Overpriced Kimber Junk

They are a bit pricey but people who have them seem to be happy with them.

I'm not a Kimber fan but I handled one and was impressed. Definitely considering it but it is pretty expensive for me.

However your post begs the question, if you hate Kimber so much then why are you so upset at the cost? Just don't buy one.

If you don't like Kimber don't worry yourself about them. Don't like it don't buy it. Get what you think is better. If Kimber's are as crappy as you say for the price they will be out of business soon.

Interesting that you're calling it junk without any experience with them.

The ones I've handled have excellent fit and finish. Outstanding triggers, sights and ergos. They're very well thought out and executed for being "junk"

I've also only had great luck with their 1911's being incredibly reliable, accurate and durable.

The two Kimber 1911's I own have run flawlessly and demonstarted outstanding accuracy for many thousands of rounds on my reloads.
There have been almost no complaints about the K6 since they came out.

Folks that buy them seem to really like them.
here is a favorable review:

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/gun-review-kimber-ks6-dcr-357magnum/

Do you have one or want one?

I am impressed with the k6 fit and finish, handled a few and thought the trigger was good right out of the box.
Would I buy one? Maybe if money were no object.
With that said, I never owned a kimber, I have however seen countless brand new 1911 pattern kimbers rusting pretty badly on the shelf brand new. Don't know what that's about, maybe they fixed the metallurgy by now- I would hope so. Anyone else seen that??

This past year, 2019, I purchased a good number of revolvers. Bought the GP100 3" barrel Wily Clapp, S&W 686 plus 3" barrel, and a Kinber K6s da/sa also with the three inch barrel. In addition, I own other revolvers made by Smith, Colt, and Ruger. I feel no need to explain any of my purchases but the Kimber has a very good trigger and it's fit and finish is superb. The only Ruger with a trigger near the Kimber is the LCR, have one of those too. The 686 plus is my favorite for accuracy but it is a tad heavy. The Kimber is a fun shooter and a great carry weapon.

Nothing is over priced if it sells. Be it fit, finish, exotic materials, rabidly loyal fanbase, it doesn't matter if the market price is accepted. I like Ruger, but I feel them a bit heavy for a carry piece. I've not had good luck with a couple of S&W revolvers save a 686 I foolishly let go about 10 years ago. I'm not the best to chime in on if the Kimber is "worth" the money. More often than not, I carry a Charter Arms revolver because of the simple fact that I shoot it better, and the .45 acp ammo feeds my semi auto carry piece.

I think they look pretty cool. I would buy one if I had the cash and felt like it. I'm sure I could get most of what I paid for it out of it if it didn't check off all my boxes.

The k6s is worth it in my opinion.

Mr. Mosin said:

I've had experience with em

Click to expand...

Well then, what makes them "junk" in your eyes?

The closest similar revolver I can think of would be a SW M66. Those run about $700 or so new. Add $150 for a trigger job (plus shipping and handling) and you're getting awfully close to the retail price of the K6, which is still a smaller package.


I agree they're not cheap, but everyone I've talked to that had much play time with one seemed pleased with the performance to price ratio.

All guns are worth what the consumer is willing to pay. If one doesn’t like a particular gun there are others out there.

I can't say anything about Kimber revolvers. Never even held one. However I bought a Kimber 1911 Custom a while back. The only other 1911 I have ever owned was a Colt Gold Cup. In my opinion The Kimber is every bit as good as the Gold Cup maybe even better. Neither of them have had any problems. Both fine shooters

Not able to say as I have never held one but I suspect if assembly requires any degree of hand fitting, that will increase cost. I have a S&W 25-2 .45 ACP revolver that cost $400 in 1979 brand new and according to the inflation calculator that same revolver would cost approximately $1500 in today's dollars. If I look at it as a $1500 revolver, I believe it's worth every penny. The bluing is flawless, the side plates are fit so precisely the seams almost disappear and the action is like a swiss watch. Many offerings today (particularly Ruger) are designed and fabricated to be assembled with little or no hand fitting in order to keep production costs down.

A Taurus is a hundred or so cheaper than a Ruger or Smith but I have never bought a Taurus.

Same could be said of the Kimber to the Smiths and Rugers.

Whatever your preference is I suppose.

Have you shot or carried the Kimber to see what it offers for its price premium.

Mr. Mosin said:

I've had experience with em

Click to expand...

Well, no offense, but it sounds like you have an axe to grind. We all have different experiences and they stick with us.

I agree, some Kimber's are priced higher than they aught to be IMO. I've seen some crap with Kimber 1911's that bothered me. But just because there's a bad situation in the past doesn't mean they can't improve, and there are a lot of happy Kimber owners.

Edit: Thought about this a little more, and there's a few more things I've considered. Folks are right, the action of the K6 is far smoother than most revolvers I've shot. That alone warrants a higher price. The fit and finish is nicer also so there's that.

My experience with Kimber 1911's is a small sample size. I don't feel the price of some of their higher end models is warranted by the triggers I've tried out, and that's a big one for me. But dry firing and live fire are two different things. I've also seen a NIB Kimber priced at $1200 with surface rust on the muzzle. That soured me to the brand a bit, but it could have been caused by a sweaty handed mouth breather touching it too much.

By what criteria are they judged as "junk"? Personally, I think a lot of people simply repeat what they've heard about Kimber. I've had two of their 1911's and they have been excellent. If I'm carrying a 1911, it's probably the Kimber that is presently in my desk drawer. I have never been able to understand why people call them overpriced, they clearly never looked very close at a Colt 1911. I've also handled a bunch more and do not find these supposed flaws others see. In my opinion, the Chicken Little phenomenon is highly contagious.

That said, the lowest price Kimber, which has always been marketed as more of a premium brand, has an MSRP of $899. The highest price Ruger SP, which has always been marketed as a more affordable brand, has an MSRP of $849. So what are we really bitching about? I've handled the Kimber revolvers and their fit & finish is noticeably better than Rugers, as are their actions.

I think this post is pretty much a drive by. I looked at some of his other posts and they often amount to similar rantings.

How about it, OP? Your profile says you are 24 years old. What gun do you own you think ISNT junk?

Mr. Mosin said:

I've had experience with em

Click to expand...

Then tell us about your vast experience, instead of what you originally posted.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on my Kimber K6S 3". I probably would have paid $100 more for it if I had to. I have been shooting revolvers for almost 50 years, and my Kimber has the best trigger, hands down, of any revolver that I have ever handled. Excellent fit & finish, great ergonomics, 6 rounds in a package just slightly bigger than a J-frame, fantastic sights, and I shoot it well.

Now, tell us of your experience, and not the screed that you began with. We are all ears.

Mr. Mosin said:

My experience with Kimber firearms is that they're little more than scrap waiting to be put on the "Slag" conveyor belt at the junk yard.

Click to expand...

Well, in the immortal words of the legendary Patrick Swayze in that classic motion picture Roadhouse, "Opinions vary."

My experience with Kimber firearms (one rifle, four 1911s, but alas, as of yet, no K6) is that they are functional, reliable, accurate and very, very pretty with generally well above average fit and finish. I've shot a couple of these revolvers, and I would say that they are head and shoulders above comparable Rugers. In fact, I have been waiting for a DA/SA sample to try out, and will likely buy one (based on my experience with Kimber firearms).

But starting a thread with such vitriol amounts to nothing less than trolling (I almost can't believe I was compelled to respond, but here I am).

Mr. Mosin said:

To be quite blunt... can *anyone* tell me why every Kimber revolver is priced at least $200 higher than their competition ? Sure, they hold six rounds. Sure they have passable sights on em. I can buy a SP101 or GP100 for far less and pay a Smith to install the sights I want and do a trigger job; and *still* come out cheaper. and still come out cheaper. I can buy a new "Colt" and come out cheaper. Is there some hidden quality or something particularly remarkable about Kimber revolvers ? My experience with Kimber firearms is that they're little more than scrap waiting to be put on the "Slag" conveyor belt at the junk yard. If their quality is anything like what I've experienced in the past, a sixth shot does you no good if the cylinder locks up after the second.

Click to expand...

Kimber is a corporation. US Law requires them to maximize profits for their shareholders. I assume their wholesale prices are set to maximize that. To high and they sell to few to maximize profits. To low and they max out their production capacity but at a lower than necessary margin. Whether the current pricing strategy is successful you would have to ask Kimber but I do suspect they are paying for design, tooling and production start up costs that where long since taken care of for most S&W and Ruger Revolvers.

I’ve always been in the camp that the vast majority of so called Kimber problems are user induced.

When I was in firearms sales through the 2000s, I couldn’t tell you how many people bought Kimber 1911s as their first handgun. As in, never had they ever even shot a handgun in their life.

I can only imagine this bit of inexperience combined with access to internet boards caused a great deal overhyped Kimber problems.

earlthegoat2 said:

I’ve always been in the camp that the vast majority of so called Kimber problems are user induced.

When I was in firearms sales through the 2000s, I couldn’t tell you how many people bought Kimber 1911s as their first handgun. As in, never had they ever even shot a handgun in their life.

I can only imagine this bit of inexperience combined with access to internet boards caused a great deal overhyped Kimber problems.

Click to expand...

I've only owned about 6 Kimbers (All variations on the 1911 theme) all newer models with Swartz Safety and full of MiM. They all had nice triggers, went bang when you pulled the trigger and fed, extracted and ejected FMJ and JHP with no issues. I'll let you know about how awful MiM is if I ever manage to break a piece. Price wise I paid in the $500-700 range which for a decent 1911 I don't find excessive. I can't really say what the K6 is worth to the market but I suspect a new Colt Detective Special wouldn't be cheap if production were to resume.

You could always get a Korth Sky Hawk if you think the Kimber K6 is junk.