Kimber woes...

[Sunspot]

Wow, what a thread. I also have a bad taste in my mouth with Kimber. I own a polymer hi-cap. The first 500 rounds, it was perfect. I even tried limp wristing it to the point of almost dropping it and it went bang every time. Then I started to get nose up jams. I don’t know the technical term for that malf is but the round would strip from the magazine and jam with the tip of the round resting at the top of the barrel. It’s like the round is tipping up too much while feeding. I have four magazines and it jammed with all four of them. Two of the mags are the 14 round steel and the other two are 10 round steel. While I am not a gunsmith, I do know how to strip and clean my weapons and do so after each time at the range.
I sent it to Kimber and I got the pistol back in one week. Very fast turn around. The ticket stated that the pistol was incorrectly assembled and that they tuned the extractor.
I test fired the pistol and, you guessed it, it was worse then before.
At this year SHOT show, I went to the Kimber booth and spoke (read ranted) to Winslow Potter, customer service, custom shop. He advised me to send it back. I have not done so yet because I steam every time I look at it.
This was my first pistol in .45 and my first 1911. I like the .45 but after reading this and other threads about 1911’s I think this will be my first and last 1911.
Does anyone know if Springfield will make the XD in .45? I like the triggers on the Glocks but all the models I’ve tried don’t fit my hand and I tried a bunch at the SHOT show.
Thanks to all for this opportunity to rant. I feel better.

 

[1911Tuner]

Bad Kimber in Bama

Whoa! That malfunction is what's known as Rideover Feed, or Bolt Over
Base. It's caused by the slide outrunning the magazine spring. most
of the time, it happens on the last round, and sometimes even earlier.

Try stepping down one notch on the recoil spring. Kimber used to be in the habit of overspringing their pistols. A friend of mine was having the same
thing in an early Custom Classic. It took a gorilla to hand-cycle the slide.
We checked the spring, and it tested at 21.5 pounds at full compression.
A 16-pound Wolff spring straight out of the package set things straight.

I THINK...Wolff makes an extra-power spring for those maazines. If they
do, git one! A 16-pound recoil spring and a good magazine spring will
likely make that Kimber sing a happy tune.

Luck to ya!

Tuner

 

[Correia]

Or Sunspot if you decide to get rid of it let me know and I'll make you an offer on those magazines.

 

[Daniel T]

Why is it that when someone has a problem with a certain 1911 manufacturer, they blame the platform? I just don't get it.

 

[1911Tuner]

Wisdom

Demise said:

Why is it that when someone has a problem with a certain 1911 manufacturer, they blame the platform? I just don't get it.

Wish I had said that.

 

[Sunspot]

Why is it that when someone has a problem with a certain 1911 manufacturer, they blame the platform? I just don't get it

Demise, on reflection of your statement, you are correct. There are a lot of 1911's out there in the world. Something has to be good about them. I will try and get my Kimber running right.

Or Sunspot if you decide to get rid of it let me know and I'll make you an offer on those magazines

Correia, it would be difficult to price the mags. I could only find poly 10 rounders, not steel like mine. I cannot find any 14 round mags.

That malfunction is what's known as Rideover Feed, or Bolt Over
Base. It's caused by the slide outrunning the magazine spring. most
of the time, it happens on the last round, and sometimes even earlier.

Thank you very much for that information Tuner. Wolff has 16 and 14 lb spings for the Kimber but no mag springs. I checked my new Dawson catalog and they also do not have Kimber mag springs. Do you think a Para spring could be used?