One really FUGLY “gun”
Well it WAS a SMLE!
Let’s start with the barrel. Some revolver manufacturers have gone to a two-piece blank-and-sleeve arrangement to eliminate the necessity of timing the barrel to the frame. Kimber opted for a traditional one-piece barrel with a unique ovate profile, another sign that cost-cutting isn’t a priority for the company’s sixguns. A full-length underlug adds a bit of weight where it can be most effective in taming muzzle rise. The barrel-to-cylinder gap on the K6s measured 0.006 inch, which is on the tight side of average.
The six-shot cylinder on the K6s is counterbored, which means it is chambered so the rims of loaded cartridges are recessed within. This has become an unusual feature on double-action revolvers since the 1980s because it requires additional machining operations. Yet another shortcut averted. Cylinders can be charged individually or using machined aluminum speedloaders available from Kimber.
The Combat byname suggests a revolver that will most likely be fired double-action. Firing the K6s in this mode produces a trigger pull that measured 8.75 pounds on my test sample. This double-action pull was smooth. There was no “stacking” of the trigger, and the only indication that the shot is about to break is the bolt locking into the cylinder notch.
The K6s DASA uses two safeties. Kimber maintained the rebound safety found on the original K6s and added a transfer bar safety, which prevents the revolver from firing unless the trigger is pulled—a dual failsafe system.
With the sideplate off the K6s, Kimber engineers were able to show me firsthand how this system works. The transfer bar is the steel part that connects the falling hammer with the firing pin and only actuates with pressure on the trigger. If the transfer bar is not in its raised position, the gun cannot fire. So even if the K6s is dropped and the hammer falls, there is nothing to connect the hammer and firing pin. This is the case when the hammer is forward as well.
These safeties are completely passive; you won’t know they are there unless you look for them. In my opinion, anything that contributes to a safer gun and doesn’t have a negative effect on the trigger pull is a win.
While the K6s Target models come equipped with fully adjustable sights, the DASA Combat uses a more rigid arrangement. The steel front sight is pinned into the barrel and the rear rides in a dovetail. The rear sight is drift adjustable for windage once a vertical hex screw is loosened.
I found the white three-dot sight arrangement to be a good shooting aid, with just enough light visible on either side of the front blade to balance precision and speed. The test sample shot to point of aim with all of the loads tested, which ranged from light .38 Special loads to powerful defensive .357 Magnum ammunition. The lack of adjustability was not an issue.
The trigger on the K6s DASA Combat is smooth, and the hammer is checkered for a positive grip. The port-side cylinder release is checkered as well and is accessible without having to shift one’s grip on the gun.
With the cylinder unlocked, a standard-type ejector rod is used to unload the K6s. The cylinder locks both at the rear and at the front of the ejector rod where it interfaces with a spring-loaded detent in the barrel.
The only non-steel parts on the K6s are the grips. Made from two panels of laminated wood, the stocks on the K6s DASA Combat are functional and attractive. Two finger grooves are located on the frontstrap that, combined with the diamond pattern checkering, help the shooter control the gun in recoil.
My hands are about average in size, and I found the factory grips to be comfortable and functional. At this time, other options are limited because factory grips designed for the double-action-only K6s are not compatible with the DASA. However, aftermarket grips such as those from Hogue are compatible.
Overall, the fit and finish on our sample gun was excellent. The entire K6s DASA Combat is completely de-horned for carry, meaning there are no sharp edges that will cut into skin or clothing. The brushed satin stainless steel finish is even and attractive.
On the day I took the K6s to the range for our formal accuracy testing, it took its place in line behind a handgun that retailed for about five times the Kimber’s suggested retail price. I guess I wasn’t expecting much after shooting the heirloom-priced handgun, which was one of the most accurate guns I’ve ever tested. Imagine my surprise when the first five-shot group out of this Kimber landed in a single ragged hole at 25 yards, nearly besting the high-dollar model. Repeated groups achieved the same result. In terms of its accuracy potential, this K6s takes a backseat to no gun.
Due to the ammo shortage situation when I was testing this gun, I was able to shoot only three loads, but nevertheless, I got a good view of what this gun is capable of. Despite being a relatively light and compact revolver, recoil was not oppressive even with full-power .357 Magnum loads.
Accuracy was great, but that’s not the final answer when it comes to how useful a handgun can be in the practical sense. After the bench testing was finished, I transitioned to steel targets at various ranges. Firing the K6s double-action, I quickly came to appreciate how shootable the gun is. Good sights, a great trigger and controllable recoil were all part of the experience and took me back to my earliest days on the range when my .357 Magnum revolver was my only centerfire handgun.
Revolvers are complicated firearms and therefore not at all inexpensive to manufacture. The suggested retail price on the DASA Combat is $1,046, and street prices appear to hover roughly $100 below that number, even in this market. Put in context, the Kimber splits the price difference between comparable revolvers made by Smith & Wesson and Ruger. Neither of those companies can boast the use of fully machined parts in their models, further demonstrating the value of the K6s series. Once you shoot the K6s, the price begins to look very reasonable.
Further, not every shooter is comfortable with keeping a loaded semiauto in their home or on their person. Given the millions of new, inexperienced individuals who have become gun owners since the spring of 2020, we may see an entire new demand for the simplicity and reliability of a defense-oriented revolver. The K6s DASA Combat fits comfortably in that role.
As I learned during my visit to Kimber’s Alabama facility, this is not a product that was rushed to the market to meet the latest trend. The K6s series of revolvers is carefully engineered and refined, and the DASA is the latest evolution of that design and innovation effort. Given the K6s DASA Combat’s range performance, it’s clear that Kimber’s engineers did their job well. I can’t wait to see what the company comes up with next. If a simple, reliable, powerful and well-built handgun piques your interest, this one is worth a long look.
Kimber K6s DASA Combat Specification
- Type: double-action/single-action revolver
- Caliber: .357 Magnum/.38 Special
- Capacity: 6
- Barrel: 4 in.
- Weight: 29 oz.
- Construction: machined stainless steel
- Grips: laminated hardwood
- Sights: three-dot steel front and rear, drift adjustable for windage
- Trigger: 3.3 lb. single-action pull, 8.75 lb. double-action pull
- Price: $1,046
- Manufacturer: Kimber Manufacturing, kimberamerica.com
While loving the simplicity of the strong and reliable single-action thumb-cocker, I’m savvy enough to also appreciate its swinging sidekick, the double-action revolver. Both revolver styles keep cartridge brass confined in the cylinder after firing, making it unnecessary to chase, a big plus for those with an aversion to bending over. More importantly, shelling out freshly fired brass into your hand is soothing and convenient, especially when you guard your fired brass like gold coins.
Versatile Vixen
The swing-out cylinder has the added benefits of allowing you to dump empties, as well as loading them, all at once. I’m going to show you how to enjoy your .45 Colt double-action even more, by making it a bi-caliber contender, providing you with twice the fun.
As you know, the .45 Colt is my favorite cartridge — but I still enjoy many others, especially when I can shoot them in the same gun such as the popular and abundant .45 ACP. Besides shooting .45 ACPs, I’ll show you different techniques for loading your .45 Colt cartridges, and it doesn’t matter if it’s of Ruger, or S&W lineage, either. If you enjoy tinkering with gun “stuff” while watching TV, you’ll love what I’m about to share with you.
TK Custom Cool
Tom Kilhoffer, owner of TK Custom, is the moon-clip guru of the revolver world. He skillfully machines the face of your .45 Colt cylinder, allowing it to accept moon-clipped .45 ACP cartridges. Besides allowing you to shoot cheaper and more abundant .45 ACPs, you now have a faster reload with the moon-clipped bound cartridges. All it takes is the skillful milling of the face of your cylinder the thickness of a moon-clip.
All you need to do is send your cylinder to TK Custom. Heck, they even have videos on their website showing you how to do it, saving you the hassle of shipping your firearm. Turn around was less than a week and it’s a whole lot cheaper than buying another revolver to shoot .45 ACP. TK Custom is a full custom shop and offers many options for slicking up your sixgun. Check them out.
The best part of the conversion allows you to continue shooting .45 Colt cartridges, making your revolver a double-duty gun now! Call me crazy, but loading moon-clips with factory — or handloaded — cartridges is fun, and a very fast way of reloading your sixgun.
TK Custom makes a dandy nutcracker-style tool, which saves fingers from cuts and sore thumb syndrome by pushing in the last cartridge. They also make a handy tool for removing your empties, which is actually tougher on dainty digits.
.45 Colt Three-Way Load
With double-action revolvers, there’s three ways of feeding those cylinders. The standard way involves plunking each cartridge by hand, one at a time. There’s nothing wrong with this method, it’s even kind of satisfying as you “throw” your target a steely eyed glare. You can even load two cartridges at a time, as you develop more dexterity.
You can also use speed strips, which are handy for several reasons. They keep cartridges bound in a neat package, prevent them from “jangling” in your pocket and allow you to load two cartridges simultaneously without the risk of dropping any.
Then there are speed-Loaders. Ask any old copper and he’ll tell you the speed-loader was the greatest invention since reclining bucket-seats on the midnight shift. Far faster and easier than old “dump pouches” this handy contraption made timed qualifications a whole lot easier, not to mention the need for hot reloads during a gunfight. Speed loaders provided confidence and reduced the fear of dropping loose cartridges under stress.
Full-Moon Favorite
You’ll be howling in delight after your full moon-clip conversion is installed, allowing you to utilize .45 ACP ammo. The full moon-clip wasn’t released until the mid-’80s for competitive shooters while prior to this, half-moon-clips were devised to take advantage of the abundance of .45 ACP ammo available during WWI. An S&W employee came up with the brilliant idea of using half-moon-clips for the model 1917 revolvers made by S&W and Colt.
Conversion Contemplation
So, if you’re in the market for making your double-action revolver a double-duty shooter in .45 Colt/.45 ACP, go ahead and get the TK Custom conversion done. You’ll never regret it, as you’ll now be able to shoot it twice as much with two different calibers.
The .45 ACP is generally cheaper to reload, or buy, than .45 Colt ammo. Why not shoot for cheap when all you’re doing is punching paper at the range, or simply plinking at rocks? Save your heavy loads for the field. Either way, the choice is yours with this option.