View Full Version : WANTED: DEFINITIVE answers as to whats wrong with Kimber 1911's.
Straight Shooter
06-30-21, 22:03
Ive read a lot of hate here and elsewhere about Kimber 1911's. I dont recall ever seeing exactly what the problems with them are/were.
So..IF you can specifically state whats wrong with them, known problems, unique problems, past problems that were corrected, ect., please chime in.
I DO NOT WANT BS ANSWERS THAT DONT INCLUDE FACTUAL INFORMATION. Dont come here to bitch & moan, if you can answer the question, please chime in.
If not- STAY OUT.
DISCLOSURE: EARLY 1990's..I want to say 1992-93...I ordered one of the first Kimber 1911's in my geographical area. The gunshop hadnt even HEARD of them. Took awhile to get it, was a very low serial number...just over 1000.
Shot the hell out of that gun. I was into 1911's heavily then, as were many. After a few years, about the only problem I had was the FP STOP would slide down enough to jam the gun. Did it twice months apart in two matches. One I still won, it cost me one. I tried a few different mags, it would NOT run with Chip McCormick Shooting star mags. The black Colt factory mags ran well. Had the gun about 10 years and sold it and soon after went all Glock & never looked back. So, Ive had some experiance with them, but apparently something has changed. This is for informational purpose only, as wont be going back to the 1911's again. Someone asked me this and I flat dont know.
Thank yall for any info you may provide.
Early Kimbers from OR were good. After they moved to NY, got into MIM and external extractors, guns were crap. As a dealer, I was returning at least 1/3 guns to them for issues. Also the Swartz safety had some timing issues, probably in part because users didn’t understand how it worked and were damaging it reassembling guns. Currently they seem to be running. Seen a bunch at USPSA matches the last couple years, and they don’t seem to be having problems. During time period they were problematic, customer service went to hell too. After Cohen left as CEO, they seemed to improve quality wise.
I think a lot of people that had bad experiences with them have not forgiven or forgot.
It's tough to put a finger on what makes the Kimbers so much less reliable, but they just are/were. Back when I used to take lots of classes, it was the kimbers that brought the classes to a stop the most. 1911s were always problematic, but kimbers took it down another notch. When you're hot and tired and have to stop drills for some kimber guy, it gets old.
As to WHY? Like any other 1911 that won't run, it's not always simple to figure out the reason(s).
I was working in a gun shop around 2008 or so. We would get pistols broken right out of the box. Like hammers broken as soon as you open the box. Obviously garbage MIM process. They were a nightmare to deal with for warranty work. Everybody dreaded having to call them. I don't know what they are like now, but I would never own one after dealing with them back then.
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Straight Shooter
07-01-21, 03:24
Those are great answers, thank you both. Mine come to think of it, was from Yonkers NY. Does anyone know if they started the serial numbers over when they moved from OR to NY?
If Im remembering right, mine was serial number 1029. How many/how long did they mfg in OR?
I also had an Oregon Kimber that was reliable, accurate.
That was ca. 1994.
The recent negatives as previously stated;
MIM
Schwarz Firing Pin Safety
Shit Q C on assembly
Poor CS
Add:
Kimber uses MIM parts in their rifles. Ironically, the rifle MIM parts are well executed and seem to be GTG. I don't know why this is such an issue with their 1911's.
While I'd always prefer tool steel "bits" in a gun, if a manufacturer is trying to meet a price point, MIM can work.
I've worked on and have owned their "Montana" rifles, which after bedding and trigger work shot well for a light gun.
The_War_Wagon
07-01-21, 07:40
I don't make enough money, to buy all the ones I want.
Other than that, MY statistical sample of 2 (TLE RL II, Ultra Covert), have worked just fine, for 11+ years each. Use the factory mags for range mags ONLY though.
titsonritz
07-01-21, 11:03
Clackamas Kimbers were good guns then Ron Cohan got a hold of them and ****ed them up.
I believe my 1st Kimber 1911 was a 5" Custom Carry in the #3,600 range. It had several issues. The breech face wasn't fully milled out. Like there was a distinct ridge on one side that would stamp every piece of brass fired. I'm not sure if that was one of the reasons it had extraction issues (the extractor was miraculously properly tensioned out of the box), but I did have to polish the chamber. I recut the breech face myself, if only to save my brass from getting stamped every shot. I can't imagine it was helping, what with pushing on the round in the chamber from one side only.
The other issue was far more problematic. It didn't matter whether I used the Kimber factory mags, WC, Shooting Star, factory Colt, 7 or 8 round, the gun would routinely lock up with a round halfway fed into the chamber. Didn't matter if it was 230 or 200gr, FMJ, SWC or JHP, factory or reloads, it would just lock up and it would lock up hard. You could smack the back of the slide all you wanted and it wouldn't budge. I tried replacing the mag catch with a WC and a Colt part, no luck. Whatever it was about the specs of that gun, the rim of the cartridge would ride up and slam into the top of the firing pin hole in the breech face, cutting a neat little half moon notch into the rim. Ultimately I radiused the top of the FP hole enough for the rim to no longer catch. To date it's the only 1911 I've ever had to do that on.
My second Kimber was an absolutely gorgeous 4" alloy 2 tone Elite Carry. It's was one of the prettiest 1911's I've ever owned. It had it's own teething issues as well. I did a full tune-up/polish on the critical parts and by the 800 round mark it was pretty much "reliable". At the 800 round mark, the 2 piece guide rod broke and locked the gun up on the range. Replaced that along with the recoil spring. I now know you're better off replacing the recoil spring on short 1911's at around the 500-600 round mark, and having an extra spare on hand as reference for length at rest.
So with the gun back in business I get another 300 rounds out of it. Suddenly it went from a repeater to a single shot. The MIM mag catch broke at the range. There was enough of a shard left to lock the mag in and chamber a round, but the mag would fall out under recoil on the 1st shot. So I replaced that with a WC part (and ordered extras). By that time the shine had worn off and I sold both guns, bought a Gen2.5 Glock 19C and a Gen3 34, and never looked back.
I've had several more 1911's since and still have four right now, but none have been Kimbers.
So my personal experience is 1st hand but still an anecdotal sample of two. My larger experience is 13 years running a timer as a CSO/RSO all over the country up to national and world championships. I've also squadded with every level of shooter, from complete new gun owner novice to world champions. There's not a gun manufacturer on the list I haven't seen choke at some point or another. Sometimes it's the shooter, sometimes it's the ammo, lack of maintenance and more often than not, the "upgrades" they've made to their gat. But sometimes it's a complete mystery and that was where I saw Kimber's more often than the others. One local shooter loved his Kimber SO much, he endured several years of mistreatment by it before the love faded. We tried everything to get that gun to be reliable for him (training, parts, ammo specs, the works) and it flatly refused.
But I've also seen Kimbers run like a Singer Sewing Machine. I squadded with an up and coming female shooter (I'd describe her as petite) at a big regional match one time. She'd was running a Kimber Eclipse .45 and had shipped her match ammo ahead (because that much .45acp easily exceeds the FAA 11 pound ammunition limit) and it didn't arrive on time. So she ran the entire match with Walmart sourced WWB. Not a single hiccup. I would up squadding with her at several other matches and her gun never choked.
What I've learned in all those years is that if you get a good Kimber, keep it. They can ship a perfectly serviceable gun. They just don't always do that. If you get one of the "mystery in a box" Kimbers, send it in for warranty repair and once it's returned, sell it. Even if they did manage to fix it properly (Lord knows what they actually did to make it work), you're never going to trust it. That's Kimber in a nutshell. JMO, YMMV
P.S. I remembered that a buddy got one of the very early (sub #1K) Custom Carry guns and it never choked. But he was always running out of money and eventually sold it after I got my #3600 range gun. Hindsight being 20/20, I should've just waited till he was strapped for cash and bough his for less. :)
My experience with Kimbers mirrors some of the comments above. If it was an Oregon or "Classic" without series-80 type firing pin safety they were generally good, functioning weapons.
After the Yonkers move you could tell quality generally nose-dived. Many 1911 smiths ditched everything except the frame and slide and built from there. What I saw kept me from ever buying anything Kimber.
Working retail and basic instruction I found the magazines weren't very good, either.
I was gone when we switched from the MEU(SOC) 1911 to the Kimber, but those guys told me the MIM parts broke too frequently, and I recall the firing pin safety was an issue.
The only one I ever shot to any extent was one I borrowed for a 2-day class, about 700 rounds, and it did fine. I don't recall what model.
Straight Shooter
07-01-21, 13:30
WOW- THANK YOU ALL for this information...exactly what I was looking for.
My Kimber didnt have the Swartz Safety, it was a Yonkers gun.
Now, the next time someone asks about MIM parts and people start chiming in "oh theyre AS GOOD as steel"...Im gonna refer them back to this thread.
I dont like MIM & never will. The cost savings CANT be so much as to warrant use of an inferior part.
Question: Whats the cost ifference between, say a MIM hammer & a steel one?
I dont like MIM & never will. The cost savings CANT be so much as to warrant use of an inferior part.
Question: Whats the cost ifference between, say a MIM hammer & a steel one?
Generally speaking MIM will give a 30-60% savings over other production methods depending on volume produced and the complexity of the part. The strength of the end material - assuming it’s properly produced - ends up between a cast and a forged part but the labor for production is greatly reduced due to the minimal finishing work required. Most of the issues arise due to improper cooling leading to weakening of the structure.
The technology is solid - MIM components are used in turbine engines where they’re exposed to high temperatures and rapid temperature cycling with minimal dimensional clearances between parts but those components are being made in tightly controlled conditions where the cost benefits are far down the concern line, not being shopped out to the cheapest overseas factory as we’ve seen manufacturers like Sig do.
Generally speaking MIM will give a 30-60% savings over other production methods depending on volume produced and the complexity of the part. The strength of the end material - assuming it’s properly produced - ends up between a cast and a forged part but the labor for production is greatly reduced due to the minimal finishing work required. Most of the issues arise due to improper cooling leading to weakening of the structure.
The technology is solid - MIM components are used in turbine engines where they’re exposed to high temperatures and rapid temperature cycling with minimal dimensional clearances between parts but those components are being made in tightly controlled conditions where the cost benefits are far down the concern line, not being shopped out to the cheapest overseas factory as we’ve seen manufacturers like Sig do.Yes, the technology is good to go if done properly. How often do you hear of HK guns having issue with their MIM pieces?
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I own a Kimber TLE with a standard extractor that was made in NY. I've only experienced one negative issue. The MIM thumb safety broke at what appeared to be a fissure in the metal at around 500 rounds. I did not want to spend the money to ship it to Kimber via UPS Next Day Air, so I purchased a thumb safety from Brownell's and fitted it myself.
For the past several thousand rounds it has been stone cold reliable and very accurate with my 185g handloads. It will feed semi-wadcutters, hollow points, FMJ round nose and JSP rounds reliably and I sometimes carry it when I leave the house.
It would appear that Kimber has relocated outside New York.
I don't make enough money, to buy all the ones I want.
Other than that, MY statistical sample of 2 (TLE RL II, Ultra Covert), have worked just fine, for 11+ years each. Use the factory mags for range mags ONLY though.
What is the round count on those pistols?
I've never held a Kimber I thought was worth the asking price. My money continues to go to Colt / SA for 1911's. They're kind of like the SIG of 1911's with all the silly models. Speaking of SIG, some cat on HKPro was trying to sell a Sig "P226 Elite Emperor Scorpion FDE." -Seriously?
Straight Shooter
07-02-21, 07:22
I've never held a Kimber I thought was worth the asking price. My money continues to go to Colt / SA for 1911's. They're kind of like the SIG of 1911's with all the silly models. Speaking of SIG, some cat on HKPro was trying to sell a Sig "P226 Elite Emperor Scorpion FDE." -Seriously?
Im OUT on almost all things Sig. Have NEVER liked the P226, ever. Ugliest, most unergonomic thing Ive ever shot, tho reliable. One of my most hated pistols.
I dont have much more experiance with Kimbers after I sold mine. I just keep reading how they are "junk" or "crap" and wanted to WHY, exactly.
Good answers so far.
I've never held a Kimber I thought was worth the asking price. My money continues to go to Colt / SA for 1911's. They're kind of like the SIG of 1911's with all the silly models. Speaking of SIG, some cat on HKPro was trying to sell a Sig "P226 Elite Emperor Scorpion FDE." -Seriously?
Maybe not now, but back before 2000 the 4" Elite Carry I had cost me less than a grand OTD. To touch the features and appearance it had out of the box, would've cost North of $2K on a Colt/SA base gun + custom gunsmithing. If nothing else, Kimber shocked the 1911 world into the modern era. They couldn't keep asking the same money for a gun that hadn't been updated for a half century or more.
Im OUT on almost all things Sig. Have NEVER liked the P226, ever. Ugliest, most unergonomic thing Ive ever shot, tho reliable. One of my most hated pistols.
I dont have much more experiance with Kimbers after I sold mine. I just keep reading how they are "junk" or "crap" and wanted to WHY, exactly.
Good answers so far.
On a deployment I swapped the 1911 with a P226 with a guy in the accompanying SEAL platoon...one-for-one, gun, mags, ammo, mag pouches. Of course we almost never go to pistol, so the only time I shot it was in training. I liked it, very much. I would have been happy carrying it. It IS 'chunky', tho.
Speaking of SIG and 1911s, one of my fave 1911s is my SIG 1911 Revolution, SN around 11K. Best out-of-the-box trigger of any of my sub-$2K 1911s. The only 'in-class' 1911 that compared was a TRP. Otherwise every other 1911 I had, I had a trigger job.
diving dave
07-02-21, 10:19
Ive owned 3 Kimbers in my lifetime, and had issues with each one. When my PD allowed us to carry 1911's, I picked up a TLE which supposedly LAPD SWAT had also adopted. During my first outing with it, I had the pistol in slide lock and inserted a magazine...Then something fell out of the gun onto the ground. The plate that holds the firing pin in just fell out, with the pin stuck forward. Took it apart and found lots of metal shavings in the firing pin channel. Not a great start. Our duty load at the time was Winchester 230 Ranger, and every other mag I would usually get one that got stuck half way up the ramp. Dumped it and went back to Glock. I did carry a 1911 for my last 10 years though, a NightHawk Custom which ran no matter what.
I've never held a Kimber I thought was worth the asking price. My money continues to go to Colt / SA for 1911's. They're kind of like the SIG of 1911's with all the silly models. Speaking of SIG, some cat on HKPro was trying to sell a Sig "P226 Elite Emperor Scorpion FDE." -Seriously?
The reason you see the similarity is because Sig’s current CEO was the CEO of Kimber when they started doing this.
I've had better luck with Kimbers than with Springfields.
My first Kimber was an Eclipse. It took 200-300 rounds to break in, but after that, no issues for the last >14000 rounds. The trigger is absolutely one of the best I have ever seen in a 1911. My son took it as his high school graduation present.
My next Kimber is TLE Pro. It came from the factory with the sights milled in at an angle, so the gun store sent it back. It returned a few months later, and after the first 50 rounds, it has been perfect. In fact it is so good, it is the one I shoot the most accurately. And it has a great trigger as well.
Ive read a lot of hate here and elsewhere about Kimber 1911's. I dont recall ever seeing exactly what the problems with them are/were.
Coworker bought one back in early 2000's after seeing my Springfield and taking a liking to it. Was with him at gun store when he bought it and also there at his first trip to the range with it.
Guy paid a little more than twice for his Kimber as what I gave for my Springfield. He knew he wanted a 1911 but did not even look at any of the 'cheaper' 1911's when he was at the gun store. Went right past those cases / displays to the high dollar case on the end and picked out his Kimber. Most likely figured that more $$$ meant more good. (not suggesting that is not true in most cases)
At the range it was a jam-o-matic the entire time. Never made it through a single mag without at least one failure or another. He got frustrated after a bit and shot up a good bit of his ammo using my Springfield instead of the gun he just bought.
In all honesty, There was nothing 'wrong' with that Kimber. It was just really new and had some very tight tolerances. My Springfield was not in any way a 'rattle trap' but the difference in tightness / fit between the two guns was noticeable. Only thing his Kimber 'needed' in my opinion was a few hundred rounds sent downrange to loosen things up and it would have been fine from then on.
The_War_Wagon
07-03-21, 12:56
What is the round count on those pistols?
TLE RL II needs a new bbl! It had been the competition gun of a Florida LEO (armorer, actually) when I bought it off him. Put a stiffer spring in it when I got it, and had it cerakoted. I've put a few thousand more rounds through it, and am looking at a new bbl now, to complete the tune-up. No hiccups since I got it, in '09.
Got the UC in '10 in almost new condition in a trade. I don't shoot it NEARLY as much as my full-size 1911's - it's snappy of course, but not unmanageable. Certainly less than 5k rounds so far, but again - nary a hiccup - even with hotter defensive loads.
I forgot about one Kimber pistol I owned until I bumped into the guy I sold it to. It was a well worn Kimber Ultra Carry II chambered in .45 ACP. Other than cleaning and lubrication it has had zero maintenance and it's been trouble free. The round count was around 7,000 when I sold it.
Kimbers suffer from being mass produced from low quality drop-in parts.
Sometimes you get a good one, sometimes you don’t.
They were never not full of low quality mim and they were never made anywhere but in NY.
Kimbers are aesthetically very pleasing pistols, the two I owned some time ago were functional nightmares.
Kimbers are aesthetically very pleasing pistols, the two I owned some time ago were functional nightmares.
What kind of issues did you experience? What did you do to resolve them?
What kind of issues did you experience? What did you do to resolve them?
Mostly FTF, and issues with HP's. Dremeled feed ramp, but still, "not quite right". Fine as a range toy, but for EDC not so much, hence they were sold.
I have had three.
First was a Clackamas marked fullsize. Sent it to Vickers as a base gun for one of the two 1911forum guns he built. Got a call about a month later Larry said the slide was out of spec. IIRC it had to do with the extractor hole being out of location enough to cause problems and of course that was non fixable. Larry GAVE me a Caspian slide he had laying around and fitted it to the gun. Still running that sucker today. The other fellow who had one built sent a newer production Custom Carry for the job, LAV discovered that they were using stainless on "blued" guns. Kinda made a difference when he went to finish the gun! At least mine was on a true carbon steel frame.
Second is another Clackamas marked fullsize. I haven't run it enough to know if it has issues but so far so good. Bought it a few years ago and just haven't shot it a lot.
Third is a Series II fullsize custom carry (the base model). Has the Schwarz safety, no problems with it through a fair amount of shooting and I have checked the timing and done my best to make the Schwarz safety malfunction. It works fine. The Schwarz safety uses a little MIM pin to push the FP block, so I can see how people damage it holding the grip safety down as they assemble the gun. Put a set of Heinie sights on it and some nice wood grip panels and I use it mostly for introducing new shooters to the 1911 platform. I have run it in a few matches and it hasn't burped. Very accurate. Honestly I think it could serve as a carry gun in a pinch.
My view is that Kimber is best at the base 5" model (Custom Carry). Higher level models get you cosmetics and checkering and such, but the underlying gun is no different.
Kimber is very good at marketing. I meet gunshop commandos regularly who have the bug for this or that "Kimber Custom Shop" gun, and are invincibly convinced of the superiority of said model. Whatever.
My experiences with their CS were poor, but that had to do with Montana rifles. Won't be spending any more money on Kimber stuff unless I find another Clackamas marked gun used.
On the MIM thing, I'm an engineer and have lots of experience with the stuff. It outperformed tool steel punches in our high speed stamping operations. Done right it is actually superior to tool steel.
But Kimber in general has had some problems with their MIM. I suspect it is sorted out by now.
Oh yeah I had a fourth. Buddy sold me a Target Match or something like that. Had polished blued flats with a stainless frame. Pretty gun with a Bomar type rear. Shot just fine but it shot no better than my other Kimbers (which are very accurate). Trigger was no better or worse but it was a looker.
Some guy posted a WTB years ago and just had to have it and I happily sold it to him and put the money into something less target oriented.....
arbninftry
07-06-21, 21:37
I had a Kimber SIS model , bought it new 2008 time frame. Took it and put 250 rds through it. The frame mounted ejector broke off and the rest worked loose. I called the CS line and after a run around, a lady got on and ran my serial number. She said it was just under the year mark. I said wtf are you talking about. Apparently Kimber will only warranty for a year. Now, I told her I had just bought it, and she happily stated Kimber only will do warranty work for a year after it leave there possession. So if that gun sits on a dealers floor for two years and you buy it, and something is not right with it, you are screwed. I have been used to Springfield and Colt, if it is something they did, they will send you a ticket. Not Kimber, if its over a year you are on your own.
So, that is what is wrong with Kimber. Or at least my story on why Kimber sucks.
On the flip, I have an original Clackamas Model, it runs great. It is good to go, I think my bitch is with the warranty end. Produict support type stuff. Kimber YONKERS sucks.
Ned Christiansen
07-07-21, 00:02
Kimber 1911's: Triggers are usually great, "despite" MIM parts. I purposely destroyed a Kimber MIM'd hammer once by crushing it in a vise, it took quite a bit of effort. I have found Kimbers to be very good in the accuracy department despite often being able to see telltales in the barrel where the locking recesses were cut. Like most brands, like most 1911's under, say $2500, they are not perfect.
Chambers are typically tight-- which has nothing to do with the accuracy. My accuracy experiences are all after reaming the chambers to standard SAAMI specs-- for the sake of increased reliability.
Feedramps are very often shallow in the frame. Throating for feeding in the barrels is-- well, I guess it works for some people. It just doesn't look like what 1911 smiths do to optimize feeding reliability.
The exterior extractor debacle. In three iterations they still didn't get it right and finally, quietly offered to replace your slide with one having the original style extractor.... IF you came to them with a problem That whole exterior extractor thing was about what was better for manufacturers, not for end users..... but of course it was heavily marketed as an improvement-- which it absolutely could have and should have been if they (the gun industry in general) had gone to the trouble of getting it right instead of getting it on the market right now. Many that got into it didn't get it right. Some of them found that no matter the advertising budget, people were onto it not working. The ones that did get it right had consulted with Alex Zimmermann. I dunno, maybe some got it right without him but Kimber did not get it right.
The Kimber Solo as I understand it did not work well or hold up well. They had it all over the inner cover and back cover of the gun mags but again even with a large advertising budget they finally discontinued it. This is second hand info to me, full disclosure. I never owned one; I customized one and it worked in the 100 or so rounds I put through it; but they consensus is that they didn't work and were withdrawn from the market.
Is Kimber so different from other parts of the gun industry, or from other industries? I don't think so, not totally. We see it all the time in guns and other products-- here's something I wrote about it on another site:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some comments on quality in the firearms industry (and industry in general).
You see issues in every industry, manufacturers put a product on the market because the market has called for it. They are in business to make money and if they offer this thing there is a demand for, it's a sure thing it will sell.
It doesn't even have to work reliably. To a certain segment of the market, it doesn't have to work as advertised, it just has to look as advertised. It has to seem as advertised.
They put it out knowing it's not fully developed or even knowing it's unsafe (cars are a great example). Sometimes in some industries they probably continue trying to improve it behind the scenes; other times it seems certain they don't. It's the mentality of "every one we make, flies off the shelf".
There will be some blowback from some of the people who buy it, but the manufacturer has already considered the cost of this and rolled it into the price: they're not going to lose money just because their product doesn't work. They know or hope or predict that the number sent back for re-work will be statistically tolerable and within budget. The policy will be to pretend you're the first one to have this problem, and suggest that you must be doing something wrong.
Some companies, let's narrow this back down to the gun industry now, some companies have rather made a habit of this, with models and features that are not fully developed or tested, designed to sell but not necessarily to work. Sometimes the product or feature is bad enough that even profuse amounts of advertising can't keep it selling; blowback and returns are enough that the cost to the company of warranty work cannot be absorbed by the padding added to the product's price. The internet and gun magazines are onto the issues and the manufacturer can't ignore and BS their way around it ("What? Oh that's a new one on us, no one else has reported this problem. Are you sure you're not limp-wristing it?"). Without notice, without fanfare, they discontinue the model or feature and maybe even quietly offer to replace faulty parts for a while.
Sending a non-working gun back is a great way to send a message to them that "we're not putting up with this" but my observation is that in the vast majority of cases (across many brands in the gun biz) the people that didn't make it right in the first place (and very likely knew it), will not be able to fix it. It will go to a person who is firstly, not a bad or lazy or stupid person but does not understand how these things work and has not been given adequate training or resources to address the issues. What they have been given is a check list: "Customer says gun does not extract; replace extractor. Customer says gun does not feed; replace magazine. Fire three rounds, advise customer it is working perfectly now, return gun. Remind customer that we said up front gun is expected to malfunction in first (200, 400, 1000) rounds", etc. AKA "break-in period". Puh-leeze.
My $.02.
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On the Swartz passive firing pin safety:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mXWGRbjUww&list=UU-QRpthqinMcxb-0GRoA1bA&index=15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvptEIw-6QQ&list=UU-QRpthqinMcxb-0GRoA1bA&index=14
Johnny Rico
07-09-21, 18:21
Kimber uses carbon steel for their barrels. Not a problem, but the barrels are left in the white. Depending on your location, the barrels may exhibit a tendency to rust.
I have 2, a clackamas 5” and an early Yonkers 4” officers size. The 5” is my training 1911 and I’ve had no issues with it. The 4” does require frequent recoil spring changes, but I’ve had no issues. Despite this, I would not buy a new Kimber today.
Grand58742
07-13-21, 13:11
The only problem I have with one of the Kimbers I own is it doesn't always lock back on an empty mag. However, it's a Commander style 9mm, so that might have something to do with it.
My dad bought one around 2006ish timeframe. It was their target model called a Gold Medal Match or something like that. The thing shot very accurately but was unreliable. He took it to a well renowned 1911 smith here in the Phoenix area, I dont remember his name, who replaced a lot of the internal parts and gave it a polish job. After that it had very very few issues outside of parts wear. It got stolen a few years ago during a burglary and my dad passed away a couple years ago. I really hope one day it will be returned to me. I think he had around 30k rounds through that thing when it got stolen.
tanksoldier
07-24-21, 03:56
The definitive answer is: Kimbers are designed to be range toys, not service weapons.
If you want a range toy, maybe that doubles as a house gun, they are just fine.
I have a few friends who own Kimber 1911 pistols and I still own a well worn TLE. When something breaks, a barrel needs replaced, etc., my friends bring their firearms to me.
Any feeding issues with Kimber pistols were quickly resolved by purchasing good magazines.
The downside of Kimber, IMHO, is the cost for shipping to and from Kimber for warranty work. Springfield Armory is good about covering shipping costs when performing warranty work. One of my Springfield Armory 1911 pistols required three trips to the factory before they got it right and they covered shipping each time. The other Springfield Armory 1911 only required two trips back to the factory for horrible accuracy issues and they paid for shipping on that handgun as well. Kimber would do well to copy Springfield Armory's warranty practices.
MadAngler1
07-24-21, 15:54
Owned a 5” CDP Kimber made in 2009. Shot 3500 rounds through it (IDPA; Magpul class, steel matches) Issues:
1. Plunger tube popped out of frame after 2500 rounds. Was not properly staked per Kimber. Kimber did fix it.
2. Slide stop wore out after 3000 rounds. Would not lock back. Fixed by a 10-8 slide stop.
3. After 3500 rounds, the aluminum frame was gouged where other companies place a steel feed ramp on theirs (see Ed Brown for reference). I’m sure I would have had issues how the barrel mates to the frame with time. I shot FMJ 230 gr ball 99% of the time.
Sold the gun for a Nighthawk Talon 2, which after 6000 rounds has gone through a slide stop and two ejectors. Go figure.
I agree that early Kimbers seem to be their best guns. I would look hard at a Dan Wesson for a sub $2k 1911.
Thanks
BangBang77
07-27-21, 21:11
I grabbed a Kimber TLE after reading about the LAPD SWAT going to the Kimber in American Handgunner magazine. The TLE was the "civilian" version of the LAPD gun.
I swapped the sights for Novaks and removed the full length guide rod for the GI plug and Wolff spring. Bought (10) 8rd Wilson Combat 47D mags and (6) 10rd Wilson Combat mags.
Showed up at my first IPSC match and took the "Novice" class.
I eventually ran approximately 49k to 50k rounds through it. Changed springs every 4k and 5k. Same mags and mag springs (had to replace the polymer followers due to excessive wear but still using the same mag bodies, springs, and basepads to this day in other 1911s).
I never had a single malfunction that wasn't operator (poor magazine seating when competing) or ammunition (shoddy reloads) induced. It looked like absolute hell, no finish, dings, and mushroomed edges due to 3 Gun and various prone action shooting.
I ran the snot out of that gun. At the time, it was my only handgun. I competed with it, carried it once CCW became mainstream in Oklahoma and Arkansas.
I traded it for a Springfield TRP full length rail. And have missed it every single day since then.
I've since had Les Baers, Colts, Springfields, Dan Wessons, etc. But that Kimber was my favorite of them all. That's the handgun I cut my teeth on.
I started my journey as a student of the gun with 1911’s. Kimbers specifically, around 2010. Weekly range sessions and idpa twice a month, mine ran well. While I was apprehensive about the safety system, it never gave me a problem. I always ran Wilson 47D mags. I eventually discovered Wilson Combat and dove hard into that until I started doing 2Gun about 5 years ago. I hear horror stories, and I wouldn’t buy another, but as a data point, mine were fine.
Woollymonster
07-30-21, 21:38
I also have a TLE II in 45 ACP and, a Aegis 9mm. Both are from the Kimber Custom Shop and both have been flawless.
I have not run thousands of rounds through them but I have run hundreds of rounds with no issue. I did shoot one IDPA match with the 45 a while back because I was out of 9mm ammo for my STI. It was one of my better scores.
The TLE, with laser grips, lives on the night stand in a finger safe. I carry the Aegis often.
I would bet my life on either.
Kimber owner here. I’ve experienced the bad along with the good of Kimber. Of the 4 Kimbers I’ve owned, only the Solo was a disappointment. I foolishly bought one when they first came out. It lasted about 350 rounds before the lugs machined themselves away. At the end of the range session, I literally had a stream of oily metal shavings running down my hand. Kimber replaced the slide and barrel, but I burned out the lugs on that one in about 150 rounds. Kimber then just gave me a brand new Solo, which I function-tested but ended up giving away. Lesson learned here was don’t be a Beta-tester for a new gun design.
No issues with my other Kimbers, a 5” Custom at over 18,000 rounds now, an Ultra with 3-4,000 rounds thru it and a new little Micro 9 with about 400 rounds so far. These 3 guns have exhibited extraordinary reliability with no breakages or unusual wear. 99% of the ammo that goes through these guns is reloads.
66372
[QUOTE=Straight Shooter;2960171
DISCLOSURE: EARLY 1990's..I want to say 1992-93...I ordered one of the first Kimber 1911's in my geographical area. The gunshop hadnt even HEARD of them. Took awhile to get it, was a very low serial number...just over 1000.
[/QUOTE]
I have a Classic Stainless Gold Math -- 11/1998 Serial starts with K0 and is in the low 30,000 range. I still have the gun as it is still my favorite and I have the sales receipt. Frame stamped Yonkers.
I have never had anything break. The only problem I have ever had was because I almost always shot 185G LSWC with Billseye powder. So things were smokey and waxy. After things got black and waxy I would get a FTF. So a quick slide removal, a little cleaner, a wipe down, and back in action. Then after the range I would give it a real cleaning.
I can't give you facts about problems but those are facts about date, model, and serial number. I've been doing some inventory / accounting and just had that paperwork in my hand a week or so ago. Oh, and I use chip McCormick 10Rd mags that also work flawlessly.
So based on my extensive sample size of 1. I'm not really buying the "Yonkers is no good" aspect, but I would easily believe the "once bitten, twice shy" from anyone that ever got a bad one. I think you would probably need to break things down to model. I mean I once had a Colt Pony. It actually came apart in my hand one day while shooting. But I would certainly like a Colt 1911. Two different worlds from same company.
It's the same with a lot of things. Cars, guitars, guns. They can all go through times where quality suffers. People complain, things change, some people get back on board and enjoy the new issues while some are simply going to move on to a different brand.
Really what would be interesting to know is, and this goes for anything, what were the models with issues, what were the issues, when did the issues exist. Then of course if you are not talking about collecting but actual use, how does the new stock compare to the best they ever had and the current competition.
I currently own a 1999 production Custom Classic and a 2000 production CDP and have owned a few others over the years.
I had some reliability problems with the Custom Classic and sent it to a fairly well known pistolsmith back in 2008 who couldn't seem to figure it out. The great Dave Berryhill (RIP) agreed to take the gun and completely went through it replacing most parts with his own or with EGW parts. The gun has been 100% reliable ever since and is a prized possession although the only Kimber parts that are left are the slide, frame and barrel. My CDP is stock and is somewhat nicer than most of the later production guns.
As a police armorer in an agency that allowed the 1911, we had a lot (20+) guys purchase TLE RL/II's and Warriors back when those were introduced. There are only two still being carried. The most frequent issue we had were plunger tube's coming loose and downing the gun. That became a regular replacement item. We had a couple of cracked firing pin stops and I also saw a broken thumb safety on a Warrior and other niggling issues, but nothing too catastrophic. Most guys that stuck with the 1911 moved on to an Wilson or Ed Brown or a true custom gun. On a side note, all of the external extractor guns had their slides replaced by the factory. Those were absolute garbage and the factory replaced it for free.
Anecdotally, there was one officer that carried a blued Clackamas-marked "Classic Custom" from the date he purchased it up until his retirement this last year. It was almost completely stock and had seen in excess of 25,000 rounds through it with only regular thing being replaced were recoil springs/firing pin springs in the form of a Wolff kit every 2500 rounds. It was a truly impressive gun and if I ever come across one in good shape for a reasonable price I plan to grab it.
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