I know they built their name in the semi custom 1911 pattern market. I understand they had some QA issues at some point.
No, I don’t know all this, I *think* I know all this, from internet lore...

But what about recent production items?
Are they junk?
Are they “The Bee’s Knees”?
Are they just another 1911?
I ask because one of Local Gun Shops has recently become a Kimber Master Dealer (I think that’s the term). They have a case full of examples from Kimber.
How does one achieve this status?
Is it worth anything?
Did they just plunk down for enough inventory that they got the title?

In short, what gives with Kimber? Lately, circa 2019-2020?

I don't have any experience with recent Kimbers. Honestly, I haven't given them much thought after their quality decline of the last decade or so, since there were better options for the price.

And nearly all Kimbers are base factory guns, not semi-custom. (The Kimber Custom Shop does offer some custom work, but only a small percentage of their guns are custom.)

"Semi-custom" means some hand-fitting by a gunsmith. For example, Dan Wesson 1911s are semi-custom, with each one receiving some personal attention.

I have been selling guns for over 10 years now and always considered the Kimber line to be the top of the heap.

However, looking at some of the recent models they are just a Bling gun to me now.
Talking with some customers who have owned and bought Kimber's over the past 5 years have complained about feeding issues, jamming, etc.
I don't have first hand knowledge (never owned one), but I have to believe a customer's story when he trades it in on another gun.

My feelings are the to keep up with the competition they had to cut corners somewhere in the manufacturing and get their prices down.

They look nice in the cases but for some they just don't live up to the name they once had.

Just my $.02 worth.

Just an opinion.... I have been shooting 1911's for 40 years and have owned and or shot all of the custom makers guns. And many non-custom pistols So here is my 2 or 3 cents
Kimber's are a fine pistol but no they are not even close to some I will mention below. I have many friends who love them and yes over the years they have had their issues. Easily researched.
Personally I would suggest you talk to people who have owned and shot them and try to find a range that will rent you one to shoot.
I would pick a Springfield 1911 over a Kimber...I have owned many and they are great for the price.
Stepping up to "semi-custom" you have Les Baer They build fine 1911's and for the money if someone wants to step up to higher level I suggest a Baer..I have owned and shot many - they are well made and accurate - built very tight --

Then you will have these ; Wilson Combat , Nighthawk , Ed Brown etc ALL build exceptional pistols. You can go wild and have one totally done custom by shops that will charge you a lot of $.

Many choices - Kimber's are certainly a reasonable choice but IMHO there are better pistols at the same price point.

I tell people don;t buy a gun without a lot of research and shoot several to see what you like.

If set up correctly and maintained 1911's are wonderful pistols . I have several that have thousands and thousands rounds through them and they still WORK . (but would not be without my Sig's !!!!! ) 1911 & Sigs forever

The CEO of Sig is Ron Cohen. He was hired away from Kimber c. 2005.

For those who believe Kimber &/or Sig have declined in quality, many of them blame him.

I wanted a stainless Raptor II. Went to LGS and they surreptitiously offered a discount on a blue Raptor II to the point the nearly 50% upcharge for stainless didn't make fiscal sense.

It runs like a machine, everything is well built, solid and tight. My only complaint is for the kind of money Kimber charges, they only come with one mag.

I've never owned a Kimber 1911. I can't comment on the recent quality of their 1911s.

I do though own two Kimber K6s revolvers. I can't say enough good about them. They look at little funny to me, but....they are well conceptualized, well put together and have very good triggers out of the box.

I don't know if Kimber always builds good, reliable guns but these two revolvers show me they can.

It's wise to question Internet lore, because sometimes it's inaccurate.

Kimber has had some quality issues in the recent past. I write "had" and "recent past" because, allegedly, that's behind them now.

I bought a Kimber Custom II 10mm GFO (that's a 2020 Shot Show special with a green fiber optic front sight) a few months back.

Fit and finish are flawless. I'm having some failures to feed which appear to be too-tight an extractor. I pulled and tweaked it a bit and brought the FTFs way down. I'm going to pull it and give it just a small nudge more. It seems to be as happy with JHP as FMJ.

The trigger has a slight hitch in it, but it's so slight I notice it only when dry-firing very slowly.

I called Kimber CS after 200 rounds and told them of these things. "Give it 500 rounds. If either of those issues remain, send it in and we'll make it right."

The pistol is a joy to shoot even with the heaviest, most hotly-loaded factory rounds (Underwood 220 gr. hard cast at 1200 FPS). Shoots well for me, too: My New Kimber Custom II 10mm GFO: Range Report

I have had a few Kimbers and still have some. I have never had problems with FMJ and my Kimbers. All my problems came with JHP's. A problem I finally solved with Wolfe springs in my Wilson Mags. My Kimber Raptor was my USPSA Limited 10 gun for years with no issues. My Eclipse was great until stolen. My 9mm 1911 Kimber works great. The ramped barrel solves all the problems associated with JHP's. Some of he Kimbers you will pay for cosmetics.

I had a S&W 1911 that was perfect. My two Sig 1911's that were not cheap Max Michel and Stainless Super Target are great guns. I had a Wiley Clapp Colt that was crap and sold it quickly. I would say my Dan Wesson Classic Bobtail is my best !911 technically better than the Sigs but I like the Sigs as much.

Kimber is about on par with Springfield, but they have models that hit the same price or higher than Dan Wesson while having lower build quality, cheaper MIM and cast parts (Dan Wessons are all tool steel parts), and only come with 1 rather chinzy magazine.

Personally, I'd avoid any of the with the II designation because those guns comes with a Swartz firing pin block that uses the grip safety to deactivate the firing pin block. A firing pin block isn't needed on a 1911 and this version is worse than the Colt Series 80 model that uses the trigger. I'd also hold out for one with a better finish than Black Oxide since it doesn't have much if any corrosion resistance.

Those are just my opinions. Either version will work for you, it's just one is a spot where they cut corners and another is a complication that only police departments care about. YMMV.

My father had a Stainless Gold Match II and it was a great pistol. My nephew has it now and loves it. I was able to shoot it years ago and it was accurate and functioned perfectly.

I have several KIMBER 1911 pistols. NONE have given me any issues with any ammunition. Nor has my 2" dao K6S, but I don't shoot it like it's a target pistol as so many try to do. KIMBER now has 4" revolvers if that's your goal.

The 'issues in the past' comments could be said about any pistol manufacturer, including SIG.

I've been told by several gun shop Master Dealers that KIMBER actually has no dedicated 'Custom Shop', rather the guns are taken off the line and given more attention to assembly detail. What that involves, I'm not certain. Are they DAN WESSON, WILSON, BROWN or NIGHTHAWK quality or cost, no. But mine shoot no different and are as 'reliable' as my DAN WESSON or SPRINGFIELD.

With the exception I noted above, KIMBER pistols are the same inside from one model to the next. KIMBER doesn't even sell different internal parts for a basic pistol vs a 'Custom Shop' pistol. It's the outside that's cosmetically different, ie different blingy finishes, sights and grips, not unlike SIG and most other popular manufacturers.

A basic KIMBER Ultra, Pro or Custom model will more than likely shoot as good as a Custom Shop model in the hands of most people. But it won't look as attractive or blingy.

Personally I cannot justify spending $1500-$3000 for a pistol, carry it and beat it up. I tend to buy my guns lightly used. That often has allowed me to buy two KIMBER pistols for the price of a lightly used or new DAN WESSON.

Kimber 1911's, to me, are flash and image, but little more. I have Kimber pistols, including 1911 and revolver, and while the revolvers seem well made and have a great trigger more akin to a striker-fired semi-auto, Kimber is not a name that I equate with quality firearms.

Kimber pistols are dress-up dolls, with trappings intended to look like custom pistols, and sold as if they're "loaded" with "custom" features. There's nothing custom about them.

That said, I haven't had any problems with my kimbers, but I don't shoot them to destruction, either. In fact, I don't shoot them much at all, and except for the revolver, will probably never carry them.

Kimbers aren't junk, but they're mostly just production parts made pretty.

The revolvers seem to function well. I haven't encountered issues with timing, excess play, fit or finish, or function. The K6S hurts to shoot; more so than other small .357's. I don't know why, but it hurts my hand a lot more. I thought perhaps the exposed backstrap, but many other .357's have exposed backstraps, and don't hurt like the Kimber does. After a few rounds, for me accuracy is out the window because my focus goes off the front sight and fundamentals, and I find myself not really wanting to fire the next shot. I don't know that it's the pistol's fault, but that's my experience shooting the K6S. I bought one in brand new condition, but used, and wondered why the previous owner (an older gentleman) got rid of it. I found out on the first range trip.

A lot of folks like Kimber. Where the 1911's are concerned, it's just not a name that I take seriously.

I have owned 2 Kimbers. For me it was a 50-50 experience. My first Kimber was a "Yonkers" gun that I bought cheap because it was cosmetically worn. Shot fine. I had it refinished in electroless nickel and sold it. My next one was bought new. It was poorly fitted and had a variety of problems. It went back to Kimber but there was no fix. I eventually sold it for parts.
A buddy bought a Kimber Solo that also was essentially non functional.
The last time I went to buy a full size, mid range in cost 1911, I looked at Kimber and Ruger. I bought the Ruger for slightly less $$ and have no regrets.
I would buy another Kimber if the deal was right. But I would also be prepared to send it to a 1911 smith to it have gone over.

I had a series 1 stainless gold match....was a fantastic gun. Tight gun but not too tight. I was pretty much reloading all my own stuff at that time and that gun reliably produced some really nice groups with pretty much every load. Sold it to fund my Marlin CB habit. I don't have any experience with the new guns though.

What about the Solo? Did they ever get those to where they run? I remember them having a horrible reputation when they hit the shelves. Sure is a good looking little bastige.

I believe Kimber gave up on the Solo when they released the Micro.

Bought a Kimber Custom Eclipse in 10mm when it first came out. Maybe too early. it was a jam-O-matic. The problem was the magazine alignment. After adjusting the magazines, it works as it should with no issues (other than I have to use those magazines). Every other Kimber 10mm that I had ever seen in person or on line has a different version of the frame than mine.

The only other Kimber I have is in 17mach2 and it works great.

quote:

Originally posted by iron chef:
I believe Kimber gave up on the Solo when they released the Micro.

Didn't know that. The Micro just looks like a 1911; I liked the looks and idea of the Solo, but I guess they never got it working well. Or maybe they did but the reputation was too hard to shake.

I have an entry level Custom II with the fiber optic front sight. I’ve shot it twice now and it shoots very accurately for me. Had only one fail to feed, but it was with a new mag that hadn’t broken in yet and other than that it’s been totally reliable.

My first outing with it a few months back I did have the front fiber optic tube pop out, which is an easy 2 minute fix as they give you multiple tubes for replacement. The rear sight drifted a tiny bit as well so I just tightened the set screw and it did not budge the second outing.

So can I say it’s been perfect? Well no, but the minor issues are just that so far, minor. I love the feel of the gun and despite the sight issues the gun is fit and finished wonderfully. Even the cheap rubber grips feel great in hand and for the price I still feel it’s a great piece. Usually things seem to iron themselves out within a few hundred rounds in 1911’s so we will see in the future how things go.