Manufacturing quality - Sig vs Kimber

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Sig, by far.

Between MIM parts being out-of-spec and breaking, and the Series II firing pin block problems that they blame on the shooter, Kimber doesn't stand a chance.

Sig takes shortcuts to increase profits, too, but I hear little about them causing problems for the end user.
 
I can't comment on SIGs, not owning or having fired one. I own two Kimber .45s, the first being a real gem but installed a few critical replacement parts such as a new slide stop. The second was a Custom Shop Ultra CDP in .45. No malfs at the range during the first 50 rounds. Accurate beyond my expectations. Took it home and cleaned it and in less than 30 cycles of manipulating the safety, the lever snapped off. I called Kimber and they sent a replacemnt out in three days. The most disconcerting part was that when I'd started to tell the service rep about a broken part, he anticipated my speech with, "you need a new slide stop?" So for me it's back to Ed Brown for a few more parts, as I did on the first pistol...I like both Kimbers but if I had it to do over I'd have shopped a little better for an off the rack/custom $1,000 pistol, and for what the first one cost in custom parts might have done that differently too. I'm still a fan and now very confident in both pistols but in hindsight should've checked out higher-end alternatives that I'd previously thought unaffordable.
Ross
 
A Sig P220ST and a Kimber Custom Stainless would be an interesting comparison; both are comparable for size, weight, and price; preference for one over the other would depend on the intended useage.
 
Comparing the fit and finish, inside and out, of my Kimber Tactical Ultra II and Sig P226ST, both of which were made late last year or this year, I can confidently state that my Kimber doesn't hold a candle to my Sig.
 
Sig does make the slides for the 239 and 229 at their Exeter plant in New Hampshire. I believe they also manufacture parts for the rifles and shotguns, but don't quote me.

I own a Sig 220 and a 245. I've had the 220 since 92 and the 245 since 2000. I'm authorized to carry both of them by my department and I have put literally thousands of rounds through each without a hiccup. I like them and I trust them.

There are a couple of officers who carry Kimbers (we can carry cocked and locked in my department) and they've never had any problems either. One of the officers carried it through the academy and during range week each officer fires approximately six hundred rounds each day. He never had any problems.

Everybody has a different experience with guns, but most of the mainstream companies make a quality product. But guns are machines and things do sometimes break.
 
I've owned both. SigSauer pounds Kimber into the ground, except for maybe Kimber's earliest low-volume production. And if we are talking SIG Neuhausen, they aren't even in the same universe quality-wise.
 
Don't own a Kimber, but almost had a Stainless Ultra Carry II. Until the shop that was selling it started to tell me about the questionable NIB quality of the Kimbers as of late.

I bought a Sig 220, and have never regretted it. (my .02 $)

RTFM
 
Kimbers are prettier and seem to have better finishing but it seems like they have quite a few lemons roll off the line functioning wise.

I would have to go with SIG on this one too.

Just to be rude whenever DavidTDM has a malfunction with his Kimber Pro Carry I just have to say......"Ohh not to worry I see your problem.........it's not a SIG :evil:

Not that his Pro Carry is a jam a matic by any stretch of the imagination but it has malf.'d a heck of a lot more than any of my SIG's.

Chris
 
I've owned SIGs and i've been checking out Kimbers lately. All I can say is that Kimbers have much better QC than Colt or Springfield. I would say that since the SIG slides machined from roughly cast stainless bar stock and Kimbers are made from forged stocks they are about equal taking everything else into consideration.
 
As Cslinger has so delicatly pointed out that I own a Kimber.........
and have shot a few of his Sigs, I think it still come to personal tastes and preferences. I think anything that is made by man has the potential to break. Saying that, if you properly maintain anything mechanical and use it correctly you should not have any problems with it.

Example: I know for a fact that Cslinger keeps his weapons in emaculate shape. But, at the last range session his Sig had a malfunction. (it was a sad moment I'l tell ya;) )

...Dave

for the record the kimber only Malfunctioned 3 times. 2 due to a bad mag spring and one due to human idiocity.
 
Twas truely a sad moment. The little one too. The P239 didn't manage to grab the rim of a white box .40 round. I really don't know what happend rim out of spec, piece of gunk under the extractor, at any rate it was the first of the SIGs to malf.

Twas a sad day. At any rate I have had thousands of rounds through my 5 SIGs. Not thousands each but thousands total and that is my first malfunction. I almost cried. I knew it was coming, It had to happen, they all malf. from time to time but I almost cried.

In Dave's defense, he DOES NOT keep his guns immaculate.........touche' :D
That magazine spring was rather FUBAR.

Actually if I was to go buy a Kimber right now it would be the Pro Carry HD stainless that Dave has. I like it better than the more expensive models and my only complaint is the crappy sights, not that they are inhenently bad I just don't like sights without some kind of dot, bar, triangle, hexagon something to contrast with the black. Thank God for white out.

As for fit and finish Kimber seems to be far ahead of SIG especially the blued/nitron guns vs. blued Kimbers.

You know I am going to save up some .45 ammo and take out my P220 and my Colt 1991A1 and run a few hundred rounds through each back to back both HP and ball just to see what happens. I am just curious. My Colt has av very good fit and finish also.

Chris
 
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