Kimber

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tcsnake

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Thinking about getting my first Kimber 1911.
I have heard mixed reviews on there 1911's but most have been good with sprinklings of a few horror stories.

My question is, is this a gun I can truly trust my life to?

I have been shooting
1911's for only the past few years now and I love my buddy's springfield (the extent of my experience with these guns).

they seem rather pricey, is this just hype? what am I getting here should I chose to buy one?
 
A majority of people will tell you Kimbers use MIM parts for critical mechanical components, I have yet to find proof on that one with current production Kimbers. People will tell you Kimbers have the external extractor which gives it a problem, again not on current production Kimbers. Some people will say Kimbers have a plastic mainspring housing, again not on current production models I have seen. Some people say Kimbers of Clackamas Oregon is better than the Kimbers made in Yonkers New York which happen to be the current production location. To sum it up Kimber is a young company that has made some mistakes trying to cut corners; however they have learned from their mistakes and corrected their past problems.

Here is a link to a review of my Kimber.http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=460133
 
All i can share is my own experience. I own a Custom II and an Ultra Carry II. Both have run flawlessly (the Ultra did need 500 rounds through it and only Blazer ammo at first) and are very accurate out to 25 yards..which is as far as i can see anyway. I've heard the stories, but mine have been great.
 
When Kimbers fail, it is not because of MIM parts, it is because they ship guns that have not been properly checked for fit & function before packing. Kimber's business is good, so good that they let guns out the door which have been shoddily assembled. They'll either work, or you're going to need to send it back.
 
Though I think Kimbers are overrated in general I do believe them to be excellent and sound weapons. When I say overrated I mean I dont think think they are any better than say a comparable Springfield. They are both great guns.

Kimbers have gotten a bad rap I think too. It is a case of the vocal minority I think. Every gun maker has a few problems and since Kimber ships a ton of guns a year they have a comparable number of isolated problems.
 
I have two and they are great: very accurate and reliable. They both have smooth and crisp triggers. They come out of the box with many of the features that folks would choose when customizing. I have friends that love their Taurus, Springfield, RIA, and other 1911's. I haven't seen too many 1911's that I didn't like myself. I think the Kimber is worth the extra money if you've got it to spend.
 
I have owned at least six Kimbers now. The first one I bought had issues. The remaining five have not. Many of these were 10K round + pistols, and not safe queens.

I have three 1911's in my current carry rotation. All three happen to be Kimbers. All three are proven to my satisfaction.
 
I have a feeling 99% of their pistols are fine, but the ones that are not....ARE NOT. I am not a fan (Colt fan) but should a good deal arise I would have no problem buying one to try.

Have also heard wonderful things about STI, Dan Wesson, and of course Les Baer, Wilson, and Nighthawk
 
I have a Ultra CDP and a Team Match II. One for carry and one for the league shoots. They have both been flawless right out of the box. I also have S&W's and RIA's. They all have worked just fine. I would put my life on the line with any of them.
 
This is my Custom II Target with ~6000 rounds through it. With the exception of two failures to return to battery between rounds 300 and 400, it has been 100% reliable. No parts have broken, and I've been lazy and haven't even changed the recoil spring. My only complaints are that the rear sight came a little loose in the dovetail, not enough to effect practical accuracy, but I would get it fixed if I wasn't getting a new 1911 in soon and turning this one into a dedicated .22. The finish on their low-end guns isn't particularly durable. The small parts have some sort of spray-on finish that will start to come off almost immediately, and you can see in the picture where the finish has worn off the slide where it rides against my thumbs-forward grip. I have friends with their higher-end guns with the KimPro finish, and it has excellent wear qualities. The low-end guns don't have fitted bushings, I found after shooting a friend's STI that I can outshoot this gun.

6729_837085297328_13717046_48351144_4309369_n.jpg
 
My dad just bought a Mil-Spec a year ago. We both like the trigger on my Kimber better.
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention that. I've played with a lot of 1911s, and Kimber has far and away the best value for money when it comes to triggers. You have to get into the 1200-1300 dollar range in other brands before you start to find triggers as good as my $700 Kimber.
 
I have a TLE II and it has run perfectly. I love it and have yet to have any issues, despite having run a little but of an amateur torture test. My fathers gold match (I believe that's the one) was great as well
 
My full size Raptor II (internal extractor) is several years old now. Admittedly it's not seeing heavy use but I have over 1000 .45 rds thru it since purchased and never a hiccup. I usually run any old 230 ball or Federal Hydrashocks. It's staged next to my.357 Blackhawk and I have zero concerns about either functioning when needed.
I also have the Kimber .22lr conversion kit for it and that has given me hours of enjoyment punching paper .... and even some smaller varmint control.
 
Patriarch

My gal just got her Patriarch Kimber .45 yesterday , a 1 of 250 special run for Talo I guess .
Beautiful gun for $1,200 and change .
We'll see how she performs on the range . We have both shot several Kimbers at our gunclub and like the results . Very reliable and accurate from our experience .
I shoot Springfields personally and prefer them over Kimber . We got a Taurus too , the 1911 DT model , sweet gun . For the price , there are more bells and whistles than Kimber offers for less than $400 . Plus the individually seriel numbered matching parts is a nice touch , truelly a hand fit componant to componant gun , for under $700 . Who'd of thunk it !
Kimber over-rated ? Maybe just a touch , but they are fine guns . Look at Colt anything , way over rated and way too expensive for what you get , but if you like the name you buy it , right ?
From what I have seen on the market , touched , felt , shot and for the money , i will stick with Springfleid . Taurus would be a good choice too , only drawback is it is from Brazil if thats a drawback at all ?

Das Jaeger
 
Yes, I would & do!

Hello TCSnake!

My first gun and the one I love the most is a Kimber 1911 Custom Stainless II .45ACP w/ 5" Barrel . I have NEVER had one jam or mis-feed using it. It feels comfortable in my hands and ... I think it's a classy looking gun!

I paid about $1100 for mine N.I.B. including the Mepro-Light Night Sights. I have had VERY good experience with Kimber and wouldn't trade that gun for anything. I did a lot of internet research before deciding on the Kimber but when it came in and I was actually able to touch it and feel it and later shoot it ... I KNEW I made the right choice.

Am I saying that Kimber is the end-all be-all of guns ... no. But I love it and that's what you need to decide for yourself. All I know is that if I had the option to carry I wouldn't think twice about my Kimber.

I hope it helps some! Take Care & Be Safe!!!

NJGunOwner81
 
I have 2 Kimbers, a 4" Pro and 5" Stainless (both series II). 2006 and 2007 builds. Nothing has broken on them. Both have plastic/polymer Mainspring housings that are 100% intact, though I'd LIKE to put in metal ones with a different pattern (golfball or chainlink). No reliability issues with either one of them. They use MIM on parts like the hammer, grip safeties, and I'm sure a few other parts, but neither has been a problem with mine.

DSCN1155.jpg
 
I have three. Custom TLE II, ProCarry II and a Polished Stainless II in 38 Super. The Pro and the TLE, I've had since 2003. Have had no issues with any of the three and I carry one every day. Can't count the number of rounds through them.
 
Another Kimber fan here. I currently have 7 of them and carry one on a regular basis. I do have 1911's from other companies but kep going back to the Kimber's
 
Kimbers ?

Don't believe all the tales of woe from the Kimber detractors . I have the much maligned Custom 2 with the external extractor . It has functioned flawlessly through no telling how many thousands of rounds , and always runs and is as accurate as any 1911 I've shot. All I've done is to add Novak sights to the gun that have windage and vertical adjustments. No broken MIM parts to report either.
 
My brothers Target II 10mm has functioned flawlessly every time I have shot it. I have never seen a malfunction when he has been shooting it either. The trigger is "to die for" on a factory gun.

I would not hesitate (nor would he) to trust my life to that pistol.
 
I have five Kimbers. I bought my first one about 11 years ago.
If I didn't think they were terrific guns I wouldn't keep buying them.:)

kimbers5.gif
 
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