Kimber's site is down, or giving gateway errors when trying to look at certain firearms and support pages...

I'm going to be purchasing a TLE/RL II buyback that was used with a local swat team here. Checked it out today. They've definitely been "used" but the price is too good not to grab.

This will be my first Kimber and was wondering if their Customer Support was similar to SIG where you can call and schedule to send a firearm back to them for a thorough cleaning and rebuild?

First, I don't think kimber will do that for free.

Second, I don't think itnshould need a rebuild even if it was used by swat.

Third, if you watch some YouTube videos, you should be able to fully tear it down, clean it and put it back together.

You will be better off familiarizing yourself with the weapon and its functions. 1911s are really not terribly complicated.


Good luck with your purchase!

The TLE is a heavy duty Kimber with high quality parts including a steel mainspring housing instead of polymer that is widely used.  Clean it and shoot it before you consider doing anything.

Kimber's customer service ranges from questionable to WTF??  That's not to say they wouldn't do what you wanted but probably charge you a premium for it.  As others said, I'd clean it and shoot it first.  Chances are it's going to work just fine.  I've been impressed with all the Kimber's I've shot and or owned.  

I've got a Kimber Ultra Covert II on my wishlist right now.

I own several 1911s. Typically, when I purchased a used firearm, as I did with my TACOPS and Emp Scorp, I sent them up to SIG to have them polished and fully worked through more than what I am capable of doing in my basement.

I know it won't be free. SIG puts their prices on their website and I have no problem with them working or tuning a used purchase and giving me the history of the firearm based on serial number.

From what I was told, this is a buyback from NEMLEC/SEMLEC and there were a few surplus left over which landed in my friends shop so I had to jump on it.

It'll go through an full strip and ultrasonic cleaning at the shop.

I'm more so looking to see if Kimber has the same CS availability as SIG if I wanted to get a breakdown on the serial number (manufacture date, service dates, etc...)

Considering Sigs customer service is pretty sketchy as to whether it'll be really good or really bad, I think you'll find Kimber to be similar.  I thought I had read or saw something that Kimber had opened a "custom shop" to do stuff like that but their website doesn't show any such thing.  I guess just call and see what they say.

I agree 100%. I've found EXACTLY (2) YT videos that deal specifically with detailed tear-downs of Kimbers.

I contacted Kimber today via email re: swapping the 'all black' front sight on my ProCarry for the newer fiber optic version on current ProCarrys. An hour or so later I received an email response with a part # and phone number needed to order it.

No complaints about Kimber service whatsoever.

My TLE came with the plastic mainspring housing, I switched it out for a steel one from Wilson Combat.

Unless you need to change out parts, why not just re-spring it yourself? It's pretty easy to do with a hammer and punch and about 1-2 hours.

However, my guess is that it was rarely shot and more so carried that gave it the wear. So I agree that you should first clean it and then go shoot it.