Kimber Fever

[Ala Dan]

NEWS HEADLINES FOR SUNDAY APRIL 10th 2005



Old Ala Dan catches "Kimber Fever" while at work and sucumbs to
the purchase of a Raptor II from Kimber!

Yes folks its true, one look and I knew this ole' gal was for me! The
"lizard like" design caught my eye, and as they say "the rest is hsitory".
We got two of the Kimber Raptor II's in on Friday, 09 April and they only
lasted 15 minutes. We priced 'em at $1049 each, and they sold
very quickly. Lucky I was able to latch on to one, before it got gone!
First impressions, its a good looking pistol with the "lizard like" design
not only on the grips; but also on the slide (front and rear cocking
serrations), and "fish scales" along the top of the slide with a tiny
row on the grip safety. This gun comes from the Kimber Custom Shop
and has the Kimber quality; complete with MIMber parts. All in all, I
like this gun very much but its been a long time since these old eyes
adjusted well to night sights; as this weapon is equipped with the
3-dot Meprolight's. Stay tuned for a range report coming shortly!

 

[bratch]

I love mine. I have a TLEII and a Aluminum Compact.

Hopefully yours treats you as well as mine have treated me.

 

[AnthonyRSS]

Just curious, where is your gun store? I live north of Huntsville, and if I take it right by your name, you are in Al too...
Go Vols

 

[glocker1911]

Be interesting to see if the famous Kimber FTF's from their external extractor design cure your "Kimber fever" pretty quick. I bet they will.

 

[larry starling]

Local gun store has them in stock they look nice, But im not really in to kimber's. I think that the price's should be alot lower since there full of MIM parts. BTW $1049.00 seems like an excellent price. In another local store there priced in the $1200.00 range. Of coarse everything seem's to cost more in the charllote,nc area.

 

[Ala Dan]

ATT: Anthony

Simmons Sporting Goods
2001-2nd Avenue North
Bessemer, AL 35020-7133

PX: (205) 425-4720

Store Hours: 0900-1800 hrs M-F, and 0900 to 1730 hrs on Saturday

Owners: Clay (CEO), Barry, Peter, and Betty Simmons

Sales: Ray Grubbs, Dale Smith, Jerry Sellers, Barry & Peter Simmons

PT Sales: Johnny Bodiford, Dan Ford, Charles Bell, Barry Smith, Jim
Owens, John Cook, and Ramsey Brown

We are a Browning, Steyr, Para-Ordnance, Glock, Ruger, Kimber,
Taurus, Smith & Wesson, SIG-SAUER, and Springfield dealer, with
a complete line of scopes and accessory's.

 

[Kruzr]

Be interesting to see if the famous Kimber FTF's from their external extractor design cure your "Kimber fever" pretty quick. I bet they will.

You would more than likely lose that bet since most of the external extractor problems have been with the 4" and 3" guns not the full size ones.

 

[Newton]

Gee a 1911 with a dremelled slide for just $1049.

This may change the face of handgun design forever

Seriously, congrats I hope you enjoy it.

 

[glocker1911]

Wrong. Problems are more common in the shorter lengths (which is true in any 1911 design pistol) but stills occurs way too frequently in the full size as well. It's obvious even Kimber knows this since they are currently in their,I believe, 4th redesign of the external extractor. And notice two of their current, pricey "special editions" (25th ann. model and Warrior) both feature the original style internal extractor. The original Kimbers were the best non custom 1911 on the market. Their series II pistols have had nothing but problems/ Personally, I have no concern with their firing pin safety (the reason for the II designation) but I (personal opinion here) would never trust one of the external extractor models for a serious CCW piece.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Pictures? Must have pictures...............

 

[MICHAEL T]

Working at that gun shop must pay real well you just bought a Seecamp . Wasn't that last week. Now a Kimber, whats next?

 

[Ala Dan]

Oh, I don't know? Perhaps a Les Baer is in the future (laughing loudly )

 

[sm]

Anyone remember a member we had named Ala Dan - fella used to mention the SIG 220 often times...what ever happend to him?

Congrats Sir!

It has been said one does not get a paycheck stub working in a gun store - instead they have Lay-a-way reciepts.

Ala Dan my friend - now you wouldn't be having too much fun now would you?

 

[BigG]

Congrats, Big Dan - should we start calling you Mr. Kimber instead of Mr. SIG/Sauer? J/k, ole pal!

We're just jealous you get to work in a gun store and get paid for what you like doing!

 

[Lennyjoe]

Yup, Ala Dan is still the poster child for Sig.

But, maybe a times are a changing.

 

[JohnBT]

"the famous Kimber FTF's" =>

John

P.S. - Congrats on the new pistol. Is it expensive working at a gun shop?

 

[wally]

Funny, the only external extractor Kimbers I have are pair of BP, a 4" Pro BP TEN II which at $500 is the cheapest pistol in their line up, and a BP Ultra TEN II.

I shoot mostly Wolf and neither gun has given me a lick of trouble with extraction or ejection.

Mags OTOH, were another story, same problems as Para pre-ban mags -- needed lots of internal seam weld smoothing and stronger springs to work reliably -- hopefully this situation will improve now that the ban has expired, the 13-round Kimber BP post-ban mag I got recently has been 100% so far so either I'm lucky or there is hope.

1911forum.com has a Kimber forum where you'll find lots of bad reports about Kimber external extractors along with reports of no problems. So it seems a crap shoot at present.

--wally.

 

[Ala Dan]

Well, I will try to field a few of these concerns my friends!

First off, yes its loads of FUN working in a GUN shop!

Aw, paychecks are a thing of the past ( Laughing Loudly)

Sorry, can't provide pic's as I don't have a working "digi-cam".

My actual cost on the Kimber Raptor II; well let's just say I got it
at dealer cost ($900 OTD).

And finally, OH YES! the SIG's are alive and well thank you very much.
As the P220A is still MY favorite .45 ACP, but followed very closely by
a Springfield WW-II standard G.I. model.

I will have to take a "wait and see" attitude towards this here Kimber?

 

[Billy Sparks]

I have one on order at my dealer. We were told it was a 4 week backlog on orders. Of course I had to miss the first shipment.

 

[Ala Dan]

Greeting's Billy My Friend-

You're gonna love the Raptor II from Kimber. My decision was a
toss up between this gun, and the Warrior and Kimber Team Match. I had strongly considered the Team Match II, or the Warrior; but
when I laid eyes on the Raptor II, all othes fell by the way side.

BTW, we must have been amongest the first to recieve shipment of the
Raptor II's? And, do you know if this weapon is going to be a limited
production run?

 

[Billy Sparks]

Dan my shoot ordered two Raptor's one in 5" and one in 4". They came in about 6 weeks ago and before they could call me to look at them both were sold in under 1 hour. I was lucky enough to help fund after the fact one of the guys purchase (I bought his Series 70 Colt Commander). I got to see his Raptor and I really liked it so I had my shoot order me one. As far as I know the Raptor's are going to be a limited run item.

By the way be very careful 1911's have started seducing me away from my Sigs.