: You may end up being charged with inducing panic, aggravated menacing or aggravated assault—that is, if you succeed first in explaining to the real-gun-wielding police that, “It’s only a blank gun.”

The Kimar is an excellent training tool, allowing shooters to safely practice in a variety of ways drawing, aiming, chang-ing the magazine and pulling the trigger. Use it as a complement to your larger, firearm-based self-defense package, not as your sole self-defense weapon. Though the Kimar looks and sounds like a functioning 1911, don’t assume it will do the work of frightening off an attacker. For less-lethal self-protection, invest also in professional-grade pepper spray or a stun device—both of which Maxsell offers.

A quick word on maintenance: Just like a genuine firearm, a blank-firing pistol will operate the best when clean and well-lubricated. The manufacturer included a bore cleaning brush for a rea-son. After you’ve fired blank ammunition through the gun, take the time to scrub it down with your favorite gun oil or a light solvent. If you use solvent, be sure to get it all off of the gun and then put oil on it. Blank-firing guns can and do rust and corrode if you don’t regularly take care of them as you would a traditional firearm.

Keep your Kimar 911 running, so you can keep training—indoors or outdoors, and in whatever scenario you’re capable of imagining (and I hope I’ve provided you with some usable ideas for you to consid-er). Only $189, the investment is modest, but the dividend may prove enormous. For more information, visit maxsell.com or call 877-332-2343.

SPECIFICATIONS

MAXSELL KIMAR 911

Caliber 9mm blank

Barrel 5 inches

OA Length 8.5 inches

Weight 40 ounces

Grips Hardwood

Sights Fixed

Action Semi-automatic front fire

Finish Black

Capacity 8+1

MSRP $189

The Kimar 911 employs a single-action external hammer and frame-mounted thumb safety, making it very similar in operation to a true 1911 pistol.

�

40 Rangemaster_RR3.indd 42 4/11/13 9:44 AM

42 COMBAT HANDGUNS August 2013 combathandguns.com

RANGEMASTER

still has its place. Human beings react to loud noises. That’s just how we are built. Gunfire or simulated gunfire will trigger a neurological response in humans. Loud noises amp up the blood pressure and get our hearts pumping. The truth is that the limits on the use of a blank-firing replica gun are imposed largely by the imagination of the person setting up the training scenarios.

Real-World ApplicationsThe Kimar 911 looks like a genuine firearm: Take care to treat it like one. Clean it. The Kimar is 100-percent legal nationwide and purchasable without a firearms license. Nevertheless, in public, keep it well hidden—in a case or under-neath clothing. Do not leaving it lying around on the seat of your car, where a person passing by might see it and be-lieve it to be a real gun. Do not employ it in any situation in which a firearm would

be uncalled for: You may end up being charged with inducing panic, aggravated menacing or aggravated assault—that is, if you succeed first in explaining to the real-gun-wielding police that, “It’s only a blank gun.”

The Kimar is an excellent training tool, allowing shooters to safely practice in a variety of ways drawing, aiming, chang-ing the magazine and pulling the trigger. Use it as a complement to your larger, firearm-based self-defense package, not as your sole self-defense weapon. Though the Kimar looks and sounds like a functioning 1911, don’t assume it will do the work of frightening off an attacker. For less-lethal self-protection, invest also in professional-grade pepper spray or a stun device—both of which Maxsell offers.

A quick word on maintenance: Just like a genuine firearm, a blank-firing pistol will operate the best when clean and well-lubricated. The manufacturer included a bore cleaning brush for a rea-son. After you’ve fired blank ammunition through the gun, take the time to scrub it down with your favorite gun oil or a light solvent. If you use solvent, be sure to get it all off of the gun and then put oil on it. Blank-firing guns can and do rust and corrode if you don’t regularly take care of them as you would a traditional firearm.

Keep your Kimar 911 running, so you can keep training—indoors or outdoors, and in whatever scenario you’re capable of imagining (and I hope I’ve provided you with some usable ideas for you to consid-er). Only $189, the investment is modest, but the dividend may prove enormous. For more information, visit maxsell.com or call 877-332-2343.

SPECIFICATIONS

MAXSELL KIMAR 911

Caliber 9mm blank

Barrel 5 inches

OA Length 8.5 inches

Weight 40 ounces

Grips Hardwood

Sights Fixed

Action Semi-automatic front fire

Finish Black

Capacity 8+1

MSRP $189

The Kimar 911 employs a single-action external hammer and frame-mounted thumb safety, making it very similar in operation to a true 1911 pistol.

�

40 Rangemaster_RR3.indd 42 4/11/13 9:44 AM