Are Kimbers good to go, or trash?

[studenygreg]

I think Kimber makes some nice looking pistol. A lot of variety. At this point I'm done buying cheap 1911s. I prefer to spend a little more.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[oldag]

They make a great pistol. Most of their smiths are former Wilson Combat smiths and they are down the street from each other. Only ever saw one have an issue, one more than any Kimber (personal experience).

Nighthawk fit and finish is not so good, considering the price point.

 

[candcallen]

The problem with all these places is they start out making decent stuff then expand too fast and some start cutting corners and usually its QC where the issues show up.

They start enlarging their batch sizes so they catch worn tooling and other errors later than they would before and they just ship that to the customer.

That is unacceptable to me. IMHO. That's where kimber got their reputation weather deserved or not.

Frankly it's the same reason Taurus has the same rep. While Taurus started making lower quality stuff in the beginning, unlike kimber, they are now in the same place as kimber. They use the customer and warranty dept as quality control. The reputation is well deserved. I've had a dozen Taurus handguns, at least. Had one 1911 with the extractor tunnel issue and one 357 that the ejector rod liked to back out locking the cylinder closed. The rest worked beautifully for years. Many people have no problems with them. Like kimber they love to advertise and sell lots of guns but their reputations are similar for the exact same reason.

Nowdays you shouldnt have to roll the dice with that kinda cash. Even with the odd in your favor.

It shouldnt have to be that way with today's manufacturing process but they seem to find it as an acceptable way to do buisness. 2 companies started on different ends of the spectrum and end up in the same place. Bot could, and probably do mostly, make lots of functional weapons for their intended customer and deliver on that but have the same rep for issues fir the same reason.

I disagree that it's an acceptable way to do buisness and wont buy from either place.

You folks do you.

ETA, yes I know Taurus and kimber are different companies with different products aimed at different segment of the market place. So dont get all butt hurt I compared them. I was comparing their QC only.

 

[oskal]

A friend's brand new kimber I shot would eject the magazine after every trigger pull. It's a very beautiful gun, which makes it even more disappointing.

 

[Sam7sf]

The problem with all these places is they start out making decent stuff then expand too fast and some start cutting corners and usually its QC where the issues show up.

They start enlarging their batch sizes so they catch worn tooling and other errors later than they would before and they just ship that to the customer.

That is unacceptable to me. IMHO. That's where kimber got their reputation weather deserved or not.

Frankly it's the same reason Taurus has the same rep. While Taurus started making lower quality stuff in the beginning, unlike kimber, they are now in the same place as kimber. They use the customer and warranty dept as quality control. The reputation is well deserved. I've had a dozen Taurus handguns, at least. Had one 1911 with the extractor tunnel issue and one 357 that the ejector rod liked to back out locking the cylinder closed. The rest worked beautifully for years. Many people have no problems with them. Like kimber they love to advertise and sell lots of guns but their reputations are similar for the exact same reason.

Nowdays you shouldnt have to roll the dice with that kinda cash. Even with the odd in your favor.

It shouldnt have to be that way with today's manufacturing process but they seem to find it as an acceptable way to do buisness. 2 companies started on different ends of the spectrum and end up in the same place. Bot could, and probably do mostly, make lots of functional weapons for their intended customer and deliver on that but have the same rep for issues fir the same reason.

I disagree that it's an acceptable way to do buisness and wont buy from either place.

You folks do you.

ETA, yes I know Taurus and kimber are different companies with different products aimed at different segment of the market place. So dont get all butt hurt I compared them. I was comparing their QC only.

Part of QC starts with R&D. Food industry to guns but...The firearms industry has poor R&D and they will just pump crap out, find out it's crap, and chase problems vs trying to find them before production. Such as my former boss and others in the industry from the PNW. As someone who's pro gun, from what I have witnessed and heard behind private doors is why If I was at shot show I'd give the finger to certain booths.

 

[seeker_two]

The problem with all these places is they start out making decent stuff then expand too fast and some start cutting corners and usually its QC where the issues show up.

They start enlarging their batch sizes so they catch worn tooling and other errors later than they would before and they just ship that to the customer.

That is unacceptable to me. IMHO. That's where kimber got their reputation weather deserved or not.

Frankly it's the same reason Taurus has the same rep. While Taurus started making lower quality stuff in the beginning, unlike kimber, they are now in the same place as kimber. They use the customer and warranty dept as quality control. The reputation is well deserved. I've had a dozen Taurus handguns, at least. Had one 1911 with the extractor tunnel issue and one 357 that the ejector rod liked to back out locking the cylinder closed. The rest worked beautifully for years. Many people have no problems with them. Like kimber they love to advertise and sell lots of guns but their reputations are similar for the exact same reason.

Nowdays you shouldnt have to roll the dice with that kinda cash. Even with the odd in your favor.

It shouldnt have to be that way with today's manufacturing process but they seem to find it as an acceptable way to do buisness. 2 companies started on different ends of the spectrum and end up in the same place. Bot could, and probably do mostly, make lots of functional weapons for their intended customer and deliver on that but have the same rep for issues fir the same reason.

I disagree that it's an acceptable way to do buisness and wont buy from either place.

You folks do you.

ETA, yes I know Taurus and kimber are different companies with different products aimed at different segment of the market place. So dont get all butt hurt I compared them. I was comparing their QC only.

S&W went through the same phase in the '90's......remember the "Gun of the Month"?

 

[benenglish]

S&W went through the same phase in the '90's......remember the "Gun of the Month"?

I certainly remember one of their poor quality periods in the 1970s when they turned out some real garbage. My Model 29 is from that period and I haven't shot it in decades because it wore out far too quickly. Cylinder lock-up is poor, end shake is abundant, the front sight insert went flying off to who knows where the last time I shot it, and, even when it was new, it spit lead so badly that it often bloodied my left forearm when shooting from rollover prone.

Yeah, it has sentimental value but I've often thought that if someone offered half the going rate I'd just sell it and let it be someone else's restoration project.

S&W, Kimber, everybody - they all ship trash out the door occasionally.

 

[London]

S&W went through the same phase in the '90's......remember the "Gun of the Month"?

Before my time. What was it?

 

[Brojon]

...
If you're gonna get one do research and try many and you could probably afford one of the top tier guns, lol. Guns are tools and if I spent 4 grand on a 1911 I'd be afraid to carry it. 700 or 800 on a Springfield that is just as accurate and reliable seems a better idea to me.

Have fun in the 1911 rabbit hole. My gun budget is limited so I have to stick to the necessities and limit calibers but I truly love 1911s. I refuse to carry guns with dissimilar operating systems cause it will get you killed so I stick with M&P handguns ARs and shotguns.

I do miss 1911s though. You cant really beat a full size wide body high cap 1911.

Exactly why I don't buy fancy schmantzy pistolas. You have to use it in SD say bye bye.
Every 1911 fanboi I know has spend as much on "upgrades" as they did the gun,
Then they try to convince you it's now a tackdriver at 50 yds.
I have handled some 1911s that felt pretty good but I've never understood the appeal of packing around all that weight tucked inside your belt. That said I wouldn't sneer at a Dan Wesson if teh price was right

 

[Sam7sf]

Packing a 1911 is packing in style.

 

[General Zod]

Every 1911 fanboi I know has spend as much on "upgrades" as they did the gun,
Then they try to convince you it's now a tackdriver at 50 yds.

My Rock Island is exactly the same as when it was new. No "upgrades", no tinkering, no changes. I haven't even replaced the grips. My son has consitently used it to ring steel at 120 yards. Takes him 8-10 shots to zero in on it, and then it's just about every shot.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[benenglish]

. My son has consitently used it to ring steel at 120 yards

I remember when the first eastern region (don't remember the region number but, IIRC, it was in Massachusetts) production class winner in IHMSA used a 1911. He was using his Gold Cup to knock over steel at 200 yards consistently enough to win.

 

[Axxe55]

My Rock Island is exactly the same as when it was new. No "upgrades", no tinkering, no changes. I haven't even replaced the grips. My son has consitently used it to ring steel at 120 yards. Takes him 8-10 shots to zero in on it, and then it's just about every shot.

Your mileage may vary.

Yep. He was hitting the target at about 155 yards at my house last year.

 

[toddnjoyce]

Exactly why I don't buy fancy schmantzy pistolas. You have to use it in SD say bye bye.

Says who? I edc a Wilson Combat and have zero fear it will be seized as evidence in a lawful self defense situation.

..Every 1911 fanboi I know has spend as much on "upgrades" as they did the gun,

The only 1911 I’ve ever ‘upgraded’ was an auto ordnance. Added flat wire springs.

…I've never understood the appeal of packing around all that weight tucked inside your belt...

I’ve never understood why some people carry around certain handguns, but it’d be cold day in before I carried a Glock. They may be perfection for some, but they feel like a brick and their factory sights seem to be, um, less than perfect.

 

[Axxe55]

I have seen way too many noobs to 1911's buy one and right out of the box start replcing parts, and then wonder why they have a non-functioning pistol! Noneof mine were modded until they had 500 to 1000 rounds put through them.Ionly make changes that actually benefit me using the pistol, not to make it cool looking.

 

[candcallen]

This thread

 

[zackmars]

Before my time. What was it?

S&w 3rd gen autos. They made tons of different models, north of 70, iirc. Hence "gun of the month"

It go to the point s&w made the "whiz wheel" so you could easily decode what the gun was

Consumers got burned out, and it wasn't cheap keeping so many SKU's in production.

They are still good guns, it's just S&w webt about it the wrong way

 

[Sam7sf]

I have seen way too many noobs to 1911's buy one and right out of the box start replcing parts, and then wonder why they have a non-functioning pistol! Noneof mine were modded until they had 500 to 1000 rounds put through them.Ionly make changes that actually benefit me using the pistol, not to make it cool looking.

What's funny is, for me anyway, a gi gun is natural to shoot. In some ways...I like it over nicer 1911's.

 

[zackmars]

I have seen way too many noobs to 1911's buy one and right out of the box start replcing parts, and then wonder why they have a non-functioning pistol! Noneof mine were modded until they had 500 to 1000 rounds put through them.Ionly make changes that actually benefit me using the pistol, not to make it cool looking.

I only ever changed grips, and occasionally sights.


Well thats not true. I swapped out the guide rod on my trp for a GI set up. That and a magwell on the les baer

 

[Axxe55]

What's funny is, for me anyway, a gi gun is natural to shoot. In some ways...I like it over nicer 1911's.

I only ever changed grips, and occasionally sights.


Well thats not true. I swapped out the guide rod on my trp for a GI set up. That and a magwell on the les baer

Problem is some people new to the 11911 platfom think they are smarter than John Browning. They start changing parts or go after one with a renel tool, and end up ruining a perfectly good pistol.Nothing wrong with making modifications,as long as they actually serve a purpose. But too mant make changes simply for cosmetic reasons to make the pistol "tacticool"