Kimber 1911

[wtfd661]

Better check your info

Everything I have ever seen or read shows mid 90's for the 1911's, I know they produced rifles earlier than that. If you could point me to new info I would appreciate that.

 

[halfmileharry]

Everything I have ever seen or read shows mid 90's for the 1911's, I know they produced rifles earlier than that. If you could point me to new info I would appreciate that.

I was just talking about this at Elmores a couple of months ago. I bought my first two from Russ back then. Price was $485 each on them. The first was a bit before Joe Montgomery was robbed and shoved into the back room. I was there that day and just missed it by minutes. The second one was on the day after Joe got in the pickle. His mishap was on a friday afternoon and I bought my second from Russ on saturday.
Elmores had been carrying them for quite a while before that. I was a big Colt GCNM fan back then and had resisted buying the Kimber for quite a while until I was handed one to shoot.
That out of the box Kimber was a Jewel and put all my custom Colts to shame. Great guns back then.

 

[derrickgoins]

I have a Kimber Pro CDP II and it's been pretty reliable. I use the Kimber KimPro mags with it and have never had an issue. I bought it about 8-9 years ago NIB. Cleaned after every range outing and (knock on wood) so far so good.

 

[iChokePeople]

Better check your info

Kimber History - 1911Forum

 

[88E30M50]

I've had two of the newer ones and both have functioned fine. I don't run them as hard as others though, with the ultra being sold after about 600 rounds and the compact stainless sitting at around 1500 rounds right now. I've replaced the plastic MSH on the compact along with the recoil assembly for a flat wire type to improve spring life. Grips and sights have been replaced too. If I had it to do again, I'd have just bought a Sig or saved for a DW. The Kimbers have worked well with the low volume I shoot them but they were not deals by any stretch by the time I was done fitting them out for carry. The finish was crap so I just bead blasted the frame back to bare aluminum and it's been great since.

 

[Expat]

Everything I have ever seen or read shows mid 90's for the 1911's, I know they produced rifles earlier than that. If you could point me to new info I would appreciate that.

Kimber History - 1911Forum

prototypes of the "Kimber" pistol were shown at the 1995 SHOT Show.

Looks like we have a winner.

 

[halfmileharry]

Kimber History - 1911Forum

IF this is right then I'm officially going senile.

 

[Vendetta]

IF this is right then I'm officially going senile.

Im pretty sure its right. My Clackamas was a very early 4 digit serial that tracked back to 1996.

 

[dyerwatcher]

Kimbers are great looking guns. Personal experience was not good. I had a Pro TLE II . After 600 rounds I gave up on trying to break it in. It was accurate but not reliable. I sold it and got a Sig Traditional Two Tone. It has been perfect since day one. I also have a Dan Wesson Guardian that is my EDC. Awesome weapon. My perception of Kimber is their quality is good-their consistency is questionable. Possibly I just got a bad one -but there and many good ones to select.

 

[Magnum314]

I think Springer makes very nice guns for the money. $600ish gets you a loaded, $800ish gets you a range officer, $1000ish gets you a TRP.

+1 The TRP is a lot of 1911 for the money. I also am a big fan of my Kimber Custom TLE II...so I cant knock Kimber from my personal experience.

 

[churchmouse]

Could just buy a Rock Island and upgrade from there.

Their new models have scratched the big rollmarks.

Spring kit, internal polishing...even with some upgraded internals your still well under what a Springfield costs "out of the box"....and it works better.

Bite your tongue.....

 

[churchmouse]

Kimbers are great looking guns. Personal experience was not good. I had a Pro TLE II . After 600 rounds I gave up on trying to break it in. It was accurate but not reliable. I sold it and got a Sig Traditional Two Tone. It has been perfect since day one. I also have a Dan Wesson Guardian that is my EDC. Awesome weapon. My perception of Kimber is their quality is good-their consistency is questionable. Possibly I just got a bad one -but there and many good ones to select.

Nope. You got an average one. The last 3 we owned were all custom shop pieces and they were just disappointing.
I agree with Harry, the new ones sure are pretty but the older ones run.

No knock on anyone that owns and enjoys a Kimber.

 

[joneser49]

I've put thousands of rounds through my Super Carry Pro with no problems. I carry it half the time. My TLE II has also been flawless with only 1000 through her. I would buy another. Ill be purchasing a Dan Wesson in the meantime.

 

[wtburnette]

Depending on your budget, you could go anywhere from Ruger SR1911, to SA RO or Loaded, to a Sig 1911 or even a Dan Wesson. If you're in the $1k range or a bit more, look at some of the Dan Wesson models like the Heritage or Specialist. Great guns and you can find them used at times for a good price. Are you looking for a range gun, or one to carry? That will change what is recommended. I think the 5" model is great for the range, but not as fun to carry, while commander size or officer sized guns are much nicer for carrying, but not always as fun at the range. I have a Dan Wesson CCO that is fantastic to carry, as it weighs about the same as a Glock 19 fully loaded, but it's not as much fun to shoot. Fantastic gun, but I've started carrying a Sig Legion SAO, so I don't use it as much as I used to and am selling it now. For range fun, I have a SA Loaded and a Sig TacOps 1911 and both are a lot of fun to shoot. The TacOps is my home defense gun, with a light/laser and extended mag. If I was looking for another 1911, I'd look at a DW Heritage. Just my ramblings. If you post what use you want from the gun, you can get some more specific thoughts

 

[frenchiectfd2203]

I have a few Kimbers. A custom stainless, raptor, and a K6S revolver. Love them all.

 

[88E30M50]

Nope. You got an average one. The last 3 we owned were all custom shop pieces and they were just disappointing.
I agree with Harry, the new ones sure are pretty but the older ones run.

No knock on anyone that owns and enjoys a Kimber.

No knock taken CM. My Kimber runs fine but if I had it to do again, I'd go a different route. I bought it when I was first getting into 1911s and assumed that Kimber was expensive because of the quality it brought with it. Having owned it many years and owned many 1911s after it, I don't see the quality as standing above a lot of other 1911s out there. I know you hate them, but Sig 1911s bring a lot more to the table for the dollar than a Kimber does. It sucks to hear of others having issues with Kimbers. My experience has been good apart from the value end of the gun. But then again, I've been lucky in that I don't think I've had many issues with any 1911 I've owned. They are a solid design and when executed correctly, are inherently reliable.

 

[churchmouse]

No knock taken CM. My Kimber runs fine but if I had it to do again, I'd go a different route. I bought it when I was first getting into 1911s and assumed that Kimber was expensive because of the quality it brought with it. Having owned it many years and owned many 1911s after it, I don't see the quality as standing above a lot of other 1911s out there. I know you hate them, but Sig 1911s bring a lot more to the table for the dollar than a Kimber does. It sucks to hear of others having issues with Kimbers. My experience has been good apart from the value end of the gun. But then again, I've been lucky in that I don't think I've had many issues with any 1911 I've owned. They are a solid design and when executed correctly, are inherently reliable.

I really do not hate the sig but to me it is a variant in sigs way of doing things. To everything I have heard and read they are very well made/reliable pieces.
I am in no way a purist either. You know what happens when I bring a new to me or even a brand new gun home. Many do not even get fired before they are gutted.

 

[wtfd661]

, and a K6S revolver..

The K6s revolver looks really intriguing to me, if I wasn't saving my pennies for my dream gun right now I would be seriously looking at that!

 

[aztec777]

Colt or Springfield. If you have the money for a high end gun go for a Les Baer or Wilson.

 

[Signess]

I've never seen a Kimber that would run right without tuning the extractor. The internal 1911 will never be a drop in part. Sig makes about the best 1911 for the money out of the box. Have 4 and they all run great. VERY accurate too.