Kimber TLE whats the word on this great looking gun

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marine 97-03

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So I stoped by a gun shop that I told myself I would never buy from...one there expensive 2 there also a bunch of "Richard" heads and getting them to help you with things is waste of time....but back to the TLE they are a kimber dealer and I was looking it them...you know wishing, when I seen this great looking TLE it was closest to my side of the case so I got to get a good look.....meanwhile nobody asked if I wanted to see it so what's the low down on the TLE
 
I have a TLE II and it's great. Other than the fact that I had to replace the recoil spring after I bought it, but after that, flawless.

By far the most accurate of all my pistols (glock, XD, ruger).
 
I bought a Custom TLEII several years ago. It's a solid gun--steel frame and slide, NS, front slide cocking serrations, original trigger was good but I had it tweaked to around 3# and put G10 grips on it. I have 8rd. Wilson Combat, Tripp and Kimber magazines they all work well. Great shooter, I have probably 1500 rounds through it w/o a problem. It will shoot 230gr FMJ or Hornady CD or other HP rounds without fail. I'll probably replace the spring sometime with another 16#er. Either I got a superb gun or it's a good performer. It feels good in the hand and looks great!
 
I love my TLE. It had all of the features that I wanted for carry, with a minimum of extra's. I definately wanted the front strap checkering, and night sights. The front slide serrations was the only fluff.

It is back with Kimber for night sight replacement [ 12 year warranty ]
 
I owned a (pre-series II) Stainless LE.
Looks very similar, but no Swartz safety, and (IIRC) no forward cocking serrations (my memory may be fuzzy there; been a while.

I owned it for a number of years, always worked exceptionally well. I am more a fan of 4" 1911s, and reluctantly I sold this one to a good friend a while back. It was his first 1911 and first Kimber.

I also got him into handloading a while ago (his first Dillon). He recently added his second Kimber (a 4" alloy frame).

I see a good bit of Kimber-bashing, but take into account that Kimber makes far more 1911s each year than most of the rest put together. Understand how percentages work. I'll say no more.

FWIW, my wife and I have had really good luck so far--eight or nine total ( lost count, and I'm a buy-one, sell-one kind of guy). Currently she has one and I have two.

Good luck, and let us know how it works out.
 
Kimber TLE --got mine in 2004 and have just a little over 21,000 rounds through it, The sample I have, has been flawless. It is one of 6 1911s I shoot in rotation and I shoot it a little better than the others, all about the same price guns. real happy with mine.
 
I shoot my TEII in USPSA matches and consider it to be a very good 1911. I also have a Stainless Pro Raptor II that I'm pleased with. I have other 1911s that cost considerably more than the TEII but I have a real soft spot for that one. Maybe it's because it was my first 1911, maybe it's because I've learned so much from it when I upgraded various parts, or perhaps it's because it's so reliable match after match after match. One thing is certain, I'll never sell or trade it. It's starting to show some holster wear so I plan on painting it with Cerakote soon.

kimber_teii_vz_01.jpg
 
Mine didn't run too well - got rid of it after 800 problematic rounds. The friend I sold it to still loves it, and doesn't mind the occasional stove pipe. That was my second (and last) problematic Kimber. Springfields and a Colt haven't given me any issues.

When we're talking about guns that get near 1k, that have been manufactured for over 100 years, I won't suffer defects.
 
No disagreements. My range TLE is well over 8K rounds, and so far no issues. I have heard said that they can loosen the plunger tube over time, but I've not seen that yet. The only thing that I've done to potentially impact the reliability of the pistol is get rid of the Kimber magazine and use either CheckMate hybrid feed lip magazines or CMC PowerMags.

I may slow down on the round count of my range TLE for a bit, since I'm playing with a Sig 5" 1911 with a goal of seeing how well that holds up to range use....
 
rbernie said:
No disagreements. My range TLE is well over 8K rounds, and so far no issues. I have heard said that they can loosen the plunger tube over time, but I've not seen that yet. The only thing that I've done to potentially impact the reliability of the pistol is get rid of the Kimber magazine and use either CheckMate hybrid feed lip magazines or CMC PowerMags.

I may slow down on the round count of my range TLE for a bit, since I'm playing with a Sig 5" 1911 with a goal of seeing how well that holds up to range use....
Click to expand...
I like the Powermags myself; that's the mag pictured in my post above.
 
I've purchased new one TLE-II, blued version. Terrific 1911 -- 100% reliable from the get-go, NEVER a malfunction in over 5,000 rounds (in about four years). Adequate (not spectacular, to be perfectly honest) accuracy, but an awesome trigger -- probably the best out of the box trigger pull on any production 1911 (including a couple new Colt Series 70 repros) that I've bought in the past twenty years.

Strangly, the finish wore off the safety within the first few months I owned the thing. Not a big deal to me. I really like Kimber's frontstrap checkering; it's about perfect for me. Minus -- the plastic MSH (which I replaced with an arched MSH anyway).

Kimber's Meprolight night sights are about the best OEM night sights I've ever used. Big dots, very bright, long-lasting.

Don't like the front-cocking serrations, but in my view, the TLE-II is everything you need in a 1911, nothing you don't (excepting those darn FCS and the full-length guide rod).

I don't worry about MIM a whole lot or Kimber's reputation -- every Kimber I've ever bought has been excellent. I like the TLE-II, and it's been one of my go-to 1911s for a while (even though I've owned 1911s that cost far more and have better internet reputations).
 
Mine didn't run too well - got rid of it after 800 problematic rounds.
Click to expand...




Getting a 1911 to run right isn't exactly rocket science so why wouldn't you fix it instead passing it on to some other poor sap. :confused:
 
Are kimbers custom shop guns like the CDP better quality than say the custom II
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There's a difference between the Custom II and the Custom TLE II: the Custom II is a basic offering; the TLE has the frontstrap checkering, nightsights. With the CDP, you get the "carry melt" treatment (which is really nice, no sharp edges; the Meprolight nightsights, ambi-safety, and, of course, frontstrap checkering. Plus, the CDP has the lightweight alloy frame, shaving a few ounces off the overall weight. My Pro CDP II is a wonderful pistol (I'm on my second one) ...
guns015.jpg
 
Getting a 1911 to run right isn't exactly rocket science so why wouldn't you fix it instead passing it on to some other poor sap.
Click to expand...

I'm one of those crazy consumers who expects high dollar items to work when I pony up for them. Given a choice between a 1k 1911 that jams or one for 750 that works, I go for the latter. I refuse to be one of the throng of 1911 owners that illogically calls their pistol "flawless, except for" and then lists out what they had/have to do to keep it from choking. Additionally, this was earlier in my pistol owning years where I stuck with what the manual advised for end user maintenance and nothing more.

When I sold it, it didn't go to a poor sap. It went to a friend who had fired it on the range, seen it fail first hand, and wanted it anyway. Besides, if they're so easy to fix he probably got a good deal, right? ;)
 
Old Dog said:
There's a difference between the Custom II and the Custom TLE II: the Custom II is a basic offering; the TLE has the frontstrap checkering, nightsights. With the CDP, you get the "carry melt" treatment (which is really nice, no sharp edges; the Meprolight nightsights, ambi-safety, and, of course, frontstrap checkering. Plus, the CDP has the lightweight alloy frame, shaving a few ounces off the overall weight. My Pro CDP II is a wonderful pistol (I'm on my second one) ...
guns015.jpg
Click to expand...


Nice pistol!!
 
Mine has given excellent service. I generally prefer it over the Colt and Springer 1911s I own (the possible exception being my OACP).
One oddity about mine is that the slide and grip safety are blued carbon steel, while the frame and controls are/were blackened stainless steel (in the photo, the stop and thumb safety are carbon steel parts in a configuration I like more than the OEM parts).
53wps2.jpg
Regards,
Greg
 
What TLE model are you considering? There are quite a few TLE choices in the Kimber lineup.
 
I can't decide on a TLE or the eclipse ......
Click to expand...
As far as I know, they are the same mechanics with different cosmetics. I like the Eclipse treatment but it adds a hundred or more to the cost of the pistol.
 
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