Has Kimber raised their prices beyond the value of their product?

Kimber makes some nice firearms, but in MHO, their retail rice is a tad high for what they are. One only has to look at the back cover of any recent gun rag and see a full page glossy ad...there's probably one or two on the inside also. They are big into marketing and that cost monies. The market they pinpoint does not care that the guns are over priced. Folks have a right to buy what they like at the price point they are willing to pay. Kinda what Capitalism is all about. If one looks at Ruger's catalog, you see by the prices shown they are mighty proud of their guns too, but MSRP and actual selling prices are quite different. Most Kimbers around here are like Rugers.

Lotta companies have been marketing on their name for eons. Colt, Smith, Browning, Winchester, Weatherby, etc., all do it. MSRP on a Colt Series 70 with poor sights is $979. Kimber at least puts some effort into it and sells 'em with sights you can see.
"...The single mag..." The mag is the most engineered part.

All I know is, Kimber is still selling metric butt-tons of pistols. And in my region, it actually appears that Kimber has come down slightly on some models. The Custom TLE-II hasn't gone up in price, nor have some others.

Also, at comparable prices, at least Kimber, unlike Colt, puts excellent night-sights on its pistols as well as pretty doggone good front-strap checkering. One may argue which brand makes better pistols, but Kimber does pay attention to the features, fit and finish. Whatever you think about Kimber, the company makes some pretty pistols.

I will add my .02, in the $1500 range - between my Grand Raptor and my DW silverback - OOTB the DW wins hands down. Although I love them both. The kimber is fantastic now, after some work. After a little gunsmithing, they are on par with each other, in terms of function, and accuracy.
In construction, I'd have to give the DW a nod. I think the parts are fitted just a little better, notably the slide to frame. the DW just feels so smooth.

You complain that the product line has too many models that are close duplicates and then go on to complain that they offer other guns that don't function exactly like a 1911...

I don't pay any attention to Kimber's offerings other than what I see occasionally in magazines. They look neat but I'm not about to pay an extra $500 so I can have some special serrations on a gun. There are almost too many 1911's (maybe all guns) in the $500 to $1500 range. Makers have to find some way to differentiate themselves. Maybe having the best looking 1911 on the block isn't a bad way to try and market your product.

Has Kimber raised their prices beyond the value of their product?

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That depends. For you it appears so. For others probably not. Most of their handguns have always cost more than they are worth to me. But to be honest I've not kept up with Kimber handguns all that much. I have a Custom II in 45 that has been a bargain for the money, but I bought it years ago. Not sure what that gun sells for today. I've never felt I could justify any of their other upper end handguns.

I'm more familiar with their rifles and they are often criticized for being over priced by people who don't understand what they are paying for. You can buy a upper end Winchester, Sako, or Remington for about the same or less than a Kimber rifle and arguably get a better rifle. But a Kimber will weigh just over 5 lbs vs 7-8 lbs for the other rifles. If someone WANTS a 5 lb rifle a Kimber is a screaming deal at about $1200. Anything else in that weight range will cost you at least $3000. With Kimber you're paying a premium for a 5 lb rifle, not for higher quality than a $700 gun. If someone doesn't want a 5 lb rifle, don't buy a Kimber.

I too believe value is in the eye of the beholder as others have said. Kimber makes fine guns but I don't consider them a working man's gun. They are too tight/expensive to fill a combat role. I saw a customer's Crimson II have failure to cycles because there was too much carbon (not enough lube) in between the frame/slide rails. I tried pulling the slide back and it felt like someone had tried to glue the frame to the slide. I will stick to guns with more room between the slide and frame. I loved my Mil Spec Springfield 1911 A1 when I had it. Never had a failure with it.

There are many $500 guns out there that are probably more reliable than many that cost more than $1500. I spent over a thousand on a Pro Raptor and it wears a 22 conversion 99 percent of the time. I paid about the same for a PARA Limited that needed to go back before it was reliable. Personally I'd take a couple G19's any day.

That's a really easy question to answer. If they stop selling them at asking price and don't lower their price, they will go out of business.

If they lower the price so much they can not pay the bills, they will go out of business.

If they are still in business, assuming not on the way out, they are OK.

Myself, I would pay more for one of their older pistols (never liked external extractors on 1911's) than current production but having only owed a few, not really their target market anyway.

The local Black Friday ads have Kimber .380s running $499 to $549. They aren't going for $1,000 - they are selling about the same as a SIG P238.

Now, is that too much? No. Metal framed 1911 style guns are about $180 more than polymer. Take out the expense of the metal frame, machining, etc and you get $369. Which is what my son just paid for a Remington RM380. Which has a metal frame.

Now add the social cost of entering into the Kimber/SIG club vs Remington. Guns are priced by their ranking in society and how well the company maintains their elevated status. It's no different than Rolex vs Seiko - a Submariner is a good $500 watch but there are Seiko high end models that much more accurate and which have nicer looks. Yet - that price tag on the Rolex means the average guy out there will genuflect toward the Rolex owner and ask the Seiko owner if he got it at the drug store.

In other words, if you can't afford the Kimber you can buy the cheap run of the mill Remington. Goes to your value as a human being and how much status you deserve. Or so some on the gun forums would have you believe.

Guns are priced to keep some people from buying them. Money is being used as a discriminator and that is how men rank themselves in order of importance. It doesn't have much to do with utility value of the gun, it's about status and ornamentation.

It's why I won't ever open carry because there will be aggressive players who then get worked up that I might have dissed them - people rate physical prowess and then compare the symbols they exhibit to substantiate things. I could be a state level pistol champion but they would rag on about having a gun that appeared to rank higher than I look. At the age of 63 these stupid games get tiresome.

Buy what you like. Spend as much as you want. You only need to impress yourself, there will always be somebody who disagrees with your choice and takes umbrage you made it. Guns are NOT priced by their cost plus markup. They are priced by status. BTW there's a Black Friday sale on a 1911 for $369. Notice how those are getting sorted out by Brand, too? Real men pay $1100 for one.

Please let me know where I can get a Rolex Sub (MSRP $8,550) for $500.

I have a Kimber and it is a fine gun. Compared to other quality 1911's Kimbers are over priced. They are priced by what the market will bear as they should be.

I own 13 1911 pistols. None of them wear the Kimber name.

Three have external extractors. Two S&W 1911's, one of which is my EDC. The other is a early Sig GSR, right around the 125th ever made, it had problems, which is why I got it for dimes on the dollar. Sent it to Sig and they updated the extractor and the problem was solved.

I've got a family member who worked for Kimber for a number of years. I could have had one at employee pricing. I chose to put my money somewhere else after talking to my family member.

At their core Kimber is a marketing company that happens to make firearms.

I had a friend who had a Kimber and he was very disappointed with it. He took excellent care of that gun but it never worked reliably (he could not get it to stop rusting). He let me shoot it and I was not all that impressed. It kicked like a mule and really was not fun to shoot. If I'm going to shoot a pistol that kicks that hard, I want it to be a .50 cal desert eagle or something.

Here's the good news: he ended up selling it and getting a nice chunk of change. Like Kimbers or not, they hold their value and people will pay to own one.

Tirod said:

The local Black Friday ads have Kimber .380s running $499 to $549. They aren't going for $1,000 - they are selling about the same as a SIG P238.

Now, is that too much? No. Metal framed 1911 style guns are about $180 more than polymer. Take out the expense of the metal frame, machining, etc and you get $369. Which is what my son just paid for a Remington RM380. Which has a metal frame.

Now add the social cost of entering into the Kimber/SIG club vs Remington. Guns are priced by their ranking in society and how well the company maintains their elevated status. It's no different than Rolex vs Seiko - a Submariner is a good $500 watch but there are Seiko high end models that much more accurate and which have nicer looks. Yet - that price tag on the Rolex means the average guy out there will genuflect toward the Rolex owner and ask the Seiko owner if he got it at the drug store.

In other words, if you can't afford the Kimber you can buy the cheap run of the mill Remington. Goes to your value as a human being and how much status you deserve. Or so some on the gun forums would have you believe.

Guns are priced to keep some people from buying them. Money is being used as a discriminator and that is how men rank themselves in order of importance. It doesn't have much to do with utility value of the gun, it's about status and ornamentation.

It's why I won't ever open carry because there will be aggressive players who then get worked up that I might have dissed them - people rate physical prowess and then compare the symbols they exhibit to substantiate things. I could be a state level pistol champion but they would rag on about having a gun that appeared to rank higher than I look. At the age of 63 these stupid games get tiresome.

Buy what you like. Spend as much as you want. You only need to impress yourself, there will always be somebody who disagrees with your choice and takes umbrage you made it. Guns are NOT priced by their cost plus markup. They are priced by status. BTW there's a Black Friday sale on a 1911 for $369. Notice how those are getting sorted out by Brand, too? Real men pay $1100 for one.

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Very insightful and, IMHO, accurate post. I agree completely.

Yeah, about 20 years ago. All show and no go. In addition, I don't like buying crap from Communist NY.

HKGuns said:

Yeah, about 20 years ago. All show and no go. In addition, I don't like buying crap from Communist NY.

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So, can I assume you don't make purchases of the guns referred in your username? Or in any of the other countries across the pond?

I have purchased 2 Kimbers and we are pleased with them. As was pointed out in earlier posts. A person has to determine for themselves if the price is too high or not.

But then, I work with guys that will buy a truck for $50k + because it has a diesel. And only drive to and from work with it. To each his own.

You can assume what you want.

Yes.

Kimber makes a fine $800 1911. Too bad they're charging $1300+. That's DW territory.

I bought my Custom II LNIB for $600 and I've been perfectly happy with it.

If it cost 1k, as I see them advertised at Gander Mountain and Field and Steam I would have bought something else. Probably an XSE Colt.



I really need to get a better picture of it one of these days!