It seems like Kimber was good quality, then bad quality, then good quality. I’m considering buying a new Kimber. Any say on if Kimber has their stuff together now or am I going to be sending this back to Kimber in 6 weeks?
Kimber quality?
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toofman
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My perspective on kimber, is they are built to be externally flashy and pretty, without similar attention on the mechanics consistently.
while any company puts out the occasional lemon it seems kimber display a lot of variability in this regard.
I would not buy one myself, with the market flooded with so many other 1911 options
while any company puts out the occasional lemon it seems kimber display a lot of variability in this regard.
I would not buy one myself, with the market flooded with so many other 1911 options
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Most of the Kimbers I’ve owned were purchased more than 20 years ago when Kimber was considered the “must have“ production 1911. The last Kimber I bought was a Pro CDP II, over a decade ago. I don’t know when Kimber’s reputation took a downturn, but I’ve generally had a good experience with them. I bought a Gold Combat in 2001 that performed as well as many of my higher-end 1911s. Whatever issues Kimber had, I hope they’re sorted if you decide to buy one. What model are you considering?
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I had a CDP II Compact and it was flawless and flashy. Never an issue and a very nice trigger. I've got one of their .22 slide kits that I've used on my Springfield Loaded. Has a slightly cheap feel/look to it but it's also worked flawlessly. However, for what that damn thing costs, I should have simply bought a 1911 airgun...
^^^^^
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5,283 Posts
Hit and miss for quality. My one Kimber CDP Pro was extremely accurate when it wasn't jamming. Service absolutely sucks. I'd go with Springfield over Kimber any day, and if you do happen to get a bad Springfield it will be repaired quickly and properly by the company.
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1,836 Posts
Kimber makes good quality firearms. They also make more 1911s than the other vendors combined. Because they ship so many 1911s, they are more likely to be discussed on a forum when there is a problem.
The 1911 design is not the best for man-boys who believe that they shouldn't have to do anything to make a pistol run right. Like cleaning and lubing, using decent magazines, fixing little problems. That crowd should just buy a Glock.
Kimber makes 1911s in about every configuration thought of - other vendors just don't have the capacity to do that.
The 1911 design is not the best for man-boys who believe that they shouldn't have to do anything to make a pistol run right. Like cleaning and lubing, using decent magazines, fixing little problems. That crowd should just buy a Glock.
Kimber makes 1911s in about every configuration thought of - other vendors just don't have the capacity to do that.
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641 Posts
Same here, before the Series II.
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I own and shoot 1911s from several manufacturers. A basic no-frills Kimber stainless lightweight purchased five years ago is the only one of the bunch that has never choked on anything from day one.
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Kimber took a hit when they changed to the external extractor . They soon went back to the internal . Also the change to the II series was a turnoff to a lot of people including me . Although I had an external extractor compact II that was good after I sanded off a burr on the guide rod at the hole for the take down tool . I found that before I ever shot it and it wouldn’t come out of the racked position . It had such a bad burr that I could remove the tool from the guide rod with it out of the pistol and it wouldn’t come flying off of the guide rod . It was 100 percent after that and I shot it very accurately . I didn’t keep it that long before I sold it though and bought a TRP . I sold that without firing it , it felt so bad in my hand with that sharp front strap .
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140,132 Posts
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Kimber pumps out a lot of guns. They like to make them a bit tight. That's fine if you do proper QC. They don't. I think to a certain extent they want you to shoot the thing I think 500 times before they will even take it back for repairs.
I suspect they will be fine if you are patient and willing to work on them to the extent of your capabilities. Dry firing a few thousand times will go a long way to building your skill and smoothing out the gun without firing a shot.
I suspect they will be fine if you are patient and willing to work on them to the extent of your capabilities. Dry firing a few thousand times will go a long way to building your skill and smoothing out the gun without firing a shot.
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Their base guns are nice guns for people wanting a 1911 with entry level upgrades without a big price tag and this isn't going to be their primary gun.
As LAV says if you treat your gun like most people treat a lawn mower, get a Glock.
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140,132 Posts
I agree the base guns are the way to go with Kimber.
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If someone has a budget of $1,500-$2,200 Dan Wesson is probably the best option in 1911s.
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