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Kimber Experiences

8263 Views 35 Replies 26 Participants Last post by  Stevie-Ray
I have had two Kimber ProCarry II's both great guns, one did 2000+++ rounds in 3 days at a Jeff Gonzales course. Only 2 bobbles/FTF with Blazer ammo (self explanatory!). Good guns!

Andy
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I have a Stainless Gold Match II - 1000+ rounds (exclusively lead SWC reloads) with zero issues.

--jcd
I have a Eclipse Pro Carry 2 out of the custom shot .. never had any problems with it except i could never get it to group how i liked it .. I didn't Care for the Mepros and i think that was the problem ..

Other thing i didn't like is the Bull Barrel and funky take down but thats minor..

If it would have grouped better i probley would have kept it .. Think i am too used to Novaks
I've got a couple Kimbers. My carry gun is the Grand Raptor II. It works 100%, but that wasn't always the case. When I first got it, new, I couldn't get the slide off of the frame. Yes, I know about the grip safety. There was just no way the slide was coming off. The Swartz firing pin safety was hanging up and just wouldn't let the slide move forward, no matter how held the gun. I made double sure the grip safety wasn't engaged. Anyway, back it went to Kimber. I got it back in 1 week, super quick service. I was able to field strip the gun. I don't know what they did, but now it's perfect. Oh, one more thing about the GR. When I first started carrying it the red stain they use on the grips bled onto my shirt. They are really poorly finished. I called the custom shop to complain but they just disregarded what I was saying. They said "That's the way the grips come from our supplier". I gave the grips several coats of clear sealant, and they were good to go. Now I have the Crimson Trace Burlwood grips on it.

I just finished getting my Kimber Pro CDP set up for carry. It's a pre series II, no firing pin safety. I had to get a new thumb safety fitted so the Crimson Trace Carbon Fiber grips would fit. I replaced that stupid plastic mainspring housing with a steel one made by Ed Brown, put in a Wilson Bullet Proof slide stop because I was getting premature slide lock. I had my gunsmith fit an adj. Novak rear, and new front sight - both are night sights.

I haven't done anything to my Team Match II. It shoots great and I haven't had one problem out of the external extractor.

I haven't shot the Classic Royal, it's still in NIB condition. I'm saving it for a rainy day.
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I have a Kimber Ultra CDP II. I changed the thumb safety to I can purchase a Crimson Trace and switched out the plastic arch with a Wilson blue Steel, better feel and not plastic. Fired several rounds and not a single problem, one of my two carry pistols, I really like the light weight. Never let me down.
I've got a couple Kimbers. My carry gun is the Grand Raptor II. It works 100%, but that wasn't always the case. When I first got it, new, I couldn't get the slide off of the frame. Yes, I know about the grip safety. There was just no way the slide was coming off. The Swartz firing pin safety was hanging up and just wouldn't let the slide move forward, no matter how held the gun. I made double sure the grip safety wasn't engaged.
I had the exact same problem with my new super match when I got it. Found that the Swartz "push rod" was too long and sticking up out of the frame by 0.015" with the gun at rest (grip safety not pushed). Removed the push rod and trimmed off 0.015" from the end, no problem since....
Hi Highpwr, it's nice to see another member from St. Louis.
Hi Primers, it's nice to be seen. :wink:

Hey...... I'm letting my membership at Top Gun expire and thinking I want to start shooting over at your place. (MUCH closer to me.) I'll probably PM you after the first of the year to see when I should come down for the tour if that is ok?

BTW, thanks for posting about this site over on MOCarry. Nice folks here!
Had two problem guns from Kimber both in .40. One was a CDP Pro II, the other a pre-II Ultra Carry in .40. Both went to EGW and needed a ton of work to run good enough to sell off.

I've had two other Kimbers, both in .45 and both were/are stellar with the exception of one little MIM problem.

Figures I was a dolt and sold the best one of the four early on. :frown:
I own the Kimber Warrior and the Gold Combat ll and I changed most of the insides with Cylinder and Slide parts and now they work flawless.
I have a Kimber Gold Combat, not the II version. DO the C&S parts drop in, or do they require fitting? The trigger is so good, I hate to mess with it until something happens. Would like to replace all the MIM parts eventually.
I've purchased the C&S hammer/sear kit but haven't installed it in any of my 1911's yet because I am afraid that the thumb safety will have to be replaced and a new one fit to the new hammer and sear. Has anyone dropped in these parts and had the original thumb safety work?
I have a Stainless Target II in 9mm, that has about a 1k through it and never has had a Hic-up, and drives other shooters nuts cause all they ever do is TAP, RACK, TAP, RACK, (curse) ECT. with there 1911 Brand, 9mm..HAHAH, and a Stainless II .45acp with only about 500 rns through it and never had a FTF FTE Nada with my reloads, and just got broke in I think...Nock On Wood....

GaryK
I have a Kimber Gold Combat, not the II version. DO the C&S parts drop in, or do they require fitting? The trigger is so good, I hate to mess with it until something happens. Would like to replace all the MIM parts eventually.

C&S will fit almost any 1911 with a real drop in fit, not having to work on it
at all. Only the firing pin on a Sig is different all other parts on a Kimber or any other will work and well.
I have the Tactical Ultra II with the internal ejector. Over 3000 rds with no real problems. I have changed the recoil spring assembly twice and only use Wilson Combat mags.
G
My first gun (and the one that sees the most use still today) is a Stainless TLE II. Before I modified it to get rid of the Series II, the plastic and the MIM I put 5,000 rounds through it with one jam. Since, I've put another 20,000 through it, not a single problem. It's just a real hoot to shoot (pardon my rhyming :rolleyes:), and I just love every second of taking it to the range.

I think the king of all "Kimber Experiences" comes from my buddy who had a Team Match that withstood 318,000 rounds, unmodified. Sure, we went through dozens of springs (probably responsible for keeping Wolff in business) a couple slide stops, extractors, firing pins and FP stops, but we didn't even have to replace a single major part. It was unbelieveable. I don't know what Josh ended up doing with her, but I'm sure the gun is officially retired by now. (After all, she's looser than [INSERT FEMALE CELEBRITY HERE].) ;) As far as failures go, I couldn't tell you exactly, but rest assured I wasn't there to see very many.
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Kimbers are good pistols, just change out the Mainspring Hsg. and keep it oiled and it will traet you good.
my kimber experience.

I had a Kimber TLE II Stainless. External extractor. I struggled with it for about 1300 rounds getting FTFs and FTEs every 50 rounds or so (more with kimber mags). Then I sent it to Kimber who replaced the slide and reamed out the chamber (great customer service, btw). I then put another 100 rounds through it, trouble-free, and prompty sold it to finance my first Colt.
Kimber's external extractors have been iffy,but my TLE has been great. Kimber's break-in story may be only so much hooey,but after a couple hundred rounds with a few FTF's it has been trouble free for a few thousand rounds,and it sits on the nightstand with 8+1 Hydrashoks.

I had an Eclipse that I only put 900 rounds through,and it never jammed once. No break-in needed on that one,I guess. External extractor also. I sold it because it was too pretty and I was afraid to mess it up!
Kimber's external extractor has been such a problem that they went to the expense of retooling back to the original internal. Last I heard, they were replacing your whole slide. I'd jump on that offer before it's gone.
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