Why take the risk?

cause if you believed what you read on the internet there'd be no guns you could buy

I just bought Kimber number seven .   I've had  two 9mm 1911's , two 9mm Solo's, two 45's and now a micro 380. They all run great no issues at all using good ammo. I keep reading they are junk and break, but it just hasn't happened yet. Can't speak for their customer service they may suck I've never had to call them yet to return anything.

I do clean and lube my guns and follow Kimbers instructions/recommendations like every owner should. I often wonder just how many guns/1911's Kimber sells? If they sell ten times as many 1911's  as say Springfield or STI it seems like you would have more issues show up on the forums all things being equal. I really would like to know the production numbers out of curiosity.

Gander has a custom type II at $750.00. Is that a "Gander Sale Price" or a real deal? I just started pricing Kimbers over the last few days.

I know that all internet critics of any product shoot 1" groups at 25 yards offhand with their pistols, and .5 moa with all of their rifles.

You can find an old Kimber made in Clackamas for $800 or less. No MIM and a solid gun from the factory. Steel government size. I had one and it ran as well as my Wilson with quality mags. Sold it when I got tired of carrying a 2lb gun. Running polymer now.

I post based off things that interest me that pop up on the active topics thread. Seeing as I sold many, many Kimbers, and ran a range where many were shot, and have lots of friends and people I have met in the shooting industry that have direct and indirect ties and experience with Kimber, the brand interests me, as such I check the threads.

 

I do have an agenda, spread knowledge above and beyond small sample sizes like "I have one Kimber I never shoot and it's been fine".


If you don't like it, put me on ignore, if you REALLY don't like it, address the person I was agreeing with, not me.


Either way, if you have anything else to say, maybe it should be refuting my opinion with facts.

Recently picked up my 2nd TLE ii, this one with a threaded barrel.  Fairly satisfied with Kimber these days. I picked them both up based purely on price point as they were on sale.
Have collectively run +- 600 reloads through them without issue and am pleased with their performance. I still am not completely sold and think there are better values to be had in the 1911 world but, time will tell.

Your not going to get Glock reliability, no matter what brand 1911 you buy, or how much you spend!  The 1911's purpose came and went!  Buy a Glock, and own the BEST overall pistol made!

Bought this ProCarry NIB in '98.

1st it was mags, had to change out all the flat followers with the raised bead to smooth rounded followers. Otherwise I always had FTF/FTE on the last 2 rounds of the mag.

2nd it was the plunger tube. It came loose and I had to take it to a smith to restake it.

Now the current issue is below. That was a few years ago and it merely sits in my safe now. I take it out occasionally to wipe it down and then it goes right back in there. One day I'll fix it but only as a range gun, not worth anything else. Can't trust it as anything else.

These were all out of the same mag and happened to be the last mag I fired through it...

0705121021 by Bill DoubleU, on Flickr
0705121018 by Bill DoubleU, on Flickr
0705121005 by Bill DoubleU, on Flickr
0705121004 by Bill DoubleU, on Flickr

I have a 2006 Warrior that runs flawlessly.

I have two Glocks...both gen 2...a glock 17 and a glock 21.  I run them both suppressed and unsuppressed and they run great.  I still carry my Warrior.
I wouldn't buy new glock.  I would put my money into a HK if I were looking.

Has anyone here personally had the Schwartz style safety/lock break?

I have a Raptor II bought in 2005 that's been drama free (only a few stovepipes fresh out of the box), but only a thousand or so rounds thru it.

I'm using 47D's and McCormick mags in addition to the one it came with.

Buy another TRP....

For an off the shelf 1911 the TRP and Dan Wesson Valor seem to hold the top spots.

I like mine.  It is one of the few I will never part with.  Ive never had a problem with it and can it stationary clays at 30yards.

Could get a SIG for the price of a Kimber, and be a lot happier.

Not personally or seen it. My CDP Pro II is pushing 15 years and many thousands of rounds fired. I bought it new in March of 2001, the only other II I own is a CDP Ultra I bought new in July of 2009. Only a little over 2000 fired with it but again, it's been problem free. My other Kimbers are all series I.

I have the exact model and was having the same problem.  Changed out the recoil spring and assembly with this. Wilson Combat and the problem went away.  Have 6-700 rounds through it since.  100% reliable, even with Win Ranger T hollow points.

Have you checked the extractor?  There is a certain amount of tension they should have when holding a case against the face.  Original design called for spring steel IIRC, and Kimber most likely used an MIM part instead.  To me, it looks like extractor issues in feeding and ejecting.  Simple to replace to boot.

We have two Kimbers and a variety of Colts here as well as a pair of Tupperware guns(no glocks here).  My Kimber, its an Eclipse full size model, Custom Shop edition(first year made).  Bought it new in 2001 IIRC, came with an ambi safety and target night sights.  Front sight went dark within months of purchase, had to have it replaced.  Ambi safety poorly fitted and contacts slide, not a solid snap feel like it should be.  For a custom shop gun, no excuse for that at all.  My bad for buying it, but it looked sharp, and unlike anything out there at the time.  Shoots good groups, has a nice trigger, have had no failures to fire with the series two safety.  Now I have had some issues with the slide stop locking the slide open prematurely, slide stop contacts bullets and they lift the stop up.  Had to file it down to finally fix it.  Wife bought a new ultra carry II, the two tone gun a couple of months ago but we have yet to take it out to the range, so can not comment of reliability of it.  Now my Colts?  They work reliably, with Colt and Wilson mags.  1911's can work reliably as any other gun maker, including Kimbers.  I suspect, and I'd be willing to test stock 1911s that jam for some users to see, that many jamming issues are a result of improper shooting technique, improper lubing, or a combo of the above.  The next issue would be the use of MIM parts in places they don't belong, and that would account for many of the rest.  Extractors and slide stops are easy to replace with proper metal parts.

I have a Tactical Ultra II.  Feeds everything reliably and the only stoppages were two stovepipes after an hour of shooting so I blame it on a limp wrist rather than the gun.  These are fine pistols.

The only beef I have with it is that it throws the empties in any and every direction including onto the top of my head.  Well, there is the price, but used Kimbers are hard to come by, so that tells you right away that people are keeping them after they buy them.

I reluctantly sold my 2001 Kimber Custom as I couldn't afford to just keep every gun.  I have owned several different manufactures and back to having another Kimber Stainless TLE/RLII.  Accurate, solid feel, handles great, functions perfectly, and is an overall great gun to shoot.  

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