Kimber Custom II?

[A_shizzle]

I want a 1911 and the Kimber Custom II has sparked my interest. They sell for around $700. Does anybody have any experience with this pistol or other reccomendations? My limit is about $850 tops. Thanks

[graffex]

I'd would say at that budget forget about a 1911...

[theJanitor]

try this. it's a bargain at this price

http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=22592

[rangertab1]

I got a 1911 Kimber Classic Custom. Others i know have Kimber's (assorted models). Kimber is great in my world. I don't do much pricing, but you get what you pay for. Shoot a few hundred rounds in it before you trust it completely. Overall, it is a top-knotch weapon brand. Cheers.

[Vom Kriege]

I want a 1911 and the Kimber Custom II has sparked my interest. They sell for around $700. Does anybody have any experience with this pistol or other reccomendations? My limit is about $850 tops. Thanks

The best price that I have seen on that model is $689. It's a fine pistol and will serve you well. If you want upgrades you can always build it out as needed and funds allow, but it should be just fine as is unless you want night sights and such.

[sff70]

This topic comes up often. A search will reveal much useful information.

The 1911 has certain parts that must be made correctly and hand-fit with skill. It was designed when skilled labor was cheap and good materials and tooling were expensive, on a per-unit basis. Today the opposite is true.

A 1911 can be had cheap, fast, or well built. Choose any 2 of those 3.

In the sub-$1.5k price point, many corners are cut in material and workmanship, which reduce reliability and durability.

In your price range, a Springfield Loaded would be a better way to go. The ILS can be easily changed out.

As opposed to the Series 80 system, the Series II Kimbers can have timing issues with the Swartz safety parts. Timing issues with Series 80 guns are very rare.

Even worse than the Swartz safety would be a Kimber with the external extractor model.

If you absolutely must have a Kimber Series II (Swartz safety), get one with an Internal Extractor.

Read the articles here: http://10-8performance.com/id2.html

Particularly, this one: http://10-8performance.com/id8.html

Also, for reliability's sake, you'll want to use good magazines, such as the Tripp, McCormick, or Wilson mags.

[normal]

I have a Custom II and it has been excellent. I have had it several years and paid $550 for it. It has never had a failure and is dead on accurate. It otperformed my Springfield Custom Bi Tone that was several hundred dollars more. I ended up trading the Springfield and kept the Kimber. It is a great deal for the $.

[Federale]

It is funny that you said that it sparked your interest. I'll bet it caught your eye. They are nice to look at. But there's a reason why the internet is full of posts about people who have bought a Kimber pistol only because it caught their eye, only to find out that its an unreliable pistol.

There is nothing "custom" about a Custom II. And that's the problem. Kimber builds a tight pistol and a tightly built pistol needs to be properly fitted to ensure reliability. And that's where Kimber fails. They are mass produced pistols that are built to tighter tolerances than a mass produced 1911 is designed to be built. And that has much to do with why a good segment of Kimber owners have found that they've got an unreliable pistol on their hands. You're basically paying more for a pistol that's built incorrectly.

Glock, Sig, HK, S&W, are all mass produced pistols and you pretty much know what you're going to get from any of those manufacturers when you pull the pistol from the box. With Kimber, you really don't.

I'd recommend something else. And I tend to agree with the earlier statement that a 1911 at this price point is kind of a crapshoot anyway. Save up some more cash, or buy something that makes a better base gun. Kimber doesn't make a good base gun because there are too many sub-par and out of specs components to them. I think Colt and Springfield are far better choices at this price point.

[rob_s]

My first forrays into 1911s were Kimber Custom fullsize and Compact Aluminum. Both were Series I (or pre-Series II) guns that I bought used for $550+/- each. I shot the piss out of the fullsize, had a little custom work done to it to fine tune it, and shot it even more. The Compact Aluminum I carried every day but probably only ever put 500 rounds through it. I should have kept those two guns and saved myself thousands of dollars on subsequent 1911 purchases that didn't/don't do anything better *for me* than the Kimbers did.

These are sample sizes of two, or one, and are meaningless, etc. However, in my limited experience with my personally owned guns as well as the guns I've seen as an IDPA SO, if a Kimber gets through the first few hundred rounds without a problem, and you stick to that same magazine/ammo combination they run fine with proper spring/extractor/etc. maintenance.

The above does NOT include varieties with the Schwartz internal firing pin safety or the external extractor. Both of these abortions put Kimbers outfitted with them on my NFW (no f'in way) list.

I haven't kept up with them in quite awhile, but it's my understanding that Kimber has abandoned the external extractor and even has some models available without the Schwartz safety. If I were set on a Kimber today I'd look for one of those.

[theJanitor]

I have a model (Gold Guardian. only 1300 made) from Kimber's Custom Shop. I bought it in '96, IIRC. It was about $1300 bucks; pretty expensive at the time, but it's been a great shooter, ultra smooth, accurate, and reliable. i like it so much that Drake Oldham is currently reworking it (frontstrap checkering, heinie sights, kart barrel, meloniting).

On the flip side, i haven't talked to a person in the last five years that has been really happy with their stock Kimber. They have either sold them or sunk some money into them to run right. If you do buy the Kimber, have someone run a reamer in the chamber as the Kimber's have been notoriously tight. And replace the controls as you continue to run the gun and find out what controls work best for you. I believe the Warrior model is one of the very few that uses the series1 design, and incorporates the light rail into the frame.

I would look for an older Series 1 variant, but that Springer that i linked a few posts up is probably what you need. if i didn't have a miller custom in the mail right now (and the fact that i'm saving up for my wedding), i'd jump on that SA.

[razors]

Check out Dan Wesson 1911's...they are very well fitted and are built with top of the line parts and no MIM. I have a 2008 bobtail which is my go-to carry gun. I just sold a custom II kimber.....use quality mags (wilson, kimber tac mags) or they will choke.

[HK45]

I second the Dan Wessons in a heartbeat. After that a Springfield loaded on up. I also like the S&W 1911's for the price and CS but people who know more about the Smith 1911 than me say the extractor on the non-Pro models is problematic.

Series II safety alone makes the Kimber a no go. Poor parts quality, QC in general and service makes Kimber a fail.

[Boris]

I was fortunate to have chosen a new Series 1 Custom Target some years ago. Damn fine IDPA shooter and carry gun. Ten years and some +25k rds, it's a favorite I'll never get rid of. That said, I don't have that much faith in the Series II guns for reasons previously mentioned.

Perhaps a M&P45 would be a good solution given your budget and interest in 1911s.

-B

[Dave_M]

I have a Kimber Custom II.

I had to tune the extractor myself so it would run 100% and also did a fluff and buff on a lot of the small parts to make it smoother (and reduce the trigger pull--I took it down to ~3lbs). Now it's a safe queen that I shoot a couple times a year (I'm a Glock guy myself) but she runs 100%.

[Dave L.]

I have a Kimber Custom II.

I had to tune the extractor myself so it would run 100% and also did a fluff and buff on a lot of the small parts to make it smoother (and reduce the trigger pull--I took it down to ~3lbs). Now it's a safe queen that I shoot a couple times a year (I'm a Glock guy myself) but she runs 100%.

I could have posted nearly the exact same thing. For $700 go buy a Glock, night sights, mags, and ammo. "Glock, No headaches included".

[Bigun]

I like my Custom Target 2 enough that I sent it off to Tripp Research for a Hard Chrome when they were still doing such. I have over 10,000 factory rounds through it as well as another couple thousand reloads with a 230 grain cast lead tc bullet through it. o problems and still more accurate than my year old Springer Loaded. The fit and finish are and were much better than the Springer and the triggers dont even compare, 3 crisp clean pounds for the Kimber and 5-6 lbs through the springer. The Kimber was perfect out of the box, The Springer was a single shot untill I adjusted the extractor and polished the disconector tip.

[randyman_ar]

Stay away from external extractors on Kimbers. I have 2 with numerous issues. FTE and FTRB being the most common.

[calebgriffin31]

so the desert warrior has the internal extractor?

[oldtexan]

I want a 1911 and the Kimber Custom II has sparked my interest. They sell for around $700. Does anybody have any experience with this pistol or other reccomendations? My limit is about $850 tops. Thanks

I bought three NIB Kimbers in 2003 or 2004 as carry and home defense guns. They were a TLE/RL II with the external extractor, a Stainless Custom II, and a Stainless Compact II. They were accurate guns. Despite the best efforts of my pistolsmith ( a thoroughly competent guy who specializes in 1911s), I could never get them to run reliably (extraction, ejection, and feed issues), even with factory and Wilson mags, careful cleaning and lubrication, and a variety of 230 grain factory ball from the major ammo makers. I ended up getting rid of all three and kept my Series 70 Colt Gold Cup, which was very reliable.

I do assume that these three guns were indicative of Kimber quality at that time, but I don't have any idea if it has improved, remained constant, or deteriorated further since then.

Possibly I might be willing to recommend a Kimber to a friend whose highest priority in a pistol is price or looks, but I'd never recommend one to anyone who might possibly contemplate using it to defend a life.

[m6scout]

Several years ago I did some horse trading or maybe it was bird trading (ford T-Bird) and got a Kimber CDP in the trade. I have never been a fan of two-tone pistols and was planning on sending the pistol down the road .That is until I took it to the range.The pistol has functioned flawlessly and accurately over the years.Maybe I got lucky and got one that was made on a Tuesday.I carry this pistol often and keep it close on hand at night.I am still not a fan of a two-tone gun but I would not part with my Kimber CDP

[dodge]

I have a Custom II and never had any problems with it. All I have done to it is change the rubber grips to some wooden grips I had on hand from another 1911 that I got rid of. It's very accurate and reliable that I carry it sometimes during the winter but haven't found a holster that I like enough to carry it full time.