Kimber Ambi Safety Quality?

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello,

I ordered a Kimber ambidextrous thumb safety. I'm left handed, and this will be replacing an STI ambi thumb safety on my carry weapon.

It was a tossup between King's and Kimber due to a unique design feature shared by both, and King's has been supplying the military and are constantly out of stock, so Kimber it was.

It's due to arrive tomorrow.

My question to you all is this: Have you experienced any problems related to the Kimber ambi safety, and if so, what was the nature of the malfunction and approximate round count?

Thank you,

Josh <><

 

[M2 Carbine]

DP....

 

[M2 Carbine]

A little while back I swapped safeties between my Kimber Tactical Ultra and the Kimber Ultra carry.
I wanted to put a Crimson Trace laser grip on the Tactical, so I also put the Tactical grips on the Ultra carry.

No problem at all.

BUT.
My standard right grip paned wouldn't have worked if I had wanted to use it.
The inside top rear of the right panel is cut out for the thumb safety.

The Ultra Carry is bottom right.
If you look close you can see where the bottom of the thumb safety extends under the grip.

 

[Joshua M. Smith]

Kimber has used both, a pinned style and a swenson style "ear" which goes underneath the grip.

The new ones use the King's style pinned (check out their website.)

At the gunshop I hang at, a customer (and now shooting buddy) had a problem with the CT grips as well. Working with the owner, we were able to take enough off of the grips that the safety didn't have to be messed with.

http://www.kimberamerica.com/shop/product.php?xProd=278

See how it rides the hammer pin now?

Thanks!

Josh <><

 

[Joshua M. Smith]

It got here today. I installed it. It took no fitting to the sear - Kimber molds them pre-fit to guns which are in spec.

Compared to the STI safety, it feels and looks cheap. I had to take a lot of flash off and smooth down rough spots to keep it from binding. I also had to take the slop out of the joint.

BUT! It's on now, and is performing well. MIM parts will fail early on if they're going to fail, but flipping it on and off 100 times as well as 50 rounds or so through the gun didn't reveal any further flaws.

I really wish I could have gotten a King's as the concept is great IMO, but Kimber's execution leaves something to be desired.

I'm keeping the STI safety as a backup, but with a light spring on this one I don't think it will fail.

Josh <><