So I’ve read a lot over the years about Kimbers being hit or miss, though it seems as of the last year or two most seem to like their offerings. I have a few 1911’s, a couple higher end ones and one medium quality, but always thought that despite the “track record”, the Kimbers I’ve held have always felt well fitted and finished at least, on par with some of the higher end production models I’ve seen.

Well I was in my LGS today and on a whim and sort of an impulse, I picked up a Kimber Custom II (all black with a nice green FO front sight) and I couldn’t put it down. It has no front strap checkering, a plastic mainspring housing, and only one mag, though it just felt great. The safety snicks on and off with a nice click, the sights are great with the green dot FO front compared to older models with the black on black, the slide to frame fit is excellent, and the overall presentation was enough to make me more than interested. When the guy said he would go all in out the door for under $675, I thought that’s a pretty decent deal so I bought it. Never thought I’d get a Kimber, did I make a good decision? I know it’s their entry level model, but I figured I’d give it a whirl.

Anyone have any advice or personal accounts on their own Kimber experiences?

quote:

Originally posted by LincolnSixEcho:
Anyone have any advice or personal accounts on their own Kimber experiences?

Have a very early Kimber Custom II (pre-external extractor fiasco).
The pistol has been 100% reliable, with literally no failures of any kind and is quite accurate.

When reassembling the pistol, don't keep the grip safety depressed.
Other than that clean, oil and shoot.

Better than decent. I would say outstanding.

I judge some guns by their rate of return for issues. I work for a Kimber Master Dealer, and we have not returned one in a year. No one has sold us a used one, either.

I have several Kimbers, first series and second, and have never had a problem with any of them.
I’ve never had one with the external extractor, though.

I have a 2001 vintage CDP with a 3" barrel that's been flawless. Then, around 2014, I brought a brand new Kimber Jam-o-matic, the "Super Carry Pro".I couldn't get through a mag without multiple failures. I tried different mags and I tried just shooting the gun to "break-it-in". Twice, it went back to the Mother ship and twice it came back no different. I'm one of those people who isn't afraid to admit defeat. I sold it and moved on.

Being a part-time RSO, I see and hear a lot and if I were to look for a $1500.00 or less 1911 today, I'd be looking hard & fast at the Springfield or Sig 1911 lines.

quote:

Originally posted by T.Webb:
Being a part-time RSO, I see and hear a lot and if I were to look for a $1500.00 or less 1911 today, I'd be looking hard & fast at the Springfield or Sig 1911 lines.

If you have $1500 or less to spend on a 1911, a Dan Wesson is a noticeable step up in quality from a Springfield, Sig, or Kimber. They clearly dominate the $1000ish-$1500ish 1911 market.


There's roughly four "tiers" of 1911 manufacturers:

The $500ish Philippine guns (Armscor, Rock Island, Citadel, etc.)

The $600-$1000ish mass-produced factory guns (Colt, S&W, Ruger, Springfield, Kimber).

The $1000ish-$2000ish semi-custom makers (Dan Wesson, Fusion, etc.)

The $2000-$5000+ customs (Les Baer, Ed Brown, Wilson Combat, Nighthawk, etc.)


There are some that blur the lines between these, like the higher end Colt Custom Shop guns, or the entry level Les Baers.

But while (for example) you can find some Kimbers for $1000+, or some Springfield Customs for ~$3000, the better option is almost always to move up to something from that upper tier.

We have about 5 different Kimbers in .45 and 9mm. Quality is good in all of them. The only thing that was changed out was adding a short GI guide rod instead of a full length model.

Only thing I've found consistent....It takes about 500 rounds of ammo to break them in. On each one of my Kimbers, they ran without issue after about 500 rounds. Strange but true.

Enjoy.

andrew

A friend of mine got a Kimber, against my advice, for a carry gun. I have been to the range with him several times and shot the Kimber myself. That thing was good to go right out of the box. No problems what so ever. I found the grips to be a bit too rough, they hurt my delicate hands. Other than that I could find nothing wrong with the gun.
Rod

Good to hear guys thanks for the comments. I’m looking forward to picking it up in a few days. I usually research everything I buy so it was out of my norm to just get something without knowing much, though exciting for a change, like gambling I suppose. It looks as though I should have a good chance at it being a reliable and solid performer.

I have KIMBER .45acp and 9mm 1911s (and a K6S). Not a single issue and they ran great out of the box. None are 'ammo sensitive'.

The polymer main spring housing bothers some people. I changed out the main spring housing on only one pistol and decided it added nothing to the function or reliability.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: az4783054,

I've owned and shot several Kimber 1911s over the years. I've never had an issue with any of them. They had decent fit and finish and were accurate.

Now, however, I do not own any Kimbers and they would not be my first recommendation to someone who wanted to buy a 1911. Dan Wesson is my choice over all, but then you do have to consider what you can afford.

The Custom guns are not really in my price range but that is a personal choice everyone has to make.

I currently own only two Kimber 1911s, and they are 100% reliable!! I will not hesitate to purchase more if the urge hits me. I CCW my Kimber Ultra CDP for a year or two.

I've had a half dozen Kimbers, in three different calibers, over the last 20 years or so. I know people love to trash them on the internet, but they were good guns. Wish I could say the same of all the Colts I've owned;(

I have had several Kimbers over the years. I still have a Custom TLE/RL II that is excellent. I had some earlier Pro Carry's that struggled to go back into battery.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Better than decent. I would say outstanding.

I judge some guns by their rate of return for issues. I work for a Kimber Master Dealer, and we have not returned one in a year. No one has sold us a used one, either.

How many Kimbers do you guys sell in a year? I'm just asking out of curiosity. I used to see new Kimbers for sale at gun shops all over my area in the late 90's to mid 2000's and now I rarely see any gun shops selling them or people at the gun show (Fort Lauderdale).

When I was searching for my first 1911 I asked a 1911 aficionado friend of mine about Kimber. His response boiled-down to "They've had somewhat variable QC in recent years. Generally, if they run out of the box you're GTG." So I researched. It appeared he was right on the money. I also found Kimber's customer service was somewhat variable. In the end I decided to give Kimber a pass.

But then I turned around and bought a Remington R1 Enhanced, so what does that say of my judgement?

Bought and sold a few Kimbers many years ago.

They worked great, just that I didn't want the 45s as much as the 10mm. I found a 17mach2 for $400 or so later.

Those are the only two that I have right now.

Every single Kimber I have owned was both nicely built for the money and very accurate. Gone now due to a need(want) for a more competition ready 1911. Looking back at the pictures of 25 yd targets and load development, I think maybe this was not one of my better moves.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve 22X:

quote:

Originally posted by LincolnSixEcho:
Anyone have any advice or personal accounts on their own Kimber experiences?

Have a very early Kimber Custom II (pre-external extractor fiasco).
The pistol has been 100% reliable, with literally no failures of any kind and is quite accurate.

When reassembling the pistol, don't keep the grip safety depressed.
Other than that clean, oil and shoot.

I have one in 9mm. It is a good gun and reliable.

I have had a Kimber Gold Match Stainless for 20 years. I would rate it as superb.