Thinking about buying a Kimber?

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Rich 10mm

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I have my eyes set on a Kimber Eclipse 4". However, I have heard mixed reviews. Anybody that has real world experience with one I would greatly appreciate you're opinions.
 
I have a Kimber from when they first came out, back when you could get one for $500, and they only made 2 models in Oregon. Its a very nice gun. They took the market by storm and really threw the 1911 industry for a loop. When I first got out of the military (2010) I worked at a friend's gun shop. Kimbers weren't easy to obtain for us. They had a rather long wait list, and got pretty pricey. Then when we did get them, they sold out quick. It was then that I started noticing more than a couple coming back to the shop to be sent back to the factory because they didn't function, or something broke. Their customer service was less than stellar. A friend who was an armorer at MARSOC told me about issues that unit was having with Kimber 1911 pistols at one point. If I was going to buy a new 1911 right now, I would look at Remington, Ruger, or Springfield Armory. I've also heard good things about the latest Rock Island guns, but I never shot one. Some people don't like that they are made in the PI.
 
Yes, if you are 100% sure it's what you want, shop around, and look at used ones.

The higher-price Kimbers can sometimes be found for 30% off the listed price, and lightly used ones can go for 50% less. The lower-end models seem to keep their values like other pistols.

They depreciate like used cars. The Ultra Raptor II I just sold listed for $1400 new, I had problems selling it for $800. My other 1911s have all appreciated in value...mostly from inflation.
 
I'd sooner buy a Dan Wesson.

I picked up a NIB to look her over at a LGS. It had surface rust all over the muzzle, and I live in a dry climate. No thanks.

It's only a sample size of one, so it's not real relevant, but it turned me off.
 
I've owned three of them, all were very reliable, I carried a 4" CDP for years. I do believe the provide the tightest frame to slide fit of any thing in their price class. And their fit and finish is certainly a notch above Springfield until you get into the TRP's. The only recommendation I would give you is on the 4" gun replace the stock springs with Wulff Extra powers. Their 4' guns tend to be under sprung. Mine was a tack driver. I could knock down 9 bowling pins in 7 seconds from the draw with it no issues (carried 8 round mags with one in the pipe).
 
My recently manufactured Custom II, while it's their cheapest 1911 has been a fantastic shooter for me.
It feeds SWC's, empty cases and every JHP I've tested in it.
I've yet to find a load that dosent shoot to POA. It groups everything equally well at 10yrds. One nice big ragged hole if I do my part.
Everything from 4.3gr Bullseye under a 200gr LSWC to 230gr flextips and +P golden sabers.
I even like the plain black serrated sights! Very low glare and a nice crisp sight picture.
 
My experience with Kimber is limited and only because a friend needed money. I ended up with a Kimber CDP II 3" barrel .45 ACP. The gun, holster, extra magazines and magazine holder were a real good deal so I bought them. The gun has surprised me in that it has proven reliable with 230 grain FMJ and 230 grain XTP bullets, never a feeding issue and I never thought I would own a 3" barrel .45 but the gun is pretty accurate. I have no complaints with the gun and use it as a carry gun sometimes. It has proven to be reliable ans accurate, it just plain works.

Kimber%201.png

This is my only Kimber experience. Those I know who have them and shoot them seem to like them. I can only speak for this single gun.

Ron
 
I've had 3 flawless Kimbers, sold one that I never shot. Good guns. The Compact CDP has been my carry gun since I got it in '03. The other is a 10mm Stainless Target II.

Well, I did have dead night sights on the CDP when I bought it used. Sent it to Kimber, they replaced the sights for free.
 
I would avoid simply based on brand. The procarry and custom 2 I had were both pure junk. I got them both used and felt like I got hosed. I got my money back on both of them, but it took a lot of work. The procarry would not feed ball ammo reliably, and totally choked on anything that was even remotely flat faced. The custom 2 seemed to have tolerances too tight and just bound up a lot. I always suspected that something was machined improperly because it got REALLY tight as it locked up. Had to smack the slide a lot to get it in battery. I'm 2 for 2 on lemons and with all of the horror stories I have heard, I will avoid them. I hate it too because I really like the little guns a lot but the POS flag is planted in my brain and pushes me toward a sig p238.

I honestly would chase down a really nice RIA competition grade gun for the money before I jumped at a kimber.
 
I dropped a lot of cash on a NIB 3" CDP. Worst firearm purchase I've ever made. This thing jammed all the time with good factory ball ammo, Gold Dots were even worse. A trip back to Kimber didn't fix it. The gun was lubed and maintained properly.
 
I had a Pro Carry II. It needed a few things worked on, but they gave good, fast customer service.
 
I've had a few Kimbers with mixed results. I have specifically had an Eclipse Target II and it was a very problematic gun. It was an early Series II with the goofy external extractor that Kimber tried for a stretch, the gun never reliably fed or ejected. It took a trip back to Kimber for the top end to be swapped out to a conventional top end, got it back and still had issues with it feeding and ejecting even after tweaking the extractor tension. The Royal II that I had had timing problems with the Swartz firing pin block. The Desert Warrior I had was good to go, but the right side safety lever did shear off. It was subsequently replaced with a Wilson Combat single sided safety. I would suggest taking a look at a Springfield Loaded at the same price point over the Kimber. They don't have quite as pretty a finish, but they tend to be less problematic, and I can say from experience that their customer service is top notch.
 
I had a Stainless II a little over a decade ago. It was used, and would fail to go fully into battery 2% of the time... Literally once per 50 round box of ammo. A different recoil spring may have fixed it, but my knowledge level was less back then.

Also, Kimbers have the Schwartz style safety.
 
My experience with Kimber is limited, but positive. I don't pretend to be a Kimber expert.

I bought a Stainless II about 15 years ago. I shoot it a lot and love it; never had a malfunction of any kind. I have played around trying to get it to hiccup. Limp wristing, low power reloads, etc. I have even loaded an empty case into the middle of a mag and the gun never failed to feed it.

Can't speak for the entire line but I can speak for the one I own and don't have anything negative to say about it.
 
I carry a Kimber UCC II on a daily basis for the last 5 years. Had a few issues when I first got it, but found that it had a rather tight chamber and powder granuals would cause a failure to go to battery by about an eighth of an inch. Went to a cleaner burning powder and the problem went away.

Hornady 185 gr XTP/HP under 7.7 gr of WSF. 850 fps +/- a few from a 3" barrel.
 
I had a 4" Series I. The recoil spring had to be kept fresh to keep it running 100%, I normally changed mine every 500 rounds or so. It used a straight (not tapered) Officer's Model spring.

The spring was also a pain to change, so I ditched the FLGR for a standard one, or I cut the original down. I can't remember.

Aside from eating recoil springs like candy, I didn't have any issues with it.
 
I have had eight so far. Actually, I've had seven and my wife has one.

Two of mine were pre-Series II pistols, and I regret selling both. One was a stainless 5" and the other an early Ultra CDP (alloy 3"). Both worked perfectly. A friend still has the stainless 5".

I owned a Pro CDP II (4" alloy frame) with the external safety. As bad as "everyone" was saying, it worked perfectly. Huh.

The a pair of Stainless Ultra Carry IIs--not a matched pair. One had a ramped barrel, the other did not. The one without...someone had "polished" the feed ramp. Sanded through the anodizing, leaving soft aluminum, which was easily dented. :( Sent it to Chuck Rodgers, who installed a stainless ramp insert and Cera-Koted the frame. I still have it.

A Pro Eclipse (4" steel) that I shot a number of matches with, carried every day for three years and still accompanies me to the range every trip. Added a 5" Eclipse, but it didn't give me anything the 4" didn't, so I sold it. (Both worked perfectly.)

And at one point the wife owned a 3" Springfield. One time, we were at the range at she was shooting it. I let her shoot my Cera-Koted 3" Ultra Carry. She sold the Springfield and bought herself an Ultra CDP. Yeah, it works perfectly, too...

So, eight total, four 3"ers, one with external extractor, two older ones, six newer ones. Lots of rounds, lots of different JHPs, lots of my 200gr SWC handloads. Not a lick of trouble from any of them.

There's my ten years and two cent's worth.
 
I had a Eclipse few years back. Wasn't much of a pistol. Went to trade and no dealer in my Area wanted it. Wasn't the price I wanted. They didn't want a Kimber in their case. To many complaints they said . I did get rid of it at a give away price on trade for a good Colt. .

Not worth the money Buy a Dan Wesson way better pistol. My DW way better pistol than the Kimber ever was.
 
I consider myself a Colt guy (as far as the production 1911s I've owned), but I've gone through several Kimbers, still own a few. Never had a lick of trouble with any of them. All pretty pistols, some not the most accurate 1911s, but every one totally reliable. I've kept my much-fired Custom TLE II, just a great all-around full-size 1911, and my cute Pro CDP II, a terrific carry piece, as well as a few I just like the looks of ...

Always get a kick out of threads whenever someone asks about buying a Kimber, inevitably, someone else recommends buying a Dan Wesson (although, hey, at least they're not saying, "Buy a Glock").

guns015.jpg
 
The gun has surprised me in that it has proven reliable with 230 grain FMJ and 230 grain XTP bullets, never a feeding issue and I never thought I would own a 3" barrel .45 but the gun is pretty accurate. I have no complaints with the gun and use it as a carry gun sometimes. It has proven to be reliable ans accurate, it just plain works.
Click to expand...
I own an Ultra CDP II also, and it has been my primary carry since 2002. It is simply the most accurate out of the box weapon I've ever fired. It replaced an HKUSP45C by totally and completely outclassing it. The HK sits in the safe.

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