[VictorLouis]

It just dawned on me while I was re-reading a mag with a Kimber review. There, in the pics, I noted that there appears to be the tail-end of a conventional extractor right where it should be to the right of the firing-pin stop. What's its purpose?

Do they just take 'normal' 1911 slides and machine the cut needed for the new extractor, then plug the now useless rear hole? For those that have seen the S&W or Wilson, are they the same as the Kimber's?

[Preacherman]

I don't know how they do it: but I'll never trust the Kimber external extractor. I shot the New England Regional IDPA championships in the same relay as Massad Ayoob, who was using a new Kimber "Team USA" pistol that he'd received for review. He had so many failures to eject and related trouble that he posted the worst Master-class score he'd ever received, and was right out of the running for the championship. (His language was pretty spectacular, too... :D )

Since that experience, I've decided not to buy a Kimber with that extractor. On the other hand, the Wilson (KZ45) and S&W external 1911 extractors seem to work just fine. I notice that they're considerably longer than the Kimber version, which may give them more of a swing angle around their pivot pin, and thus a better grasp of the cartridge rim.

[Jim Watson]

Saw a picture of a Kimber dismounted.
The extractor proper is a short hook retained by a stud in a socket.
It is tensioned by a spring and plunger, with the end of the plunger beveled to hold the extractor stud down into its socket. Similar to Glock.
The spring and plunger are retained by a plug that looks like the back end of a real 1911 extractor and which itself is retained by the firing pin stop in 1911 style.

There is no pivot pin that requires a drift punch and hammer to remove, it comes apart by removing the plug like you would a 1911 extractor. The spring and plunger will come out the rear, the hook will fall out the side.

Wonder if that match report shows up in Ayoob's magazine article?

SW1911 has a longer hook retained by and pivoting on a vertical pin. It is tensioned by a short coil spring under the rear end of the extractor. Wilson is similar in operation, but a wider piece. Caspian is the same as Wilson. The Sigarms Granite looks a lot like a Caspian/Wilson.

[dsk]

Wonder if that match report shows up in Ayoob's magazine article?

How much you wanna bet it won't? :scrutiny:

[dubb-1]

"How much you wanna bet it won't? "

You beat me to it!


Damian

[Preacherman]

AFAIK, Mas never wrote a review on that pistol. He was so disgusted (vocally, profanely and LOUDLY! :D ) with it that I asked him whether he was going to give Kimber a chance to send him another gun and try that one. His response (paraphrased for the sake of not burning out the wires on this computer) was basically and emphatically NO!

Mas is pretty good that way, you know. If a gun sucks, he won't try to pass it off as acceptable, or sweet-talk his way around the problem.

[KMKeller]

I do seem to remember him mentioning posting his worst ever score, but I think it was in one of his books. I'll check it out when I get home this evening.

[RUT]

>>I do seem to remember him mentioning posting his worst ever score<<

Which was probably better than my best ever score!!:)

[VictorLouis]

I shot the New England Regional IDPA championships in the same relay as Massad Ayoob, who was using a new Kimber "Team USA" pistol that he'd received for review.


AFAIK, Mas never wrote a review on that pistol.

Actaully, I recall him mentioning how it choked on him in an aside to his normal American Handgunner column(IIRC). He phrased it something like "popular manufacturer of 1911s who recently introduced an external-extractor.... Well duh, Kimber was the ONLY such maker at that time, prior to the S&W....:D

[RUT]

>>Well duh, Kimber was the ONLY such maker at that time, prior to the S&W<<

And now Dan Wesson (Patriot) , which I now have.

[Tom C.]

What is wrong with the original extractor? Mine have worked fine for 30 yrs and counting.

[Skunkabilly]

Not a Kimber apologist (sold mine in disgust when the internal extractor didn't work) and I'm no 1911 mechanic, but has he ruled out all else like maybe the gun was picky with his ammo, or mag problems? It was a new gun after all.... :scrutiny:

[Preacherman]

Skunk, believe me, he ruled out everything else! :D

I'd just done LFI-2 and LFI-3 with him, back-to back weeks of training (and boy, does that tire you out!). He playfully entered the entire LFI-3 class into the championships on the last day of the course - carefully omitting to tell us about it: that was his little surprise! :D

He'd been using the Kimber during the course, and it shot fine in slow-fire, but had been hanging up in rapid-fire drills. He'd called Kimber about it, and tried various magazines, different ammo, etc. However, it was advertised as a "Team USA" gun, "competition ready" and all that - so in order to give it a thorough testing, he used it in competition. Didn't work - good test, IMHO.