Kimbers

[SgtToadette 59]

Kimbers are the Beats headphones of the gun world.

[RS1200XL 4]

I don't have the time to blow through 2k rounds a month nor do I work for Blackwater where I am constantly training.  But when I pull my Kimber out at the range it works, for me that's enough.  Take that for what its worth.

 

That said I don't carry it for a few reasons; one of those being I have a compact M&P for that.

[son of sam 9]

I have pent my money on a Kimber and will do it again. At that price point I dont see better guns. I dont know how many of you judge quality of a machined instrument, or how much you actually know and understand about the inner working of your firearm other than what you see on a gun board or YouTube video. Kimber make the slide tighter than most other manufacturers. If you dont finish fitting it with a lapping compound or allow it 500 or so rounds to break in than you will not be happy. Most people who dont like them dont shoot 500rnd in a lifetime. Guys who like them, shoot them a lot. They also make the slides and frames for Wilson and many other manufacturers, less hand fitting and finishing.

[Vlad G 345]

I have pent my money on a Kimber and will do it again. At that price point I dont see better guns. I dont know how many of you judge quality of a machined instrument, or how much you actually know and understand about the inner working of your firearm other than what you see on a gun board or YouTube video. Kimber make the slide tighter than most other manufacturers. If you dont finish fitting it with a lapping compound or allow it 500 or so rounds to break in than you will not be happy. Most people who dont like them dont shoot 500rnd in a lifetime. Guys who like them, shoot them a lot

 

There are a LOT of working 1911's out there that are better guns at the price point. I'm glad you are happy with your gun, some come out of the factory fine and some don't.  Some of us here have gunsmithed our own 1911s from base guns into competition guns. Some of us did full builds from base parts. Trust us when we say we understand how a 1911 works.

 

If you had to lap your slide to get your gun to work, I'd say they forgot to finish it at the factory. Kimber didn't give you a tight fit on purpose, that just happens to be how the parts fit together from the bin. 

 

Also some of the people in this thread don't have a problem shooting 500rd in a afternoon, so .. yeah.

[alec.mc 180]

 At that price point I dont see better guns. 

 

You're right, I see better guns at a cheaper price point. 

[son of sam 9]

There are a LOT of working 1911's out there that are better guns at the price point. I'm glad you are happy with your gun, some come out of the factory fine and some don't.  Some of us here have gunsmithed our own 1911s from base guns into competition guns. Some of us did full builds from base parts. Trust us when we say we understand how a 1911 works.

 

If you had to lap your slide to get your gun to work, I'd say they forgot to finish it at the factory. Kimber didn't give you a tight fit on purpose, that just happens to be how the parts fit together from the bin. 

 

Also some of the people in this thread don't have a problem shooting 500rd in a afternoon, so .. yeah.

Then you understand that any 1911 built that tight will have cycling issues until broken in. Most people shoot a 1911 for accuracy rather than a carry weapon. Almost any of the plastic guns is a better choice for EDC than a G1911. 90%+ of gun owners have very little understanding of the weapon they use.

Kimber has produced more 1911's than any one else for several years. Simply by a numbers game they will likely have more issues. Most issues with any 1911 are caused by ammo choices. I have also seen problems with Beretta 92/96 series pistols, and they are known for reliability.

[2Alpha 6]

Then you understand that any 1911 built that tight will have cycling issues until broken in. Most people shoot a 1911 for accuracy rather than a carry weapon. Almost any of the plastic guns is a better choice for EDC than a G1911. 90%+ of gun owners have very little understanding of the weapon they use.

Kimber has produced more 1911's than any one else for several years. Simply by a numbers game they will likely have more issues. Most issues with any 1911 are caused by ammo choices. I have also seen problems with Beretta 92/96 series pistols, and they are known for reliability.

 

 

That is not true at all.  It is what Kimber says  that you will spend 500 rounds bashing their gun together because it wasn't fit correctly.  They want you to do the final work on the gun, something that should have been done at the factory

Anyone can make a tight fit, few can make a tight fit that will last 10K+ rounds and runs from day one. 

[Vlad G 345]

Then you understand that any 1911 built that tight will have cycling issues until broken in. Most people shoot a 1911 for accuracy rather than a carry weapon. Almost any of the plastic guns is a better choice for EDC than a G1911. 90%+ of gun owners have very little understanding of the weapon they use.

 

 

Not really. A gun built by a competent gunsmith feels like it is rolling on ball bearings with no real tightness or binding. The other part is the accuracy has very little to do with the slide to frame fit. It is probably the last 10% in a bullseye gun, where they spent a lot of care on the barrel and slide and bushing fit. Think about it, all the important bits, including the sights have nothing to do with the frame. By the time the frame becomes involved the bullet is downrange.

 

To quote Vickers:

 

 

Vickers said the slide fit really doesn’t have that much to do with accuracy, but shooters have come away with the impression that slide-to-frame fit is

important, mainly because it’s something that can easily be checked by a nimrod. “It’s something the average guy can check, so he thinks it’s important, but it’s really not,” Vickers stated

[SgtToadette 59]

http://www.reddit.com/r/guns/comments/1qjwou/kimber_1911s_are_bad_or_how_i_learned_to_stop/

[SgtToadette 59]

[TunnelBuilder 0]

Kimbers are the Beats headphones of the gun world.

 

That made me laugh.

 

After thinking about it more, i'm not sure I would want to carry a single action pistol. Not sure how comfortable I would be with the hammer cocked. So that removes the SigP238 and Colt New Agent.

[71ragtopgoat 23]

If you want a carry Gun get the M&P shield. As far as Kimbers go. I was so alarmed after I bought my Raptor I feared taking it to the range. I was just waiting for it to Fail. 2000 rounds later and I'm still waiting. And its a looker to boot.

[acaixguard 37]

People who hate Kimbers have never owned them.  Love mine.  Most kimber haters 1911 of choice is a rock island.

 

Not true. My first 1911 was a Kimber Gold Match, and this was the Series I back in their heyday. It was pretty accurate, but it had its share of issues. Slide stop notch was out of spec, so it would not lock back on the last round with many mags. The plunger tube was loose, so the only thing holding it in place was the grip. Had to have that staked. Not as big a deal, but it came with a plastic MSH, which is something you should not see on a 1911 that's marketed as higher end. Also, it was not completely reliable.

 

Kimbers have pretty good frames, slides, and barrels (or did...not sure about today), but their small parts and overall fitting left a lot to be desired. For my money, there are several other 1911s I would look at first.

[dpas1973 0]

I have a kimber raptor 2 stainless I have shot all sorts or crappy ammo reloads steel case and regular and have never once had an issue. It's like a car someone has a problem other people formulate there opinions from what they heard. Not first hand experience.

[Vlad G 345]

I have a kimber raptor 2 stainless I have shot all sorts or crappy ammo reloads steel case and regular and have never once had an issue. It's like a car someone has a problem other people formulate there opinions from what they heard. Not first hand experience.

 

I could turn that around and say someone must have had a good Yugo, somewhere, just by the law of averages. 

 

The problem is not that Kimber guns are badly designed, they are 1911's, or that they don't know how to do it, it is QC. QC means some are good and some are bad, in fact most are probably good. However the bad are way to numerous . 

[bhunted 887]

I have a kimber raptor 2 stainless I have shot all sorts or crappy ammo reloads steel case and regular and have never once had an issue. It's like a car someone has a problem other people formulate there opinions from what they heard. Not first hand experience.

I agree. While I'm relatively new to Kimber, I did examine my Warrior SOC when it came in. With very very few differences, it is the exact set up as my Colt Mark IV Series 70, circa 1979.... Now I don't know about other Kimbers, but this is one smooth, tight gun. I'm happy with it so far.

 

 

Sent from my iPad 2 using T2 Pro

[bhunted 887]

I could turn that around and say someone must have had a good Yugo, somewhere, just by the law if averages.

 

The problem is not that Kimber guns are badly designed, they are 1911's, or that they don't know how to do it, it is QC. QC means some are good and some are bad, in fact most are probably good. However the bad are way to numerous .

Is it possible that they seem too numerous only because the name stands out and more finger pointing is involved because people feel they've been slighted and expect better? Cause if that's the case, even the most highest end cars can have hiccups. But then again, people will complain about more things with just about any product. For example, the typical consumer may never leave good reviews/comments about a purchase, but wait till they get a bad apple.... You can see what I mean by going into Amazon for instance. I often see reviews that state.... 'I rarely do reviews but this product compels me to want to tell everyone about it's down falls'... I see it all the time.

 

 

Sent from my iPad 2 using T2 Pro

[Vlad G 345]

Not really. I can tell you what goes wrong with Springfields and that far fewer have problems, etc. The error rate for Kimbers is too high. Yes first generation were better, second generation was far worse, current series 70's seems to be better, etc. Overall, they cost too much for the quality provided. 

 

Yes, Kimber makes more 1911s then anyone else. What do you think happens to QC when you are the volume leader?

[bhunted 887]

 

Yes, Kimber makes more 1911s then anyone else. What do you think happens to QC when you are the volume leader?

Like I said, same thing with high end cars or other products in same boat. Stuff slips through the cracks. But they seem to have good customer service. That's a good thing.

They must be doing something right.... They got a helluva following.

 

 

Sent from my iPad 2 using T2 Pro

[Vlad G 345]

 They got a helluva following.

 

So does Justin Bieber. 

[bhunted 887]

So does Justin Bieber.

Baaaaad example. Real bad.... You can do better than that!

 

 

Sent from my iPad 2 using T2 Pro

[Vlad G 345]

Ford Pinto Car Club of America?

[bhunted 887]

Ford Pinto Car Club of America?

Nope! They were junk. Try again....

 

 

Sent from my iPad 2 using T2 Pro

[Vlad G 345]

Nope! They were junk. Try again....

 

 

Sent from my iPad 2 using T2 Pro

 

Actually .. you now see my point

[2Alpha 6]

Like I said, same thing with high end cars or other products in same boat. Stuff slips through the cracks. But they seem to have good customer service. That's a good thing. They must be doing something right.... They got a helluva following. Sent from my iPad 2 using T2 Pro

 

They have terrible customer service.  Their response is to put 500 rounds though the gun before you can send it back.  So you might as well add $250 to the cost of the gun

[bhunted 887]

They have terrible customer service. Their response is to put 500 rounds though the gun before you can send it back. So you might as well add $250 to the cost of the gun

Hmmm, they are tight. I've had good conversations with reps.... Mine is accurate as hell. No probs out of box. No sense in arguing.

 

Vlad, still no dice. At lease use an example comparable in name and price range.

That's like comparing Pintos to Caddys or something.

 

 

Sent from my iPad 2 using T2 Pro

[Vlad G 345]

That's like comparing Pintos to Caddys or something.

[2Alpha 6]

Hmmm, they are tight. I've had good conversations with reps.... Mine is accurate as hell. No probs out of box. No sense in arguing.

 

Vlad, still no dice. At lease use an example comparable in name and price range.

That's like comparing Pintos to Caddys or something.

 

 

Sent from my iPad 2 using T2 Pro

 

The tight excuse is bullshit. Kimber has convinced buyers that tight always equals quailty.  It doesn't.   Kimber has put their quality control and final fitting on the buyer, knowing that the gun will wear itself in after 500 rounds.  But the problem is, since the gun was not fitted correctly from the start, and had to bash itself together for 500 rounds. the next 5000 the gun will wear out quickly... luckily for them, few kimber ever see that many rounds.

 

A properly built 1911 will be just as tight to start, but will stay that tight after 10s of thousand of rounds

[bhunted 887]

That's like comparing Pintos to Caddys or something.

What is that? I cant read the writing. Kinda dark on my iphone.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using TT 2 Pro

[Vlad G 345]

Its a Caddy.