Oh that'd be going STRAIGHT back.  As in tomorrow.


Unacceptable.

I know of no modern firearm using Cast Barrels.  My belief is that Kimber gets it's barrels from McCormick as it does many of the internal parts.

Dane Burns has no problem with Kimber Barrels.

www.burnscustom.com/frametoslidefit.html

Subject: Re: 1911 slide to frame fit.
Date Nov. 7th 1997

Chris,

J. Kuhnhausen says in his shop manual on 45s that 15% of the accuracy of the pistol comes from slide fit. I believe it is a lot less, may be 5%, if that. Correct tightening of the slide to frame fit will make the gun more reliable because the parts work the same way every time, but less tolerant to dirt and powder residue. If you don't wallow in the mud and clean your gun every 1000rds or so it shouldn't be a problem. If the gun is too tight, reliability suffers.

If your gun will shoot 1 1/2" at 25 yd in your hands that is better than 90% of the custom $2000 guns out there. Barrel and bushing fit IMO are 95+% of the accuracy in a 1911. It really helps to have a GOOD barrel but that is a given. I have found that the Kimber barrels are GREAT. They are also available from McCormick. If a Kimber barrel won't hold 1.5" @ 25 yd I have found that a new barrel crown usually solves the problem.

EVERYONE has an opinion on the rest. Mine is: RELIABILITY, sights, trigger, beavertail, bigger thumb safety, in that order. In my opinion, you have all it takes in your Kimber. You can still do a lot to them to enhance their usabilty... after all, that's how I turn a buck.

Final note: back in 1985 I had a comped 45 Colt I built with a LE type cone comp with a Wilson barrel. I was always changing something on the frame so this top end was used on 3 frames as I remember. None of them had been fitted. The final frame (a Colt) that I used to compete with would shoot into 1.5" at 50 yd and it would rattle when shook, the fit was so loose.

The 9x23 single stack I shoot now has *0* tolerance in slide to frame and prefect barrel fit (Bar-Sto) and it to will shoot into 1.5" at 50 yd and a little better, but shit who can hold that! I do have the witnessed targets up in the shop to verify my fish stories.

You have got to look close for the powder burns :-).

DB

Kimber barrels are NOT cast.

Good deal.

Imagine that. Kimber not only fixing the problem, but checking other things too (like your trigger), and doing it in a pretty timely fashion, all things considered. Thats that typical crappy Kimber serive we all hear so much about.