A steampunk 2K11 prototype. A rimfire rifle marked “FOR CHECKING MAGAZINES.” Two Gold Combat II pistols with consecutive serial numbers. The October Kimber Vault collection brings together firearms whose individual histories add another dimension to their specifications.
Presented by Bryant Ridge through Collector’s Elite Auctions, the Kimber Vault event runs October 18 through November 1, 2026. This selection follows 10 stories across 11 firearms, including developmental prototypes, an inaugural serialized example and pistols retained within a private archive.
The listing descriptions summarize accompanying Kimber factory letters signed by Leslie Edelman. Those summaries describe different reasons for retention and identify February 6, 2026, as the release date to Bryant Ridge. The details vary by firearm, making the individual records central to each story.
1. Kimber 2K11 The Punk and its mechanical artwork
Gears, pipes, valves and clockwork motifs give the 2K11 “The Punk” a visual identity of its own. The seller describes an engraved Tru-Tan slide over a black frame, with “THE PUNK” marked on top. Serial S2K005483 identifies this 9mm example, which has a 5-inch barrel and synthetic grips.
Its factory-letter summary identifies it as a prototype produced during initial development and pre-production, with a role in final evaluation before full-scale release. That account gives the decorative treatment a development context, rather than leaving the engraving as the whole story. The original box, range bag and factory documentation accompany the listing.
View the 2K11 The Punk listing
2. Kimber 2K11 COMP and preproduction evaluation
The 2K11 COMP, serial 2K001160, offers another view of the double-stack pistol family. The factory-letter summary describes a 9mm pistol with a 4-inch barrel, stainless finish and synthetic grips. The seller also lists a blue skeletonized trigger, fiber-optic front sight and flared magazine well.
According to the letter summary, this example was manufactured during its model line’s development and pre-production phase and used for final evaluation. Alongside “The Punk,” it shows how two visually different configurations can share a documented prototype designation. Each firearm’s own letter establishes the scope of that history.
View the 2K11 COMP prototype listing
3. A camouflage Kimber Rapide prototype
The Rapide prototype, serial K817116, introduces a camouflage finish to the roundup. The factory-letter summary lists a .45 ACP pistol with a 5-inch barrel, camouflage finish and G10 grips. Bryant Ridge describes the treatment more specifically as woodland camouflage with black accents.
The seller lists Kimber and RAPIDE slide markings, a .45 ACP barrel marking and a matching certificate. Its letter summary identifies the pistol as a developmental and pre-production prototype used for final evaluation. The finish provides the immediate visual hook, while the documentation supplies the reason this particular Rapide belongs in the collection.
View the camouflage Rapide prototype listing
4. Kimber K770 K0002 and the Clackamas connection
The K770 rifle brings the story to Clackamas, Oregon. Serial K0002 appears on the receiver, while the listed barrel markings identify Kimber of America in Clackamas and the .30-06 chambering. Its factory-letter summary specifies a 24-inch barrel, blued finish and walnut stock.
The low serial number is one point of interest; the seller-described case label reading “PROTOTYPE RIFLE” is another. The letter summary identifies developmental and pre-production use. Together, the markings, packaging and provenance account provide a more useful history than the serial number alone. K0002 should not, by itself, be taken as proof that this was the second rifle manufactured.
View the K770 K0002 prototype listing
5. Kimber 82C Classic and the factory workbench
The 82C Classic, serial C1946, carries some of the collection’s most revealing markings. Bryant Ridge reports handwritten stock notes reading “FOR CHECKING MAGAZINES” and “BAD BOLT SLOT,” describing the rifle as an internal quality-control and testing example.
The factory-letter summary identifies an 82C Classic in .22 LR with a 22-inch barrel, blued finish and walnut stock, retained within Leslie Edelman’s personal holdings. That retention account and the seller’s description of factory use are distinct parts of its history. Although the listing headline calls it a Super America, the letter summary and box label identify it as an 82C Classic.
The seller states that this example does not have a firing pin. That condition is part of the story of a rifle presented for its factory history.
View the 82C Classic C1946 listing
6. Kimber 8400 Super America and engraved rifle development
The 8400 Super America, serial TFE00120, adds an engraved sporting rifle to the selection. Its factory-letter summary identifies a .300 Winchester Magnum rifle with a 26-inch barrel, blued finish and walnut stock, produced during development and pre-production for final evaluation.
Bryant Ridge describes receiver-area scroll engraving, figured walnut, checkering, an ebony forend tip and a cheekpiece, and calls the configuration a Three Forks Edition. The seller also lists Yonkers, New York, markings. These details make craftsmanship and finish the natural focus of its photographs, supported by the separate account of prototype status.
View the 8400 Super America prototype listing
7. NRA EPOCH II and the beginning of a serial series
The NRA EPOCH II, serial KNRAE00, presents a different kind of factory milestone. The supplied letter summary identifies it as the first serialized firearm produced within its model line. Its actual serial remains KNRAE00, regardless of the seller’s shorthand references to “Serial Number One.”
The .45 ACP pistol has a 5-inch barrel, a brush-polished and black finish, and wood grips, according to the letter summary. Bryant Ridge also describes a factory case with archival tape marked “History 00.” That label gives readers a tangible detail to connect with the account of an inaugural example retained in Edelman’s personal collection.
View the NRA EPOCH II KNRAE00 listing
8. Stainless Covert and a low serial number
The Stainless Covert, serial KSC0002, provides a useful companion to the NRA EPOCH II story. Its letter summary describes an early, low-serial-number example retained in Edelman’s personal collection. It does not establish a precise manufacturing sequence.
Configured in .45 ACP with a 4-inch barrel, stainless finish and wood grips, the pistol carries seller-described Custom Shop and STAINLESS COVERT slide markings. Its case is reported to have an archival “History” label. Here, the documented point of interest is early production and private retention, with the Custom Shop markings adding another detail for close-up photography.
View the Stainless Covert KSC0002 listing
9. An RMEF prototype with a landscape in its engraving
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation prototype listing brings conservation-themed artwork to the selection. Bryant Ridge describes RMEF lettering, a bugling elk logo, mountain scenery, scrollwork and “EST. 1984” in contrasting slide panels, with additional mountain imagery on top of the slide.
The supplied factory-letter summary describes a .45 ACP 1911 RMEF pistol with a 5-inch barrel, black and brushed-stainless finish, and developmental prototype status. The seller also describes a blue trigger and a compensator-equipped configuration. The engraving offers several opportunities for detail images that explain the design without relying on broad rarity claims.
View the RMEF prototype listing
10. Gold Combat II pistols with consecutive serial numbers
Two separately listed Gold Combat II pistols carry serial numbers K072250 and K072251. Both factory-letter summaries describe .45 ACP pistols with 5-inch barrels, matte blued finishes and wood grips, retained as part of a special edition within Edelman’s personal holdings.
The seller lists Custom Shop slide markings and matching cases and certificates for each. Their consecutive serial numbers create a natural shared feature, while each remains an individual auction listing. Consecutive numbers do not establish that Kimber originally supplied them as a matched set.
There is also an important condition distinction: Bryant Ridge states that K072251’s magazine will not eject due to the magwell. Readers should review each listing individually rather than assume the two pistols have identical condition.
Explore the October Kimber Vault collection
These firearms record different parts of the factory story: evaluating a new configuration, retaining an early example, checking magazines or preserving two consecutive-number pistols. Their markings, boxes and accompanying records help explain why each example deserves an individual look.
Explore the Kimber Vault event through Collector’s Elite Auctions and review the individual Bryant Ridge listings for photographs, documentation, condition notes and auction terms.
Explore the Kimber Vault collection
Frequently asked questions
What is the Kimber Vault collection
The Kimber Vault collection features firearms released from Kimber’s retained holdings through Bryant Ridge and Collector’s Elite Auctions. The featured listings include prototypes, early serialized examples and firearms preserved within a private archive.
When is the October Kimber Vault event
The event page lists October 18 through November 1, 2026. Review each individual auction listing for its closing time and terms.
Are all Kimber Vault firearms prototypes
No. This selection includes seller-described developmental prototypes, an inaugural serialized example, a low-number example and privately retained special-edition pistols. Each listing’s documentation describes its particular history.
Do low serial numbers prove production order
A low number alone does not establish the precise order in which firearms were manufactured. For the NRA EPOCH II KNRAE00, the supplied factory-letter summary specifically identifies it as the first serialized example in its model line.
Are the consecutive Gold Combat II pistols a matched set
They are separately listed pistols with consecutive serial numbers K072250 and K072251. The supplied descriptions do not establish a factory-issued matched set. K072251 also has a seller-disclosed magazine-ejection issue.
