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Are Kimbers good to go, or trash?

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  • Are Kimbers good to go or solid pass?

    • Kimbers are legit. I would buy from them no problem.

      Votes: 31 54.4%
    • No, Kimbers are not good guns.

      Votes: 20 35.1%
    • Glock Boyz unite!

      Votes: 6 10.5%

    • Total voters
      57
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    V-Tach

    Watching While the Sheep Graze
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    Ah, another Kimber thread just like all the others.

    I side with the numbers. Kimber produced more 1911s than anyone else for many years (and may still) so you'll see many more complaints about them. That's just the odds given how many are out there and QC suffers when you produce that many of anything.

    Mine were all fine and my buddy's were all fine but others definitely have issues. Keep in mind that the bad ones are the ones you hear about.

    If they all suck how are they still in business? That's the numbers.

    Like them? Great. Hate them? Great. Either way you can't say they're all bad or all good.

    I'd buy one again.

    Gosh darn it.....voices of reason always spoil the fun.............

    Let's start bashing Boomers now.......lol....
    Hurley's Gold
     

    Axxe55

    Retiretgtshit stirrer
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    Dec 15, 2019
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    Ah, another Kimber thread just like all the others.

    I side with the numbers. Kimber produced more 1911s than anyone else for many years (and may still) so you'll see many more complaints about them. That's just the odds given how many are out there and QC suffers when you produce that many of anything.

    Mine were all fine and my buddy's were all fine but others definitely have issues. Keep in mind that the bad ones are the ones you hear about.

    If they all suck how are they still in business? That's the numbers.

    Like them? Great. Hate them? Great. Either way you can't say they're all bad or all good.

    I'd buy one again.
    Honestly IMO, Kimber did mske a damn fine bolt action rifle that was pretty sweet.
     

    RevolverGuy

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    The only 1911 I own and shoot is a Springfield Defender. Besides being little heavy on the trigger, it’s been great.

    As you can tell from my handle, I don’t own many bottom feeders.
     

    Coyote9

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    Jan 13, 2020
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    I currently own two Kimbers, Pro covert carry custom shop .45 and a Micro 9 tricked out. Never had a failed to function with the .45 ever! The Micro needs a specific diet and does not like 115 9mm Luger loads. The only negative I have with the Micro is that when loaded with conical defense loads, it will often leave a round in the magwell when the mag is dropped! (I shoot Lugers so I have lots of conical bullets, only the defense load commercial ammo does this)
    Also the tiny safety on the Micro is easy to miss in a draw fast present situation. I have a broken right thumb from youthful dumb assery which mat make this a personal issue. I bought a SIG 365 for hidden carry just because of that problem this month. May sell the Micro 9
    I have shot 1911 for over 50 years-owned several National Match in 45 and 38 Mid Range and a custom 38 Super along with a raft of tuned variations. The Kimber is not a Match grade x ring pistol but will shoot straight 10's all day, but that may be getting sloppy. WELL worth the money and my first choice when I have to go into Houston or Dallas.
     

    Havok1

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    Some people think the earth Is flat unless they personally circumnavigate the globe.

    Let's talk 9mm vers 45. Who has been shot by both as they are the only ones qualified to answer the question.l which is more effective.

    Some say 9mm is for those who squat to pee whole others say 45 is for those who wear diapers.

    apples to oranges. It’s easy to prove that the earth is not flat. Nobody has proven that Kimbers are more problematic than any other manufacturer. Quantifiable comparisons are easily made between calibers. No quantifiable comparisons have been made between manufacturers here.



    Its probably not a coincidence that the opinions some have of a single 1911 manufacturer are very similar to the opinions that many non 1911 shooters I’ve seen in other groups have of all 1911s. If a bunch of people who had never shot any 1911 came here and was saying that all 1911s were unreliable, I’m sure people would suddenly value real world experience a little more.
     

    Riksors

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    Not happy. Owned a TLE RL II way before John Wick relied on a Kimber.

    Maybe folks at Kimber have redeemed themselves.

    Good luck and let us know how their 9mm run.
     

    zackmars

    Free 1911 refinishing
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    Nov 4, 2015
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    probably not a coincidence that the opinions some have of a single 1911 manufacturer are very similar to the opinions that many non 1911 shooters I’ve seen in other groups have of all 1911s. If a bunch of people who had never shot any 1911 came here and was saying that all 1911s were unreliable, I’m sure people would suddenly value real world experience a little more.
    I've had a few 1911's, an SAI TRP and a Les Baer premier II that had the 50 yard accuracy upgrade.


    I know what a nice 1911 is, and kimber has a lot of guns that i have physically seen, that fail to hit that mark.


    Oh, and in this thread, most of us have been here longer than you.
     

    Havok1

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    I've had a few 1911's, an SAI TRP and a Les Baer premier II that had the 50 yard accuracy upgrade.


    I know what a nice 1911 is, and kimber has a lot of guns that i have physically seen, that fail to hit that mark.


    Oh, and in this thread, most of us have been here longer than you.

    comparing my kimber to my Les baer would not be an even comparison. Doesn’t make the kimber a bad gun though.

    How long you have been on a forum doesn’t matter. Relevant knowledge matters.
     

    Sam7sf

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    Relevant knowledge matters.
    Relevant knowledge matters. Facts matter. These two things are mostly based in hands on experience and observations. Observational data is still fact. Why did x-gunsmith get more kimbers in than any other handgun make? Even if we don't know the exact reason, these guns are often showing up at shops I have been in or had affiliation with more than others. Nutnfncy did a run and gun of one. Problems out of the box. His reputation is one that he's not going to fake results.

    Until the gun industry operates like the auto industry and we can see failure rates/consumer reports, these methods you like to attack are often the only thing people have to make a handgun selection. Plenty of people who you attacked on this thread have lots of experience with 1911's.
     
    Last edited:

    zackmars

    Free 1911 refinishing
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    comparing my kimber to my Les baer would not be an even comparison. Doesn’t make the kimber a bad gun though.

    How long you have been on a forum doesn’t matter. Relevant knowledge matters.
    I am not putting them side by side and comparing them

    It does matter when you want to start accusing people of just jumping in, talking about things they have no experience with.


    You want to come in and call everyone else's experience worthless, while providing nothing of your own, and constantly talking about information that the manufacturer would NEVER give you, and if the off chance they did give you, it would be total BS
     

    Axxe55

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    comparing my kimber to my Les baer would not be an even comparison. Doesn’t make the kimber a bad gun though.

    How long you have been on a forum doesn’t matter. Relevant knowledge matters.
    With owning and shooting 111's for over 35 years, and having wellover 50 to 60 1911's pass through my hands during those years, I would consider my knowledge to be somewhat relevant regarding the 1911 platform.

    I have never owned a Kimber and never will, simply from shooting som in past and seeing their problems firsthand. IMO if you own a Kimber and it works then count yourself lucky.

    If asked my opinion I would never buy a Kimber or recommend them. There are just way too many other options and cheaper.
     

    candcallen

    Crotchety, Snarky, Truthful. You'll get over it.
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    apples to oranges. It’s easy to prove that the earth is not flat. Nobody has proven that Kimbers are more problematic than any other manufacturer. Quantifiable comparisons are easily made between calibers. No quantifiable comparisons have been made between manufacturers here.



    Its probably not a coincidence that the opinions some have of a single 1911 manufacturer are very similar to the opinions that many non 1911 shooters I’ve seen in other groups have of all 1911s. If a bunch of people who had never shot any 1911 came here and was saying that all 1911s were unreliable, I’m sure people would suddenly value real world experience a little more.
    Sigh.

    Next.

    Gamblerloo is that you?
     
    Last edited:

    V-Tach

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    Zach knows his shit.......

    When he speaks about his experience, I listen.......

    When you've been here a few years.......you know....who knows.........and who doesn't.....

    Not kissing his feet and have never met the man........ just an honest opinion..............
     

    oldag

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    At this point, I'm of the opinion that with 1911s, anything short of a $4k+ full build from a reputable 1911 builder is a project that will most likely need some form of work, even if minimal. Even semi-custom $2-3k 1911s from reputable manufacturers occasionally have issues. Don't get me wrong, people occasionally get even sub $1k 1911s that work well enough without major issues. I'd say it's the exception to the rule though.

    It's the nature of the platform. You have dozens of potential problems that can occur due to issues in fitment, tension, and geometry of the extractor. There are potential issues with ejector length and nose angle. Also barrel feed ramp fitment, chamber, throat depth. Barrel hood/lug fitment. Barrel link fitment. Slide stop lobe length.... Not even mentioning the probably dozens of potential issues with magazines, magazine type, follower type, feed lips and feed angle types.
    .
    Calling BS on this.

    Other than a Springfield that failed out of the box (factory installed a couple of wrong parts), I have never had a 1911 fail. Nor have any of the many people I know with 1911's had failures.

    All the failures I see at the range (which are not unusual) are plastic fantastics.
     
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