Kimber opinions

[nettlle]

An aluminum feed ramp is a bad idea. Granted some are anodized to harden them. But then many decide to polish the aluminum feed ramp that removes the anodizing.

A feed ramp has to be made of steel. Either in a ramped steel barrel or a ramped steel frame.

 

[3Crows]

An aluminum feed ramp is a bad idea. Granted some are anodized to harden them. But then many decide to polish the aluminum feed ramp that removes the anodizing.

A feed ramp has to be made of steel. Either in a ramped steel barrel or a ramped steel frame.

I think the worser of bad ideas is to attempt to polish an aluminum ramp that is hard anodized. The anodizing is very hard and wear resistant but is not impervious to damage intentional (polishing) or incidental (mechanical damage from a follower). Since many alloy frame 1911 have thousands of rounds through them with no issue, significant wear or malfunction, well, maybe it is just fine. Hard anodizing is on par with steel for wear.

Obviously the link I provided is to a repair part, a steel insert, that would not exist if there was never a need, it must happen, I guess. In any case there appears to be several options for repair, modifying the pistol for an integral barrel ramp or a steel insert. I think I will order me one so that my Pro Carry in 30,000 rounds or so needs it I will have one to pop in. Maybe alloy pistols should be carried a lot and shot lesser?

 

[nettlle]

The aluminum framed Kimber I have has an unpolished anodized feed ramp. It has 15k+ rounds through it. I am not feeling good about how much longer it will last.

 

[3Crows]

I borrowed this from the interwebs, it is an aluminum alloy Colt, yeah, COLT!



The Colt feed ramp is in the alloy frame, it is a two piece standard issue design, not a ramped barrel, just like most Kimbers. Kimber is not the only company that builds alloy lightweight guns using the standard two piece feed ramp. Kimber did a torture test on an alloy frame and found after 20,000 rounds insignificant wear. If it is good enough for By Jiminees Colt then I guess it is okay if lowly little ol'Kimber does the same thing. If I get to 20,000 rounds I will be dead twice over. I got other guns to shoot, poor thing. There is no magic just because it says Colt on it, those stepped mags will eat into them just as much as they will a Kimber, if it happens at all.

 

[Winkman822]

In reading your post I found myself wondering why you would continue to purchase Kimber‘s with the trouble you were having with them.
I have a bunch and had very few hiccups.

We'll call it imprudently hoping against hope that I'd get one that worked well...that and where I was living at the time, Kimber is about all that was stocked and available at gun shops in my neck of the woods.

 

[Casefull]

We'll call it imprudently hoping against hope that I'd get one that worked well...that and where I was living at the time, Kimber is about all that was stocked and available at gun shops in my neck of the woods.

I got it. You need my luck. I have a bunch of them. Fixed a couple of hiccups but other than that they run great.