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Buying a Kimber

eyesopened

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KansasMustang wrote:
eyesopened wrote:
KansasMustang wrote:
No matter, still wouldn't own one their priced too high and won't eat garbage like my Sringfield. Have yet to have a failure to feed or extract, after 2000 rounds.
I got mine for $450 with night sights and 5 magazines. I didn't think I paid too much... My gun gets fed ammo, not garbage. It is not a flux capacitor. Bullets from it do fly over 88mph, but they do not travel back in time as far as I know :p
You got a good price, which is very rare. Bet you didn't buy it at a gun store? And you know hat I meant by garbage, cheap ammo. No matter, I'll still take my Springfield over anything that Kimber puts out.
You'd probably change your tune if you had a Kimber :D All kidding aside, I like Springfield too. I own an XD and an EMP. I wouldn't go out and buy a Kimber, this one just fell into my lap.

A friend of a friend was selling to fund his gun club membership. My friend told me about the deal and I told him he should buy it for that price. He was short on funds so I said I'd buy it if he wasn't going to. The day I picked it up, I told my friend again he should buy it but he passed. They owner actually bought the pistol used from a gun store that his wife worked at for $450 a few years ago (I have the receipt to prove it). He said he was selling it for pretty much what he put into it, except he had added the night sights.

I've shot Federal/UMC/WWB and range reloads through it and it's never choked (after I had changed out the recoil spring and used new magazines). I understand though not wanting to buy a Kimber just for the name. I think Springfields are great and their warranty is awesome. I've had to send back the EMP once and it was back in my hands promptly and I was refunded my costs to ship to them.
 

Gordie

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My Kimber has at least 10,000 rounds through it. Fuctionally, it is just as reliable as the Springfields, Colts, Glocks, etc. Any gun can have a malfunction under the right (or wrong) conditions. I will occasionally get a FTE, but this is only with light reloads at a match. I would never use these loads for carry.

I will say that the adjustable sights on Kimbers do sometimes work loose. A little locktite does the trick on this.
 

Chkultr

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I purchased the Stainless Ultra Carry II quite a few years ago. I have yet to have a problem with this pistol.

A few years ago I purchased the Ultra Raptor II. That pistol was sent back twice and I ended up with a new pistol from Kimber. That gun had FTE/FTL malfunctions. The new one has not given me the problems, but I have not been able to put the rounds through it yet....Just a bit too cold for me to be in the range to squeeze off all 500 rounds.

I shoot sshhhh Wolf, PMC and Federal Hydros. All shoot fine!
 

cREbralFIX

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From what I've heard, it's the newer II versions that have the QC issues.  That's why I looked specifically for the original Kimbers.  That and I didn't want a 1911 with a schwartz safety like all the II models.

Correct...mine was a version 2 Kimber. I hear many good things about their older guns too.

The old "it's a machine that can fail argument" is too broad to apply to the situation I encountered. A professional gunsmith verified the problem and evaluated the pistol. I had this done prior to contacting Kimber for a repair.

BTW, I ***HIGHLY*** recommend that you spend the money to have a gunsmith look at your gun and show you how to evaluate it from a technical perspective. It was $30 very well spent.
 

PaulBlart

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i looked at one yesterday, pretty nice gun.

i really want a ultra carry ii but there is a 60 day backorder.

i decided to get a used para ordnance p12
 

spencer280

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kimbers are good but my buddy bought one last year and he said kimber only has a year warranty on it. well at least thats what he told me. 3 mo. after he bought it something broke and he had to send it back.


i bought a Springfield 1911a1 loaded 45 stainless and i have never had a gun shoot a group like this one at 40 yrds. away i was keeping a 3 inch by 3 inch pattern. the gun cost me new 875.00 and that's with tax. and Springfield armory has a limited life time warranty on them . if anything brakes on it under normal use they fix it. all you do is pay to ship it to them
 

old dog

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I'm delighted with my Kimber Ultra Carry II though it is a bit difficult to field strip. Given that, it's tight, very accurate and thoroughly reliable. I don't think you would be disappointed.
 

compmanio365

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I like my Pro Carry II, got it for 550 with Meprolight sights, so it was kinda a steal. I probably wouldn't buy one new though, and if I had to look at getting another 1911, I'd probably just buy one that was full size and easier to take down. Figure RIA or Springfield, depending on my options at the time. Kimber is too expensive for what you get, IMHO.
 

eyesopened

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spencer280 wrote:
if anything brakes on it under normal use they fix it. all you do is pay to ship it to them
They'll reimburse your shipping costs to them, up to $50. So if your shipping costs are less than $50, then it's basically free.
 

mcfly682

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Ive got 2 awesome .45's that i absolutely love. A Ruger P345 and my newest Kimber Custom Raptor II. I paid just a shade over $1200.00 for the Kimber and $350.00 for the Ruger. The Ruger is flawless and fires every single time without a hiccup, is compact and has some nice safety features if you like those (i personally do). The Kimber is my first 1911 and it does indeed have a need for a break-in period. It came in a nice Kimber case with 1 regular Kimber 8rd mag some instructions and a bushing removal tool. Got about 300rds through it atm and ive had several FTF issues. I tried several different aftermarket mags and those also had FTF issues including the Wilson Combat mags. After trying various things ive found the problem. Grip. If you dont have a TIGHT grip on the rear beavertail safety when firing, your hand will back off the grip just ever so slightly during recoil and FTF is imminent. Now that ive discovered what the problem was i havent had a FTF in the past 150rds. The accuracy of the Kimber is VERY tight whereas the Ruger is pretty good too, but definitely lacks the same precision as the Kimber.

Ive added a few goodies to the Kimber including a Wilson Combat Shok Buff, HD recoil spring, parrish bushing compensator, two 10rd Kimber mags for the range, 2 Kim-Pro Tac 8rd mags, and A Galco Combat Holster as well as a Galco Miami Classic II shoulder holster.

All in all, i think the Kimbers are a a bit pricey considering bang for the buck, but they are built VERY well are VERY accurate and look sexy to boot. I certainly wont be selling this one off any time soon.
 

arentol

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I would strongly suggest you seriously consider purchasing a Dan Wesson...

http://www.cz-usa.com/products_dan_wesson.php

Dan Wesson quality is top notch, they are consistantly compared favorably to full custom M1911's that cost twice as much.

Since they cost about the same as a "similar" Kimber, and work like a gun that costs twice as much as a Kimber you really can't go wrong.
 

radwjw

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All this talk about the cost of Kimbers versus Springfields, etc. seems to me to be completely missing the point of different handguns at different prices for different purposes. From the start Kimber's mission was to build a 1911 type that was highly acccurate out of the box, intended for competition shooting against a market then controlled by custom Colt Gold Cups whose owners had modified using time, money, and sometimes aggrevation. Their goal was to equal the accuracy of all those Colt owners by building a match grade 1911 that needed no modifications to compete on the circuit. As such, Kimber has more than matched it's intended goal.
So if you are going to use your gun for self-defense, target practice (with nothing at stake except your pride or having to buy your buddy a six-pack), need reliability and long term value then pretty much any well established manufacturer will do if they've been around for a while. A lot of it depends on how the gun fits you; does the grip fit your hand, does that particular gun have the balance that fits your stance, etc. Whatever Springfield, Colt, S&W, etc. feels best to you will most likely be the best one for you.
Basically one shouldn't buy a Kimber unless super accuracy is important, as in Match Compition, or just important to own a super accurate gun for that particular person, or if you are wealthy. Any "match" type gun will then require more maintanence, work better well lubed ("wet"), need a longer breakin period, etc.
So like anything else we buy I think one should buy a handgun that they can afford (including estimated cost of ammo, knowing tight tolerance guns often require high priced ammo), has good ergonomics for their body build, and does what they want it to do. That includes reliability, re-sale value, intended use- self defense, carry, target, competition accuracy, etc.
Comparing a Kimber to a Springfield using "garbage ammo" is like comparing apples and oranges. If one likes to shoot a lot and not spend the house on ammo then using "garbage ammo" is fine for recreational target use. Kimbers were not designed nor currently manufactered to satisfy that particular nitch in the market. However, if one is involved in competition match shooting, or just desires a super accurate gun to test one's self, etc. then the Springfield wasn't designed or manufactured for that nitch. Both are great guns in their own right.
It's frustrating to hear people knock down Kimber when they say things like "I have a _____ that costs half as much as Kimber and is just as good". Well, it's not "just as good" when it comes to match grade accuracy, that is for sure. For that particular individual match grade accuracy is obviously not that important or they wouldn't make such a statement. Like always, you pay for what you get. If driving every bullet through the same hole at 25 feet is not important to you then it's probably a waste of money to get a Kimber. Every gun has a purpose, and every person has a gun that best fits their desired usage, budget, and ergonomics.
As an aside a Dan Wesson is NOT a Kimber!

Radwjw

 

GlockMeisterG21

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I have a Kimber Tactical Custom II with Wilson Combat 47D 8rd mags loaded with Hornady Tap 230gr. +P ammo. I have had it for over 2 years and it is my carry gun. It fits my hand like it was made for it and shoots like a dream. My opinion of Kimber is that it's the top of the heap of reasonably priced 1911s. Springfield Loaded is a good second choice but Kimber has the higher quality and a far larger selection with their different lines. I like this because you are almost guaranteed to find a line to fit your needs. I was originally looking at the TLE Custom II but went with the Tactical due to the extended mag well, lighter frame, and two-tone finish.
 

radwjw

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Yep, that says it pretty well. The only thing that I would add is that you pay for accuracy. People post all the time stating "My _______ (fill in a cheaper 1911 type) does everything a Kimber does at half the cost. It's reliable, it can shoot any ammo, etc. etc. I would never lay out that kind of money when my gun at half the cost works just as well.". The whole point of laying out $1000 is to get what Kimber orinonally designed their 1911's for: to compete against highly customized Colts in match competition right out of the box. What owners of Springfields, SW, Colts, etc. don't get is that you are paying for a super accurate competion handgun, which after broken in you can take to any match. Or maybe you just want to test yourself and not be able to blame the gun. Nothing sold approaches a Kimber for accuracy: I own a Kimber Pro Crimson Carry II and after 300 rounds it's accuracy is amazing, even with a 4 inch barrel. I bet if I put it into a vise (taking out human error) it would put every shot through the same hole at 30 plus feet. No other 1911 (or any design for that matter) can match it.

radwjw
 

.40 Cal

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radwjw wrote:

As an aside a Dan Wesson is NOT a Kimber!

Radwjw

Actually, I just traded my Les Baer TRS (NO Kimber will ever be a Baer) for a Dan Wesson CBOB (plus some extras, naturally) and I can tell you that the workmanship and parts on the CBOB are better in fit and finish than most standard Kimbers. The pistol has an Ed Brown Bobtail mainspring housing, Wilson Combat Bushing with Match Barrel, Wilson match barrel link, and no MIM parts whatsoever. I own several 1911's, and have shot more than most. Kimber makes a decent pistol, for a production gun, but I will argue that a Dan Wesson is absolutely in the same category, if not superior in some aspects.

http://www.gunblast.com/DanWesson-CommanderClassic.htm
 

GlockMeisterG21

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There are "better" 1911s than Kimbers. Ed Brown, Les Baer, Wilson Combat, etc. But how good do you need something to be before it becomes pointless? They're great guns, don't get me wrong. They're just ridiculously expensive imho. That's why I said...

"My opinion of Kimber is that it's the top of the heap of reasonably priced 1911s."

Everyone has a different opinion of "reasonable" though. In the end, It's really all about your personal opinion and requirements.
 

gb8106

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Kimbers in my opinoin are very good hand guns, I have 3. Kimber eclipse, Kimber tle rl custom 11, and a compact Kimber tactical ultra 11. In reference to you post about the kimber w the laser. I have shot several and the only down side to that particular set up is when I index my trigger finger (right hand) it interferes witht the laser system, cant see the laser.
 
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