Kimber break-in period?!? What's the deal??

[lastchance1701d]

I got impatient waiting to find any SA Loaded Champions to come around for my carry gun, and when I was in my local gun shop the other day I came across a Kimber SIS Pro. I have heard some negative things about Kimber, and I am sure some of it is true and some is just bias. Nevertheless, my good friend loves his Kimber CDP ultra. After sleeping on it for a night I went back and bought it. I went to the range this past weekend to begin the break process, and after the first 50 rounds everything was just peachy. Then it started having feed problems where the bullet would get caught halfway in the barrel. At first it was only when I loaded a clip and racked it, then it started doing while shooting. I asked Dave, the guy that runs the range, about it and he said it just needed to be broken in. I cleaned and lubricated the gun before this range outing, so I no it isn't that. Does anyone know anything about this? Any advice or suggestions? Thanks for the help.

 

[cowboy45]

Halfway in the barrel or chamber? what kind of ammo? How were you gripping it? ETC,ETC.

 

[txinvestigator]

Limp wristing can cause that. (I know, you were not limp wristing and it MUST be the gun).

Did you read the manual on the Kimber?

 

[DirtyD]

Kimber recommends the break in period for a reason.... I have never had a problem with a properly "broken in" 1911, and they all require some form of break in.

 

[Texas1911]

1911s have alot of friction, especially when they are new and the surfaces are rough from machining. Some of the Kimbers run out of the box flawlessly and others don't. The difference is simply the tolerances they are built with. Some are tighter than others, and in my opinion, some are excessively tight, and thus would require a significant break-in period.

I would routinely clean the gun every range trip to remove any slurry or debris that will build up on the slide rails and on other places like the barrel --> frame interface.

 

[DCortez]

500 rounds to break in. I would not use hollow points.

 

[ebk06]

My Kimber did the same thing until i got about 300 rounds through it.

 

[navyguy]

What's been said.... Kimber says 500 rounds to break in, and apparently they won't take a gun back for warranty for feed or ejections problems before such time. (although I don't know how they could verify x amount of rounds) That's one of my issues with Kimber. Good gosh, polish the feed ramp a little and save the buyer $400 in ammo just breaking the darn thing in. SA doesn't require this and there's is a production gun too. Oh, I know some would say the Kimbers are extra tight... but I call BS on that. A tight fit shouldn't cause feed problems. It's just there short cuts in production.

But let me say, as long as you have an internal extractor version you will get that Kimber to perform and be reliable. So don't through the baby out with the bath water as they say. And once it reaches a reliable state, you're good to go.

 

[JKTex]

Oh, I know some would say the Kimbers are extra tight... but I call BS on that. A tight fit shouldn't cause feed problems. It's just there short cuts in production.

Did you really say that?

BTW, put a Kimber up against most any other production 1911 and compare details of fit and finish. SA's Professional according to them, include custom features. I watched a Shooting Gallery I think it was 2 days ago and when describing the Professional, they could have been describing a base Kimber Custom.

Their tighter tolerances certainly can cause issues. If it were a custom or semi-custom the friction points would be smoothed out already, but some guns, not all as many will have you believe, need more work that others. I'd be frustrated if it were mine, but it's a production gun and they aren't perfect. You also don't pay the cost of a custom even though you get a lot of features that are.

To lastchance:

Some people swear by racking the slide 100+ times at first just to smooth it out a little and swear by that. It also helps with those extra tight picky guns to be very wet, extra lubricated.

Now what might be the real cause. It's a Pro; 4" Kimber. The recoil spring needs to be replaced every 600-800 rounds however, the spring they use is not made for a 4" gun and many times needs to be replace much sooner. It's the outer officers spring. it works fine in some guns but not ideal and works like crap in others.

Do yourself a favor and order new recoil springs direct from Wolff (Kimber springs come from Wolff as do most companies) and order part number 32725. It's a spring Wolff designed specifically for the 4" Kimber's and is said to be able to go 2000+ rounds. I don't know of anyone that's worn one out but many replace them 1200-1500 anyways. They're only $8.

It will feel stiffer at first and have quite the "POP" (which is why some dumbass marketing guy made the decision not to use it and scare off new customers). After a few rounds it'll lighten up, but you'll notice a marked improvement in full cycle. You won't feel it getting weak at each end of the cycle. That alone fixes more FTF/FTE issues with Pro's.

The fact that you're sling shotting the slide and it's failing to strip a round off the magazine succesfully leads me to believe it may be the spring which will be rapidly getting weaker at that point in the cycle. You shold be able to sling shot or release the slide stop and it load a round just fine.

It may also just need a few more rounds through it, but I'd get the recoil spring out of the picture as a problem as well.

Wolff Gunsprings Manufactures springs for modern and vintage firearms, guns, hammer, pistols, handguns, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, semiautomatic, accessories, weapons, law enforcement, hunting, shooting, recoil, colt, mainsprings, magazines, IPSC is Wolff direct. Pn# 32725 (but confirm in case my tired head is wrong. They make it easy to find. It's an XP spring for all 4" Kimbers and has it's own separate page)

 

[JKTex]

Damn, how'd that happen?

dbl post.....

 

[JKTex]

i agree navy, kimber's never have appealed to me, and almost every one that i have seen with checkering on the front strap has 2 lines at the top that arent fully checkered, it always looked half assed to me.

You're right. It's done with a machine and for some reason they can't take the vertical cuts up that extra 2 lines. Not sure why they can't stop the horizontal cuts 2 lower but it's how their machine does checkering on all their guns. Mine was done after the fact by them and it's the same. It doesn't hurt anything, but a good 1911 smith can finish it out if it bugs someone. Aside from that, for not being hand cut and knocked down, their 30 lpi checkering is really nice though.

But if that's all you've seen that bugs you about Kimber, you must notice all the detail, edges, finishing etc. which set them apart from other production 1911 manufactures.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

This is a timely thread for me as I had been experiencing similar problems with my Kimber as well.....evidently it is the only semi-auto I can't fire without limpwristing as the 2 other people that have fired it could not replicate the same problems I was having & I have never had this problem with any other....

I ordered some new springs to have on hand, thanks for the link!!

 

[txinvestigator]

Ya'll that don't want Kimbers....good. More for me.

I have a Custom CDP and a Desert Warrior. I have been to several schools with both, and neither have hiccupped. I have never cleaned or oiled them between days at multi day schools either.

I HAVE seen other guns malfunction and go down at schools......

Do the break in.

 

[navyguy]

Did you really say that?

Well I guess I did. But if you read further in my post I did say once you get the thing broken in, you will have a nice gun that should be reliable. I'm not bashing Kimbers in general, just the fact that they require more break in than other, 1911's.

It can't just be pie in the sky that so many people complain about break in problems with Kimbers. Your's apparently works, and that's great. I have a Kahr PM9 that has also worked for me out of the box, with over 1000 straight flawless rounds. But I do not dispute the fact that there are many many Kahr customers who complain about long break in cycles and unreliability of that gun especially during that period

Speaking of break in. No matter the gun, Glock, Sig, HK you name it, for me, it's got to run at least 300 straight flawless rounds with all kinds of ammo before I will consider it as any kind of defense gun. But that has nothing to do with break in, it's about feeling confident you can depend on it to function.

 

[cnl390]

When I first got my Ultra Carry II I experienced the same problem. All I did was buy some Wilson mags and haven't had a problem since.
As far as the tightness issue. I also have a Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special and it was so tight when I bought it I thought something was wrong with it. But it shot and still shoots flawlessly, never a problem.

 

[Pappy]

First, I am of the opinion that a gun should run 99.99% out of the box. If not, minor tweaking should make it 99.99%. If you carry it, you want 100%...A range gun, not important..

Magazines are another thing...they are the most important component part of the system. And mags vary as to spring pressure, round presentation and release point.

If your pistol does not run well, try different mags...

 

[kmbrman]

Kimber Break In ?

My own Custom 11 was put together really tight. The first few times I fired it ,it failed to chamber ,mainly because Kimber uses a match grade chamber . Also the barrel bushing was very tight. After boxes of shells later the gun shoots perfectly with any and all loads. Give your Kimber a Chance to Break- In and you will be pleased, just as I am.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

I would love to shoot mine more but can't find any ammo & I want to hold on to what I currently have until I can replace it / stock up.

 

[Jungle Work]

Kimber .45s and the Failure To Go Into Battery

I bought a new Kimber Light Weight Commander last summer. Wouldn't fire a whole magazine with out two or three rounds failing to go into battery. I sent it back to Kimber and they polished the chamber and now it works just fine. This seems to be a major problem with new Kimbers.
Poor, poor Quality Control.

It only cost me $80.00 extra to send the gun back to Kimber.
Nice guys, they did say they were sorry.

I bought two of the first Kimbers on the market in the 1996, great guns, worked flawlessly. After my latest experience with Kimber, I'll not buy another Kimber.

Jungle Work

 

[ZX9RCAM]

I bought a new Kimber Light Weight Commander last summer. Wouldn't fire a whole magazine with out two or three rounds failing to go into battery.

Funny, that is exactly what happens to me, but others that fired it could not get it to do the same for them.