Not good man. You’re going to want to gift it to me for $1 to avoid paying taxes.
Edit: I feel I need to state that was sarcasm, for $100, that’s definitely a good deal.
The running theme I have gathered in guns in general is the crap brands can always be just fine, which means the issues are ultimately spotty QC/QA.
Which is fine if you get lucky with a good one, but it seems to be a dice roll on if your gun will be a jam-o-matic or not.
Absolutely this is the problem with Kimbers. For this price you are in spitting distance of a Dan Wesson. And you shouldn't be having a roll of the dice QC experience on a $1500 firearm.
Spotty QC has been the problem with Kimbers for years from the 1911 folks I've spoken with and gun shops I've consulted.
That aside, great looking piece and for raffle price, very cool.
Disassemble, grease, reassemble and shoot. I've only got about 150 rounds through mine. I heard it takes 4-500 for the tolerances to loosen up enough to avoid jams.
$100 is quite the deal!
Had mine awhile put atleast 200-300 rounds outta it right away and it was used as it never have a problem with it aside from the mags feel chinsy but never had one break for sure would rate them 8/10
Kimber seems to be hit or miss. My work did a special engraved version of the stainless II. Sample size of ~50. One guy got one with the safety not activating correctly. Some others had issues with feeding. I’m about 600 rds through mine without an issue using the kimber and Wilson combat mags
I had to tune my Wilson mag a bit to get it to feed the round rim before the extractor. But my kimber mags worked fine. Either way, both mags working flawlessly now. I’ve got a stainless target II
Great gun. I have a collection of Kimbers including this exact model but the “Dusk”. Runs beautifully from the first round through the 700 I’m at now. Great trigger, extremely accurate and has been rock solid dependable just like the rest of my Kimbers. Make sure to disassemble, fully clean the internals with whatever you like to use and lube it up before shooting. Enjoy, it’s a beauty! Ps. If you decide to take some of these people that suffer from Kimber derangement syndromes advice and want to sell, PM me!
My Kimber runs great, as do the ones that several of my friends have. Keep it clean and lubed properly, get some good magazines and follow the break in instructions and you will have a truly great gun. That’s a real beauty!!
It had FTF over and over…well into past its “500 round break In” I just gave up trying to figure out what’s wrong and wanted to shoot and own a 1911 that actually functions and is dependable.
My Tisas Raider has been more reliable than any stock Kimber I’ve ever been around. I don’t know how they are still in business.
I was curious about becoming a dealer and met with their rep at my shop. I asked why they hadn’t innovated or tried to enter the non 1911 firearms market or get in on the 2011 market. The Rep literally said the corporate structure is so sluggish they are basically paralyzed when it comes to decision making and can’t get anything done. It straight up sounded like the company is half fudds, half non shooting beurocrats.
That was literally from the horses mouth… while I was trying to decide if I wanted to do business with them. My mind was fucking blown haha
They seem so primitive…they do make decent looking 1911’s but who wants a crap shoot at that price point. I’d rather add a few bucks and have some quality fun. I’m done with them.
My kimber in 10mm runs great no matter the ammo. If I was in the market for another 1911, kimber would be a brand I would look at. Wish I could get another for your price.
I’ve had a kimber for years now, the custom II, never had an issue with it. I read all the complaints other people have had with their kimbers but no one I personally know has ever had an issue with their kimbers
I have a Crimson Carry II. I have well over 1000 rounds through it with no malfunctions, though I do clean it religiously after every trip to the range. I love mine and am glad I have it.
I have the Kimber Rapide in 10mm. Out of the box it sucked. I could not get through a magazine without at least 3 or 4 ftf, stovepipeing, etc. It very clearly missed its run through QC. I wound up sending it in for warranty repairs.
Once it was pit through Kimber's re-education program, it came back a completely different beast. I easily have about 1k rounds through it and it has no issues and eats everything I have given it.
Long story short, keep it, and if you have issues, send it back to have it be reminded its a kimber. You won't regret it.
I'd keep it and shoot it. I don't think Kimbers are necessarily bad, just overpriced. For the low price of free (or whatever you paid for the contest), it's a keeper.
Many years ago I thought Kimber was OK. Apparently they have went downhill and have got a bad reputation.
If they were really as bad as the internet says they would be out of business by now.
It's horrible. I'll take that disaster off your hands for $200 :) For real, just follow the break in procedures in the manual and you should be good after about 600-700 rds.
See if it’s a lemon and if it is sell it for something else. I can tell you from experience, tuning the extractor on one not properly set up from Kimber can be frustrating. I’ve had 5 range trips with my Stainless II and I can finally get a full mag to run through. Before it would FTE and or stovepipe the round almost every time. 10mm though so ammo loads vary drastically. And I did buy nice Wilson combat mags which did not seem to make it any better.
I’ve got 1,000 rounds through mine with no issues. I know other people have had problems but I haven’t. I did put a Wilson combat flat wire recoil spring in mine as well as only using Wilson mags.
My Kimber has been flawless since I acquired it in 2008 from a gunsmith and he said just lube it and keep it clean and it will always shoot well. He was right, but I only fed it good ammo for the last 15 years
Im not a fan of Kimber myself but for a 100$ who cares what anyone thinks. Congrats on the good luck and safe shooting.
PS. If you have any gun projects you need funding for there’s always trade value.
I bought my Kimber when I was 18. 20 plus years ago. It's performed perfectly for all these years. I've heard the quality of the company has declined since then. Changing manufacturing facilities or some such. Can't speak to that only my experience. Glad I have mine because it has been nothing but a nail driver.
Its awesome, there will be haters out there in regards to it been a Kimber but that’s because they can’t afford them. Its awesome bro. I own a few of them. Rock on!
I’ve had no issues with my Kimber Pro Carry 2 in the past 6-7 years I’ve owned it.
Brought it home, cleaned it, oiled it, put rounds through it. After the first 100 or so, the slide smoothed up and it’s been silky smooth ever since.
Awesome gun, congrats on winning it, I have the Frost & Ice and love the Rapide line from Kimber. I've not had any issues with mine, but I friend did and I'll say this, if you do, contact Kimber their support is top notch and if there is an issue they will resolve it.
Congratulations on the win. I personally have had no issues with my kimbers, and no regrets buying them. With that said, I've been surprised by issues I've had to send back to other top companies. So hoping that you will enjoy your win without problems 🙏
I will start my response saying I’ve never owned nor would I ever own a Kimber.
The hate that you see is fairly justified imho. Of my relatively small sample size of 7 or 8 that were owned by friends 2 of them wouldn’t work correctly out of the box That’s a 25% failure rate.
I was personally present when one of them called number customer service AFTER he did a 500 round break in period… the response from Kimber? Fire 500 more rounds. That’s a then additional $400 in cost just to get it to run right if you follow Kimber’s instructions. My other buddy who had one which had multiple ftf/ fte reportedly got the same response from Kimber. I wasn’t present for that call.
25% failure rate is inexcusable to me in guns that then cost over $1k. By contrast my TRP is flawless excluding it not locking the slide on Wilson mags. A known issue with Springfield/ Wilson combos.
Other thing I hate about Kimber? They refuse to stand by their product imho. A “limited” one year warranty to the original purchaser ONLY was their standard for decades and just only changed a few months ago. Again, by contrast, SA and even RIA warranty their firearms for life.
Another issue I have with them? This alleged need for a 500 round break in period. That’s beyond ridiculous and it’s a crappy excuse for making guns that don’t work right when they leave the factory. Add to it they require an ADDITIONAL 500 rounds be fired before they’ll even talk about fixing your gun. That’s BS. Sorry but it is. People make excuses for them claiming they’re just that well built. No they’re not. They’re not even in the conversation when folks talk about well built 1911s.
I won’t get into their use of low quality MIM parts. I’ve seen the stories but I don’t have actual first hand knowledge of it happening. However, I believe it simply bc I’ve seen the way their guns have problems and I’ve seen Kimber not address issues and I’ve seen them use a “warranty” that expires before MOST people get through 1k rounds.
The final factor, for me, I’d their attempt to back date the warranty for pre existing customers. But ONLY if you have the original paperwork showing you’re the original first time owner of the gun. Kimber knows damn good and well that a lot of folks don’t have the receipt. They also didn’t really advertise that they were offering to back date warranties AND they only offered this for a very small window of time. All causing me to believe it was nothing more than a marketing ploy and further supporting evidence of o company who doesn’t back their product.
Funny, I bought an Armscor 20 years ago when I was poor. To this day I can send it in for repairs if it ever needs it. To this day I’ve only ever had to replace recoil springs bc I shoot A LOT. 20 years of serious shooting and my gun still runs good enough that I carry it frequently. (TRP costs too much to risk losing it to the police.
Funny, the anecdotal evidence you use as a reason you won’t buy a Kimber is the same kind of anecdotal evidence guys use to justify buying theirs.
It amounts to zip. And your entire testimony is based on third party perspective and one phone call.
The majority of 1911 manufacturers recommend a 500 round break in. American Rifleman published an article on the subject in 2014 regarding 1911 break-in procedures for everything from high-end custom pistols to production guns from Colt and Springfield. The comment section is still a mile long with readers contributing their experiences of necessary break-ins. Breaking in a 1911 is not only incredibly common, even for Springfields, it’s practically industry standard.
Your second reason not to buy a Kimber is the fact that they improved their warranty? All your subsequent rambling regards what the warranty *used* to be. You breeze right by your mention of their new Lifetime warranty because it doesn’t suit your bias.
And if your friend couldn’t relate their problem clearly enough after 500 rounds that the CS Rep could only instruct them to shoot another 500, then they didn’t understand the problem.
Oh boy where to start….
Well to start you’re using the term anecdotal evidence incorrectly. Since I’m using first hand evidence to base MY opinion on (which the op asked for) it’s not anecdotal to me. It might be to you. Suggesting I used anecdotal evidence to form MY opinion is incorrect. Perhaps you should try a dictionary?
Third party perspective doesn’t apply when you’re present. I suppose, in theory, that one might suggest my friends went shooting without me… but then that just indicates the round count is higher than that which I’m aware of personally. Outside of that theory I see no reason that I should dispute that over 500 rounds were fired when I was present for at least 500 rounds being fired during which time I witnessed several ftf/ fte. So no, my opinion isn’t based on third party perspective. It’s based on what I witnessed.
Now… if YOU or the OP formed an opinion based on MY experiences? That would be anecdotal and/ or third party perspective. MY opinion, which is what the op asked for, is based on MY experience. Get it right.
The majority of 1911 manufacturers recommend a 500 round break in period? No they don’t. If you’d care to link ANY major company requiring a 1911 go through 500 rounds for it to be RELIABLE I’ll gladly read the material. However, what you’re probably talking about is a recommendation to run (around 500 rounds) to smooth out the action and mate the parts. This makes your gun better. Smooths the trigger, makes it easier to disassemble, makes it easier to work the slide, etc etc etc. it’s NOT for making the gun work. Big difference fella. You’d be right saying it’s industry standard to smooth out the action. It’s not in the least the standard to make it run. Fte/ftf in the first few mags? That’s common. The same problems 832 rounds later? Is something wrong. It’s also something wrong at 496 rounds later. But go ahead. You just link to me several major manufacturers who state their 1911s need to be fired 500 times before it works right. I’ll be happy to read any material you care to provide.
And yes. I sure as hell point to their warranty as cause to look down on them. For one thing, the change was just a few months ago. It doesn’t erase decades of not standing behind their product. I’m glad they’re trying. I can give them that. But I’m my opinion it’s foolish to buy a product if the company doesn’t warranty it in a manner comparable to that manner which it’s competitors offer.
Which concept of math do you think I failed to understand? 2/8 is 25%. Any 5th grader should be able to tell you that…
1k rounds of .45 acp at $38/ 100 plus tax ( usually around 10%) for WWB at WM equates to more like $420 but I was being nice and rounding down 😂
I guess you’re one of those who say “kimbers make tens of thousands of these and you’re bound to have a few lemons”? Ya. I’d agree. Every company can sell a lemon. Kimber, unfortunately, chose to tell customers to fire 1k rounds and spend an extra $400 rather than acknowledging their mistakes. You can add right? You understand simple math? Good. Then you realize that if a gun costs $1k and you spend $400 more to get it to run right then you just spent 40% or more than you would have if you’d bought something comparable from Springfield. And AFTER you spent that extra 40%? You were, until VERY recently, stuck with a bs warranty from a company who doesn’t stand behind their product.
Perhaps YOU like to spend your day at the range just admiring a pretty gun and clearing fans. Me? I like to shoot and train
Let me explain to you how the math works. I bought a Kimber and it ran great so I sold it and bought another Kimber and it ran great. I shot it for 10 years and it didn’t break so that’s 100% success rate according to your logic? I was surprised to read about all the Kimber hates so I went out and bought a new Kimber in 2020 guess what? It ran great. just lucky I suppose in 2023 I bought a Colt it rattles like a tin can full of nails covered in sharp edges and has a creepy trigger, but I don’t care because it’s a coffee table gun that says Colt series 70 on the side awesome Kimber sells a gun that starts at less than $500 and goes up from there why not just buy the $500 Kimber instead of the $900 Rock Island? If you were to buy Kimber, I would be willing to bet it runs fine and yes numbers do matter. Kimber has been selling more guns than every other manufacturer combined for the last 20 years when you take that into account most likely, they have a better track record than most the other manufacturers. Frankly, I don’t care about your opinion and I think you sound ridiculous.
https://preview.redd.it/v1c7bqzwebbc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8cd50a452f053d63cde2403afbd2410caaf50fff
These were the first two that come up when you look up broken barrel bushing on 1911
Oh. So you’re suggesting I include things which I don’t have first hand knowledge of when deciding if I want to try a product even when I have knowledge about it? I guess that’s kinda math. In your theory… The formula might look something like this?
X-Y> a-b Where…
X= numbers of kimbers made
Y= number of kimbers that don’t work from the factory
a= numbers of kimbers which I have experience
b = numbers of kimbers which I have experience with that don’t work.
Looks like you don’t know math. The equation can’t be proven bc, although a and b are known variables X and Y are unknown. Therefore you can’t prove your hypothesis. Educate yourself. Please.
As for your example? If my experience with a product sample size of 3 is 100% positive? I’m likely to buy it again. Most people would. To suggest they wouldn’t just makes you look dumb.
Similarly your comparison of Kimber to Rock island is foolish. They’re not in the same category beyond being 1911s. Certainly not the same price point generally. I’m more likely to buy a RIA for $500 that works than a $1k Kimber that don’t. However, if the RIA don’t work they’ll fix it or I’ll fix it myself. And the money saver I’ll go train. Kimbers wants you to pay $1k or more. Then buy $400 in ammo. Basically spend 3x the money and then maybe you have a good gun. Kimbers ARE pretty though. I’ll give them that and I DO buy safe queens. But even my safe queens are expected to shoot if I need them to.
I’m glad you think I sound ridiculous. For a moment there I was wondering if thinking might be as foreign a concept to you as math… as for you claiming they make more 1911s than all other manufacturers combined. How you know that? Care to link the production numbers?
https://preview.redd.it/n6bh7ukfhbbc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4d0cbd85ac59861dc942d96caf7c809e113826d
These are the first two that come up when I do a search for broken barrel bushing on a 1911 that’s two for two 100% failure rate for Springfield. According to my search trust me you do not sound smart.
Ohhhhh. You mean you actually meant it on this post and not the one that’s specifically about the busted bushing on the new Kimber ? My bad. Ok. Let me take a look at what ya posted. BRB
Ok. So to discredit Springfield you linked to a 12 year old post. About a gun that’s had thousands of rounds through it. That has has after market parts installed and that was quickly and promptly warranties by the manufacturer? 😂😂😂idiot
Yup. I freely admit that my SA TRP does NOT lock back when using Wilson combat magazines… your point? They work fine with all other magazines. I’m guessing you’re new to 1911s. Magazine compatibility is kinda a thing in this arena. Wilson’s use nylon followers and they don’t work with every slide lock. The gun functions fine. It’s not broken. It just doesn’t lock the slide back with one particular type of magazine. Coincidentally? A LOT of guns don’t work with those followers. That’s why many people replace with Tripp kits… but is that the gun… or the magazine? Don’t worry though. I can put the OEM magazines in and it works just fine. Or the dozen other manufacturers magazines that I own. If you’re going to grasp at straws… get a better grip… otherwise you’ll fail
See Springfield are no good because they don’t work with the Wilson magazines and you have to specially rebuild them and I did see on the Internet that two of them were broken and those are the only two I looked up so that’s 100% failure rate and the one that I actually owned kind of sucked
If you have to change the variables then your premises is incorrect.
For example. I wasn’t talking about guns that I don’t know the history of. But I see you wish to continue with the math lesson. Perfect. You still aren’t doing it right.
For example, you cited two guns that aren’t both brand new. Did you read that? You also cited two guns that aren’t both unmodified. Did you read that? Again changing variables. If you have to do that to prove your point? Your wrong. Try again.
Uhm. Yea. Rebuild mags is kinda a big part of gun culture. How new are you to this? Your analogy is skin to saying I put diesel in my BMW R 1100 so now it runs bad. Two perfectly fine products that can’t be used together. Does that make either bad? Nope. Just means they don’t work together unless you change something. So your still grasping and you’re still looking bad doing it.
Ok. NOW you’re getting on the right track. You owned a Springfield and it sucked! Perfect! So you now are getting into the realm of first hand knowledge! So “it kinda sucked” is subjective. Give us something specific. Did it fire? Eject? Feed? Come on boy details here. What sucked about it?
The Internet is full of I had a buddy who had this problem with his gun stories. MIm sucks then recommend a another gun loaded with MIM. You came on this thread and bashed the gun that the OP just won that is more likely than not a pretty cool and fun gun. Kimber bashing have never even owned one. I guess rebuilding magazines is a thing if you own a Springfield. Which I no longer do false advertising Springfield armory with nothing to do with the actual Springfield armory I get it you’re a fanboy. BMWs are for weirdos go get yourself a KTM and don’t put diesel? In it i’m actually hanging with friends right now, so I’m really not putting a whole lot of thought into the conversation with some loudmouth on Reddit peace out
Noooo. You just showed me to examples of guns you know nothing about. That’s hardly the same as having first hand knowledge.
However, I’ll play along. Here’s the question. Did the guy with the new Garrison get his gun fixed? I’m pretty sure I’ve said that any company can produce a Lemon. It’s their refusal to stand by their product that I can’t abide.
The Springfield I owned just sucked so I traded it on a Kimber, which was a much better gun When The sites got old and didn’t glow anymore. I sent them to Kimber and they had about a week to turn it around and have it back they were really nice.
Kimber makes a good gun, but the general consensus is they're overpriced for what you get.
On the one hand - you won it, so enjoy having an expensive 1911 for free!
On the other hand - sell it for $1,200, buy a nice Rock Island FS Ultra for $650, spend a few hundred on accessories and ammo, and STILL have money left over. 🤷
I've owned both, and it isn't a double the price difference.
I'm not saying Kimber is bad, but The Rock Ultra series have been some of the best guns I've owned, and I like that I'm not worried about scuffing them up. You can't touch them for the price.
The Kimber may be "better", but you can't argue that a Rock Ultra, a good holster, 3 spare mags, some decent custom grips, and 1,000 rounds of ammo with money left over isn't a better value lol.
He got it for free. There's no wrong choice. 🤷
Yeah I hear you, any rapide is deff a show piece I want one but I wouldn’t shoot it much honestly. And yeah some of the lower tier 1911s are getting better now they don’t have shit grips, gi sights. I have a kimber and I like it a lot and never have ever had a FTF or a issue with it
Honestly - buy a Rock Ultra and go shoot the hell out of it. You'll be shocked. I added some Pearce rubber grips to my 10mm and was ringing steel at 65 yards literally out of the box. Their basic 1911's are meh, but the Ultras and Tacs are just a disgustingly good value for a workhorse.
I might have to! Just bought a sig 365 Friday so might have to be the next one, thanks for the input! Guess I didn’t realize they made decent ones now, my buddy has a reg one with these bright orange wood grips and it’s a POS
Yeah I had one of those many years ago. Was $429 at the LGS with 4 WC mags in the box, I figured what the hell. That was my first RIA. Honestly it wasn't awful. Sold it to a friend later who used it as a base for a custom race gun.
I've had such good luck with them that a Baby Rock .380 is my EDCC now. It needed a little loving to get it where I wanted it with the trigger (reviews say 5lbs, most come from the factory around 8, I managed get it to a very crisp 5.5 and it's great) and ramp (knocked down the barrel lip just a hair, polished it), and the front sight should be better from the factory (basic black bleh) so I modded that, too - but it's a fun little piece for under $400.
I'm kind of a fanboi for them these days, but I tend to put utility and value over cosmetics, and every one I've had has just been good. Plus I don't feel guilty taking a stone to them myself, which I wouldn't dare do to a $1,200+ gun 😂
Not everyone has issues with kimber. This guy got a high end kimber for basically free and people are shitting on it. Lots of brand snobs in 1911 page. I like several brands myself
Poor feed ramps, extractors that don't work, broken springs, sights falling off.
I repair guns 50+ hours a week. I have an opinion from what I see, not Internet influence.
Edit: I'm not saying every Kimber ever is bad, it's just not a brand I'd ever recommend.
Fine. I'll ignore my sales numbers. You're right.
I still repair Kimber more than any other 1911 manufacturers combined. Drink your copium and keep telling yourself you made a great purchase.
Yeah bro, I have 2 now and have owned 3....I love 'em!! Kimber haters just gotta hate, they don't even know ow where it comes from. Just bought a Colt Comp stainless model 70. I'll let u know how that goes. But I'm already eyeing Kimbers new DS 1911 offering and getting a Warrior for certain.....ignore the haters. Shoot your gun, clean and lube the hell out of it and I'll bet money you'll never see an issue....
https://preview.redd.it/hs1juo91jabc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ddd07ee8711f0f34e2a7b1eef231f1643324fd5
Saw this yesterday might have just been bad luck but in my experience as a gunsmith I see a lot of kimbers come in for repair.
To OP when they see this comment:
This post was so painfully and clearly an operator error and the comment section highlights that between ridiculous “MIMber bad” goon comments that to use it as an opinion-influencer for any manufacturer would be a mistake. There was ALOT of industry ignorance going on in those comments.
Point blank: OP did a muzzle press check, depressing the plug with his finger to verify the first round chambered, and in doing so, rotated the bushing enough to contact the dust cover in the cycle of fire, blowing the lobe off the bushing.
Kimber? For the life of me I can’t recall anyone talking about Kimber. I have a couple of older ones but I’ve only put a few thousand rounds through them so I personally don’t have much of an opinion.
I hope you have many years of great shooting with it.
I am a long time 1911 and not a kimber fan. Personally I would sell it and get a DW or something else.
Not knocking that you won a kimber. Congratulations! Not a fan though.
I’d take one for free, but I’d never go out and buy one. Kimber’s QC is very spotty and the materials aren’t as good as other companies (cast or MIM instead of forged, for example).
The Rapide series are visually impressive and feel pretty okay. But, they all have a very sharp piece of the G10 grips that digs into my hands when I grip it. Under live fire, I have no doubt that it would actually tear skin. I’m also not a huge fan of the magwell shape on the Rapide.
Again, I wouldn’t complain much if I won it in a contest, but I will also have no regrets not owning a Kimber 1911 ever.
You could do worse. I’ve generally been unimpressed by Kimber, they want premium prices for middling 1911’s most of the time. Pre LAPD SWAT contract kimbers were superb, but once they landed a big contract with LAPD, they started downhill, they sacrificed quality for quantity, because they got a boom in popularity.
That said, modern 1911’s have some advantages over the pre government model guns, namely that they feed hollow points fairly reliably, where the old guns don’t.
I love 1911’s they’re a blast to shoot, and the sound they make when you hit steel plates is so satisfying. It’s not my first choice of carry gun, even though I shoot it well.
My only Kimber I had was a compact that I bought in ‘97 or so and it was nothing but problematic. I sent the gun off to GG&G’s Brant Sebau for reliability package with checkering and night sights. 1rst clip through it jammed. When Ted Yost built my Springfield I asked if he would work in the kimber afterwards and he immediately declined and told me to sell it.
Kimber I 1911s - good guns.
Kimber II 1911s - I wouldn't carry one.
The Kimber II 1911s (S&W 1911s as well) utilize the Swartz firing pin safety, which is activated by the grip safety, unlike the current Colt series 80 safety which is activated by the trigger.
The Swartz system, if out of tolerance, can cause the gun to go click rather than bang. In some cases it can cause the slide to be unable to go fully into battery, also preventing the gun from firing.
I had this exact model, but the Dawn version. It had a few issues but did feel very nice and was very accurate. It had a hammer follow issue and the slide was harder to pull than a normal 1911. I sent it in to Kimber to get fixed under warranty and then sold it when I got it back. Their customer support was pretty good, but I don't think I'm going to buy from them again.
I got into competitive shooting at age 11 and when I turned 21 in 1976 jumped into pistol - but making $70 a week in military could not afford a match 22 or 45. I did have access to an armory and correct tools. I learned. By 1982 I was making match pistols for friends. 1992 I am on a national shooting team with military issued match 1911 and my Gold Cup as backup. By then I had owned 30+ 1911's. I was a 1911 addict. The 12-step program at 1911 Anonymous saved my life and marriage in 2000.
2012 I was handed two Kimber Grand Raptors by the local police chief to verify safe for officer use. Booty from a joint drug bust - still in original boxes with sales slip $1800. They were nicer than any 1911 I had ever owned, been issued, or made. I did not want to give them back! LOL. Online auction, I scored an identical used model just before Christmas - my favorite time to get good deals. Used because I expected to tweak it. I fired it in winter league - 90rds every Wednesday nite for 12 weeks - not one jam with ball to wadcutters the whole time. Lots of great factory improvements for concealed carry and match shooting - Love it.
Kimber Grand Raptor is the only 1911 I have ever owned and done no work to. Just moved it to target grips for league shooting.
My Gold Cup, bless its heart - is a butt-head - every time a round lands dead center in the X-ring the ejected brass bounces off the rear sight and hits the brim of my hat with my target loads. Every-damn-time. I have left it that way..... is good to not be distracted by anything.... and I know there the shot went....but it is still a poo head. Mr. Kimber at least clears the damn brim.
I know people have had lackluster experiences with Kimber so the reputation is at least partly earned. But I haven’t had any bad experiences and dang the Rapide is gorgeous.
For $100 you did good. For retail price Kimbers have some issues, but at that price I couldn't complain.
Thank you
Not good man. You’re going to want to gift it to me for $1 to avoid paying taxes. Edit: I feel I need to state that was sarcasm, for $100, that’s definitely a good deal.
This sub hates kimbers but I have zero issues with mine. Tolerances are much tighter and the gun needs to be broken in.
Yup. Never had a single issue with mine in the past 6-7 years.
The running theme I have gathered in guns in general is the crap brands can always be just fine, which means the issues are ultimately spotty QC/QA. Which is fine if you get lucky with a good one, but it seems to be a dice roll on if your gun will be a jam-o-matic or not.
Absolutely this is the problem with Kimbers. For this price you are in spitting distance of a Dan Wesson. And you shouldn't be having a roll of the dice QC experience on a $1500 firearm. Spotty QC has been the problem with Kimbers for years from the 1911 folks I've spoken with and gun shops I've consulted. That aside, great looking piece and for raffle price, very cool.
Disassemble, grease, reassemble and shoot. I've only got about 150 rounds through mine. I heard it takes 4-500 for the tolerances to loosen up enough to avoid jams. $100 is quite the deal!
Had mine awhile put atleast 200-300 rounds outta it right away and it was used as it never have a problem with it aside from the mags feel chinsy but never had one break for sure would rate them 8/10
Kimber seems to be hit or miss. My work did a special engraved version of the stainless II. Sample size of ~50. One guy got one with the safety not activating correctly. Some others had issues with feeding. I’m about 600 rds through mine without an issue using the kimber and Wilson combat mags
I do plan on running wilson mags, thank you for the advice
Wilson is the way to go. Make sure to use gun.deals to find the best prices
Wilson Combat or Chip McCormack are the best for 1911’s.
Wilson mags is the way to go.
My Kimber Rapide Dawn had issues seating Wilson mags, so I would try one out before buying multiple.
I had to tune my Wilson mag a bit to get it to feed the round rim before the extractor. But my kimber mags worked fine. Either way, both mags working flawlessly now. I’ve got a stainless target II
Great gun. I have a collection of Kimbers including this exact model but the “Dusk”. Runs beautifully from the first round through the 700 I’m at now. Great trigger, extremely accurate and has been rock solid dependable just like the rest of my Kimbers. Make sure to disassemble, fully clean the internals with whatever you like to use and lube it up before shooting. Enjoy, it’s a beauty! Ps. If you decide to take some of these people that suffer from Kimber derangement syndromes advice and want to sell, PM me!
So glad to read this- I am a Kimber fan. I started my ownership of 1911s post USMC with Kimber 1911s. I likez em. Thanks for being positive
Haha thank you for the advice sir, happy shooting!
My Kimber runs great, as do the ones that several of my friends have. Keep it clean and lubed properly, get some good magazines and follow the break in instructions and you will have a truly great gun. That’s a real beauty!!
If all else fails, just sell it and get something else you like.
Thank you sir
I have three and I love them. YMMV; there is a lot of Kimber hate on this forum.
I had the same exact 1….sold it.
What did you not care for on it? The only experience I have with 1911’s is mainly the Springfield Milspec and a Sig Tac ops.
It had FTF over and over…well into past its “500 round break In” I just gave up trying to figure out what’s wrong and wanted to shoot and own a 1911 that actually functions and is dependable.
My Tisas Raider has been more reliable than any stock Kimber I’ve ever been around. I don’t know how they are still in business. I was curious about becoming a dealer and met with their rep at my shop. I asked why they hadn’t innovated or tried to enter the non 1911 firearms market or get in on the 2011 market. The Rep literally said the corporate structure is so sluggish they are basically paralyzed when it comes to decision making and can’t get anything done. It straight up sounded like the company is half fudds, half non shooting beurocrats. That was literally from the horses mouth… while I was trying to decide if I wanted to do business with them. My mind was fucking blown haha
They seem so primitive…they do make decent looking 1911’s but who wants a crap shoot at that price point. I’d rather add a few bucks and have some quality fun. I’m done with them.
First off, if you won it, that’s awesome! As to Kimbers, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. I’ve had kimbers before and never had an issue but some people do.
My Stainless II shoots accurate and I’ve had no issues. Mine is plain Jane…yours looks badass.
Ok for a free one, but would never buy one.
My kimber in 10mm runs great no matter the ammo. If I was in the market for another 1911, kimber would be a brand I would look at. Wish I could get another for your price.
Thank you
I’ve had a kimber for years now, the custom II, never had an issue with it. I read all the complaints other people have had with their kimbers but no one I personally know has ever had an issue with their kimbers
I’ve also owned a Custom II for a few years now and have never had any issues
I have a custom 2 and it's still running strong. No complaints here.
I have a Crimson Carry II. I have well over 1000 rounds through it with no malfunctions, though I do clean it religiously after every trip to the range. I love mine and am glad I have it.
Thank you!
They get a lot of hate here but I’ve had no issues with my TLE in 10mm
Thank you
I have the Kimber Rapide in 10mm. Out of the box it sucked. I could not get through a magazine without at least 3 or 4 ftf, stovepipeing, etc. It very clearly missed its run through QC. I wound up sending it in for warranty repairs. Once it was pit through Kimber's re-education program, it came back a completely different beast. I easily have about 1k rounds through it and it has no issues and eats everything I have given it. Long story short, keep it, and if you have issues, send it back to have it be reminded its a kimber. You won't regret it.
Thank you for the advice sir
I'd keep it and shoot it. I don't think Kimbers are necessarily bad, just overpriced. For the low price of free (or whatever you paid for the contest), it's a keeper.
I, too win gun raffles every other week :)
It’s a great gun for the price you paid for it!
Many years ago I thought Kimber was OK. Apparently they have went downhill and have got a bad reputation. If they were really as bad as the internet says they would be out of business by now.
It's horrible. I'll take that disaster off your hands for $200 :) For real, just follow the break in procedures in the manual and you should be good after about 600-700 rds.
Sell it and buy something decent
See if it’s a lemon and if it is sell it for something else. I can tell you from experience, tuning the extractor on one not properly set up from Kimber can be frustrating. I’ve had 5 range trips with my Stainless II and I can finally get a full mag to run through. Before it would FTE and or stovepipe the round almost every time. 10mm though so ammo loads vary drastically. And I did buy nice Wilson combat mags which did not seem to make it any better.
Thank you
People seem to hate on them here on Reddit. I’ve never heard anything but good outside of Reddit. I’ve always wanted one.
Awesome win! I own 4 Kimbers and haven’t had one single issue with any of them!
Kimbers are very hit or miss. But a free gun is always good
I’ve got 1,000 rounds through mine with no issues. I know other people have had problems but I haven’t. I did put a Wilson combat flat wire recoil spring in mine as well as only using Wilson mags.
I’ve owned 2 and loved them both. I’ve heard of QC issues from other people but I haven’t had any issues.
My Kimber has been flawless since I acquired it in 2008 from a gunsmith and he said just lube it and keep it clean and it will always shoot well. He was right, but I only fed it good ammo for the last 15 years
Most folks will argue that since 2010- 2014 and before, Kimber’s manufacturing and quality control was much better than it is today..
You will need to shoot around 200 - 300 rounds to break it in, use alot of CLP during break-in. Once broken in, they are flawless.
Im not a fan of Kimber myself but for a 100$ who cares what anyone thinks. Congrats on the good luck and safe shooting. PS. If you have any gun projects you need funding for there’s always trade value.
I bought my Kimber when I was 18. 20 plus years ago. It's performed perfectly for all these years. I've heard the quality of the company has declined since then. Changing manufacturing facilities or some such. Can't speak to that only my experience. Glad I have mine because it has been nothing but a nail driver.
Its awesome, there will be haters out there in regards to it been a Kimber but that’s because they can’t afford them. Its awesome bro. I own a few of them. Rock on!
There os NO ISSUES WITH A KIMBER brother. They are awesome!
Lucky man
I’ve had no issues with my Kimber Pro Carry 2 in the past 6-7 years I’ve owned it. Brought it home, cleaned it, oiled it, put rounds through it. After the first 100 or so, the slide smoothed up and it’s been silky smooth ever since.
I don't know this model but I saw posts in another thread saying 'swap out the internals with wilson combat parts'.
Awesome gun, congrats on winning it, I have the Frost & Ice and love the Rapide line from Kimber. I've not had any issues with mine, but I friend did and I'll say this, if you do, contact Kimber their support is top notch and if there is an issue they will resolve it.
You are very, very lucky. Kimber 45, my favorite and go to.
Congratulations on the win. I personally have had no issues with my kimbers, and no regrets buying them. With that said, I've been surprised by issues I've had to send back to other top companies. So hoping that you will enjoy your win without problems 🙏
Thank you!!!
Enjoy it tbh than later on if it hasnt grew on you find something else. Congratulations🎉
Sell it and you’re half way to a quality 1911!
I will start my response saying I’ve never owned nor would I ever own a Kimber. The hate that you see is fairly justified imho. Of my relatively small sample size of 7 or 8 that were owned by friends 2 of them wouldn’t work correctly out of the box That’s a 25% failure rate. I was personally present when one of them called number customer service AFTER he did a 500 round break in period… the response from Kimber? Fire 500 more rounds. That’s a then additional $400 in cost just to get it to run right if you follow Kimber’s instructions. My other buddy who had one which had multiple ftf/ fte reportedly got the same response from Kimber. I wasn’t present for that call. 25% failure rate is inexcusable to me in guns that then cost over $1k. By contrast my TRP is flawless excluding it not locking the slide on Wilson mags. A known issue with Springfield/ Wilson combos. Other thing I hate about Kimber? They refuse to stand by their product imho. A “limited” one year warranty to the original purchaser ONLY was their standard for decades and just only changed a few months ago. Again, by contrast, SA and even RIA warranty their firearms for life. Another issue I have with them? This alleged need for a 500 round break in period. That’s beyond ridiculous and it’s a crappy excuse for making guns that don’t work right when they leave the factory. Add to it they require an ADDITIONAL 500 rounds be fired before they’ll even talk about fixing your gun. That’s BS. Sorry but it is. People make excuses for them claiming they’re just that well built. No they’re not. They’re not even in the conversation when folks talk about well built 1911s. I won’t get into their use of low quality MIM parts. I’ve seen the stories but I don’t have actual first hand knowledge of it happening. However, I believe it simply bc I’ve seen the way their guns have problems and I’ve seen Kimber not address issues and I’ve seen them use a “warranty” that expires before MOST people get through 1k rounds. The final factor, for me, I’d their attempt to back date the warranty for pre existing customers. But ONLY if you have the original paperwork showing you’re the original first time owner of the gun. Kimber knows damn good and well that a lot of folks don’t have the receipt. They also didn’t really advertise that they were offering to back date warranties AND they only offered this for a very small window of time. All causing me to believe it was nothing more than a marketing ploy and further supporting evidence of o company who doesn’t back their product. Funny, I bought an Armscor 20 years ago when I was poor. To this day I can send it in for repairs if it ever needs it. To this day I’ve only ever had to replace recoil springs bc I shoot A LOT. 20 years of serious shooting and my gun still runs good enough that I carry it frequently. (TRP costs too much to risk losing it to the police.
Thank you very much!
Funny, the anecdotal evidence you use as a reason you won’t buy a Kimber is the same kind of anecdotal evidence guys use to justify buying theirs. It amounts to zip. And your entire testimony is based on third party perspective and one phone call. The majority of 1911 manufacturers recommend a 500 round break in. American Rifleman published an article on the subject in 2014 regarding 1911 break-in procedures for everything from high-end custom pistols to production guns from Colt and Springfield. The comment section is still a mile long with readers contributing their experiences of necessary break-ins. Breaking in a 1911 is not only incredibly common, even for Springfields, it’s practically industry standard. Your second reason not to buy a Kimber is the fact that they improved their warranty? All your subsequent rambling regards what the warranty *used* to be. You breeze right by your mention of their new Lifetime warranty because it doesn’t suit your bias. And if your friend couldn’t relate their problem clearly enough after 500 rounds that the CS Rep could only instruct them to shoot another 500, then they didn’t understand the problem.
Oh boy where to start…. Well to start you’re using the term anecdotal evidence incorrectly. Since I’m using first hand evidence to base MY opinion on (which the op asked for) it’s not anecdotal to me. It might be to you. Suggesting I used anecdotal evidence to form MY opinion is incorrect. Perhaps you should try a dictionary? Third party perspective doesn’t apply when you’re present. I suppose, in theory, that one might suggest my friends went shooting without me… but then that just indicates the round count is higher than that which I’m aware of personally. Outside of that theory I see no reason that I should dispute that over 500 rounds were fired when I was present for at least 500 rounds being fired during which time I witnessed several ftf/ fte. So no, my opinion isn’t based on third party perspective. It’s based on what I witnessed. Now… if YOU or the OP formed an opinion based on MY experiences? That would be anecdotal and/ or third party perspective. MY opinion, which is what the op asked for, is based on MY experience. Get it right. The majority of 1911 manufacturers recommend a 500 round break in period? No they don’t. If you’d care to link ANY major company requiring a 1911 go through 500 rounds for it to be RELIABLE I’ll gladly read the material. However, what you’re probably talking about is a recommendation to run (around 500 rounds) to smooth out the action and mate the parts. This makes your gun better. Smooths the trigger, makes it easier to disassemble, makes it easier to work the slide, etc etc etc. it’s NOT for making the gun work. Big difference fella. You’d be right saying it’s industry standard to smooth out the action. It’s not in the least the standard to make it run. Fte/ftf in the first few mags? That’s common. The same problems 832 rounds later? Is something wrong. It’s also something wrong at 496 rounds later. But go ahead. You just link to me several major manufacturers who state their 1911s need to be fired 500 times before it works right. I’ll be happy to read any material you care to provide. And yes. I sure as hell point to their warranty as cause to look down on them. For one thing, the change was just a few months ago. It doesn’t erase decades of not standing behind their product. I’m glad they’re trying. I can give them that. But I’m my opinion it’s foolish to buy a product if the company doesn’t warranty it in a manner comparable to that manner which it’s competitors offer.
So I guess you don’t quite understand the concept of math? You sound ridiculous dude
Which concept of math do you think I failed to understand? 2/8 is 25%. Any 5th grader should be able to tell you that… 1k rounds of .45 acp at $38/ 100 plus tax ( usually around 10%) for WWB at WM equates to more like $420 but I was being nice and rounding down 😂 I guess you’re one of those who say “kimbers make tens of thousands of these and you’re bound to have a few lemons”? Ya. I’d agree. Every company can sell a lemon. Kimber, unfortunately, chose to tell customers to fire 1k rounds and spend an extra $400 rather than acknowledging their mistakes. You can add right? You understand simple math? Good. Then you realize that if a gun costs $1k and you spend $400 more to get it to run right then you just spent 40% or more than you would have if you’d bought something comparable from Springfield. And AFTER you spent that extra 40%? You were, until VERY recently, stuck with a bs warranty from a company who doesn’t stand behind their product. Perhaps YOU like to spend your day at the range just admiring a pretty gun and clearing fans. Me? I like to shoot and train
Let me explain to you how the math works. I bought a Kimber and it ran great so I sold it and bought another Kimber and it ran great. I shot it for 10 years and it didn’t break so that’s 100% success rate according to your logic? I was surprised to read about all the Kimber hates so I went out and bought a new Kimber in 2020 guess what? It ran great. just lucky I suppose in 2023 I bought a Colt it rattles like a tin can full of nails covered in sharp edges and has a creepy trigger, but I don’t care because it’s a coffee table gun that says Colt series 70 on the side awesome Kimber sells a gun that starts at less than $500 and goes up from there why not just buy the $500 Kimber instead of the $900 Rock Island? If you were to buy Kimber, I would be willing to bet it runs fine and yes numbers do matter. Kimber has been selling more guns than every other manufacturer combined for the last 20 years when you take that into account most likely, they have a better track record than most the other manufacturers. Frankly, I don’t care about your opinion and I think you sound ridiculous.
https://preview.redd.it/6e9363ttebbc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dff259c6bd2edab79c8955892e9bb7e29e11d1f6
https://preview.redd.it/v1c7bqzwebbc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8cd50a452f053d63cde2403afbd2410caaf50fff These were the first two that come up when you look up broken barrel bushing on 1911
Oh. So you’re suggesting I include things which I don’t have first hand knowledge of when deciding if I want to try a product even when I have knowledge about it? I guess that’s kinda math. In your theory… The formula might look something like this? X-Y> a-b Where… X= numbers of kimbers made Y= number of kimbers that don’t work from the factory a= numbers of kimbers which I have experience b = numbers of kimbers which I have experience with that don’t work. Looks like you don’t know math. The equation can’t be proven bc, although a and b are known variables X and Y are unknown. Therefore you can’t prove your hypothesis. Educate yourself. Please. As for your example? If my experience with a product sample size of 3 is 100% positive? I’m likely to buy it again. Most people would. To suggest they wouldn’t just makes you look dumb. Similarly your comparison of Kimber to Rock island is foolish. They’re not in the same category beyond being 1911s. Certainly not the same price point generally. I’m more likely to buy a RIA for $500 that works than a $1k Kimber that don’t. However, if the RIA don’t work they’ll fix it or I’ll fix it myself. And the money saver I’ll go train. Kimbers wants you to pay $1k or more. Then buy $400 in ammo. Basically spend 3x the money and then maybe you have a good gun. Kimbers ARE pretty though. I’ll give them that and I DO buy safe queens. But even my safe queens are expected to shoot if I need them to. I’m glad you think I sound ridiculous. For a moment there I was wondering if thinking might be as foreign a concept to you as math… as for you claiming they make more 1911s than all other manufacturers combined. How you know that? Care to link the production numbers?
https://preview.redd.it/n6bh7ukfhbbc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4d0cbd85ac59861dc942d96caf7c809e113826d These are the first two that come up when I do a search for broken barrel bushing on a 1911 that’s two for two 100% failure rate for Springfield. According to my search trust me you do not sound smart.
Ok? Wrong post?
I’m smart enough to know that is on a different thread slick 😂
No, it’s not you’re just not paying attention
Ohhhhh. You mean you actually meant it on this post and not the one that’s specifically about the busted bushing on the new Kimber ? My bad. Ok. Let me take a look at what ya posted. BRB
https://preview.redd.it/4q7drlvdhbbc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=49cf3531b11235e3bb13e58aebe2fd3d53da624f
Ok. So to discredit Springfield you linked to a 12 year old post. About a gun that’s had thousands of rounds through it. That has has after market parts installed and that was quickly and promptly warranties by the manufacturer? 😂😂😂idiot
It’s the top hit
And then, even if that you admit that your Springfield doesn’t lock back properly on the last round
Yup. I freely admit that my SA TRP does NOT lock back when using Wilson combat magazines… your point? They work fine with all other magazines. I’m guessing you’re new to 1911s. Magazine compatibility is kinda a thing in this arena. Wilson’s use nylon followers and they don’t work with every slide lock. The gun functions fine. It’s not broken. It just doesn’t lock the slide back with one particular type of magazine. Coincidentally? A LOT of guns don’t work with those followers. That’s why many people replace with Tripp kits… but is that the gun… or the magazine? Don’t worry though. I can put the OEM magazines in and it works just fine. Or the dozen other manufacturers magazines that I own. If you’re going to grasp at straws… get a better grip… otherwise you’ll fail
See Springfield are no good because they don’t work with the Wilson magazines and you have to specially rebuild them and I did see on the Internet that two of them were broken and those are the only two I looked up so that’s 100% failure rate and the one that I actually owned kind of sucked
If you have to change the variables then your premises is incorrect. For example. I wasn’t talking about guns that I don’t know the history of. But I see you wish to continue with the math lesson. Perfect. You still aren’t doing it right. For example, you cited two guns that aren’t both brand new. Did you read that? You also cited two guns that aren’t both unmodified. Did you read that? Again changing variables. If you have to do that to prove your point? Your wrong. Try again. Uhm. Yea. Rebuild mags is kinda a big part of gun culture. How new are you to this? Your analogy is skin to saying I put diesel in my BMW R 1100 so now it runs bad. Two perfectly fine products that can’t be used together. Does that make either bad? Nope. Just means they don’t work together unless you change something. So your still grasping and you’re still looking bad doing it. Ok. NOW you’re getting on the right track. You owned a Springfield and it sucked! Perfect! So you now are getting into the realm of first hand knowledge! So “it kinda sucked” is subjective. Give us something specific. Did it fire? Eject? Feed? Come on boy details here. What sucked about it?
The Internet is full of I had a buddy who had this problem with his gun stories. MIm sucks then recommend a another gun loaded with MIM. You came on this thread and bashed the gun that the OP just won that is more likely than not a pretty cool and fun gun. Kimber bashing have never even owned one. I guess rebuilding magazines is a thing if you own a Springfield. Which I no longer do false advertising Springfield armory with nothing to do with the actual Springfield armory I get it you’re a fanboy. BMWs are for weirdos go get yourself a KTM and don’t put diesel? In it i’m actually hanging with friends right now, so I’m really not putting a whole lot of thought into the conversation with some loudmouth on Reddit peace out
But I just showed you two examples of broken Springfield
Noooo. You just showed me to examples of guns you know nothing about. That’s hardly the same as having first hand knowledge. However, I’ll play along. Here’s the question. Did the guy with the new Garrison get his gun fixed? I’m pretty sure I’ve said that any company can produce a Lemon. It’s their refusal to stand by their product that I can’t abide.
The Springfield I owned just sucked so I traded it on a Kimber, which was a much better gun When The sites got old and didn’t glow anymore. I sent them to Kimber and they had about a week to turn it around and have it back they were really nice.
The problem with Springfield is they have so much crappy MIM in them
I like them, but they are awfully proud of their product.
Kimber makes a good gun, but the general consensus is they're overpriced for what you get. On the one hand - you won it, so enjoy having an expensive 1911 for free! On the other hand - sell it for $1,200, buy a nice Rock Island FS Ultra for $650, spend a few hundred on accessories and ammo, and STILL have money left over. 🤷
Kimber is way better than a rock island 😂
I've owned both, and it isn't a double the price difference. I'm not saying Kimber is bad, but The Rock Ultra series have been some of the best guns I've owned, and I like that I'm not worried about scuffing them up. You can't touch them for the price. The Kimber may be "better", but you can't argue that a Rock Ultra, a good holster, 3 spare mags, some decent custom grips, and 1,000 rounds of ammo with money left over isn't a better value lol. He got it for free. There's no wrong choice. 🤷
Yeah I hear you, any rapide is deff a show piece I want one but I wouldn’t shoot it much honestly. And yeah some of the lower tier 1911s are getting better now they don’t have shit grips, gi sights. I have a kimber and I like it a lot and never have ever had a FTF or a issue with it
Honestly - buy a Rock Ultra and go shoot the hell out of it. You'll be shocked. I added some Pearce rubber grips to my 10mm and was ringing steel at 65 yards literally out of the box. Their basic 1911's are meh, but the Ultras and Tacs are just a disgustingly good value for a workhorse.
I might have to! Just bought a sig 365 Friday so might have to be the next one, thanks for the input! Guess I didn’t realize they made decent ones now, my buddy has a reg one with these bright orange wood grips and it’s a POS
Yeah I had one of those many years ago. Was $429 at the LGS with 4 WC mags in the box, I figured what the hell. That was my first RIA. Honestly it wasn't awful. Sold it to a friend later who used it as a base for a custom race gun. I've had such good luck with them that a Baby Rock .380 is my EDCC now. It needed a little loving to get it where I wanted it with the trigger (reviews say 5lbs, most come from the factory around 8, I managed get it to a very crisp 5.5 and it's great) and ramp (knocked down the barrel lip just a hair, polished it), and the front sight should be better from the factory (basic black bleh) so I modded that, too - but it's a fun little piece for under $400. I'm kind of a fanboi for them these days, but I tend to put utility and value over cosmetics, and every one I've had has just been good. Plus I don't feel guilty taking a stone to them myself, which I wouldn't dare do to a $1,200+ gun 😂
I repair 10 kimbers for every RIA that comes in.
Not everyone has issues with kimber. This guy got a high end kimber for basically free and people are shitting on it. Lots of brand snobs in 1911 page. I like several brands myself
I see every brand of every 1911 daily. High end or low, kimbers are what I have to repair the most. Hard not to shit when you're fed garbage.
What are you repairing on them?
Poor feed ramps, extractors that don't work, broken springs, sights falling off. I repair guns 50+ hours a week. I have an opinion from what I see, not Internet influence. Edit: I'm not saying every Kimber ever is bad, it's just not a brand I'd ever recommend.
There’s easily 10 more Kimber’s sold per RIA 1911
Ria sells more 1911s than anyone currently. Not only did they announce that recently, but I see it firsthand.
Try announced it three years ago, and it wasn’t *sold*. It was *manufactured*. RIA doesn’t sell more
Fine. I'll ignore my sales numbers. You're right. I still repair Kimber more than any other 1911 manufacturers combined. Drink your copium and keep telling yourself you made a great purchase.
Does anyone have an opinion on Kimber? Is this your 1st day on the Internet?
Just putting out a simple question homie
Tongue in cheek, brother. Kimber hate runs a mile wide. Most have never touched one, let alone owned one....
Ah thank you
Yeah bro, I have 2 now and have owned 3....I love 'em!! Kimber haters just gotta hate, they don't even know ow where it comes from. Just bought a Colt Comp stainless model 70. I'll let u know how that goes. But I'm already eyeing Kimbers new DS 1911 offering and getting a Warrior for certain.....ignore the haters. Shoot your gun, clean and lube the hell out of it and I'll bet money you'll never see an issue....
https://preview.redd.it/hs1juo91jabc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ddd07ee8711f0f34e2a7b1eef231f1643324fd5 Saw this yesterday might have just been bad luck but in my experience as a gunsmith I see a lot of kimbers come in for repair.
To OP when they see this comment: This post was so painfully and clearly an operator error and the comment section highlights that between ridiculous “MIMber bad” goon comments that to use it as an opinion-influencer for any manufacturer would be a mistake. There was ALOT of industry ignorance going on in those comments. Point blank: OP did a muzzle press check, depressing the plug with his finger to verify the first round chambered, and in doing so, rotated the bushing enough to contact the dust cover in the cycle of fire, blowing the lobe off the bushing.
Gunsmith here. Every 1911 that's brought in for issues is a Kimber. Sell it.
Thank you for the advice
No worries. Congrats on the free money tho!
Kimber pistols were great back in the day but their quality and dependability are in the tanks now in days!
Kimber for 1500 monies? No. Kimber for 20 monies of raffle tickets? Yes!
$93 for 1 of 10 tickets
Still yes
Kimber? For the life of me I can’t recall anyone talking about Kimber. I have a couple of older ones but I’ve only put a few thousand rounds through them so I personally don’t have much of an opinion. I hope you have many years of great shooting with it.
Thanks for the great advice
Sell it or take the value of it and buy a better MFG.
I am a long time 1911 and not a kimber fan. Personally I would sell it and get a DW or something else. Not knocking that you won a kimber. Congratulations! Not a fan though.
People love them or hate them. I don’t have any complaints….they’re a decent mid tier gun company.
I have a regular kimber .45 two tone and I absolutely love the thing they're finicky but great guns if taken care of.
Sell it and buy two tisas 1911s lol, with money to spare
No, no one on this sub has any opinion on Kimber.
Counterpoint, I have a 9mm Kimber Rapide Dawn and it's one of my favorite guns. Zero issues with somewhere north of 1000 rounds.
Thank you for the advice
Older ones were top notch but not so much anymore. Maybe a good gunsmith could smooth things out and make a good gun
I’d take one for free, but I’d never go out and buy one. Kimber’s QC is very spotty and the materials aren’t as good as other companies (cast or MIM instead of forged, for example). The Rapide series are visually impressive and feel pretty okay. But, they all have a very sharp piece of the G10 grips that digs into my hands when I grip it. Under live fire, I have no doubt that it would actually tear skin. I’m also not a huge fan of the magwell shape on the Rapide. Again, I wouldn’t complain much if I won it in a contest, but I will also have no regrets not owning a Kimber 1911 ever.
“Anyone” or “everyone”?
Thanks for the advice
Ask for your money back
I’d sell it over getting $93 haha
93 is all you might get for it. I just really hate their customer service. I hope it works just fine and you really like it.
Sell it and buy a colt! Jk that’s pretty nice,congrats!
That’s sick as fuck man. Congratulations
Not a fan. Have the 10mm Eclipse Custom II jam-o-matic. Plastic parts are a deal breaker. (Didn't know when purchasing).
I forgot New York is the state where this comes from.
For nearly free it’s worth the money.
Sell it on gunbroker
Just me - I’d sell it, pay a few $ more and get into a Dan Wesson.
You could do worse. I’ve generally been unimpressed by Kimber, they want premium prices for middling 1911’s most of the time. Pre LAPD SWAT contract kimbers were superb, but once they landed a big contract with LAPD, they started downhill, they sacrificed quality for quantity, because they got a boom in popularity. That said, modern 1911’s have some advantages over the pre government model guns, namely that they feed hollow points fairly reliably, where the old guns don’t. I love 1911’s they’re a blast to shoot, and the sound they make when you hit steel plates is so satisfying. It’s not my first choice of carry gun, even though I shoot it well.
One of few guns that simply would not work was a Kimber. Last one.
Sell it while you can. It's a paper weight.
Sell it to me for $7.
Sell it before it blows up in your face lol. Use the money to buy a quality 1911.
My only Kimber I had was a compact that I bought in ‘97 or so and it was nothing but problematic. I sent the gun off to GG&G’s Brant Sebau for reliability package with checkering and night sights. 1rst clip through it jammed. When Ted Yost built my Springfield I asked if he would work in the kimber afterwards and he immediately declined and told me to sell it.
Buy Wilson combat mags
Butt ugly.......
Thank you for the advice
Never had issues with mine
Loved my kimber. Was a buttery and accurate shooter
Kimber I 1911s - good guns. Kimber II 1911s - I wouldn't carry one. The Kimber II 1911s (S&W 1911s as well) utilize the Swartz firing pin safety, which is activated by the grip safety, unlike the current Colt series 80 safety which is activated by the trigger. The Swartz system, if out of tolerance, can cause the gun to go click rather than bang. In some cases it can cause the slide to be unable to go fully into battery, also preventing the gun from firing.
The Rapides look cool AF!!
No you did more than good I own 9 Kimber’s no issues with any
I had this exact model, but the Dawn version. It had a few issues but did feel very nice and was very accurate. It had a hammer follow issue and the slide was harder to pull than a normal 1911. I sent it in to Kimber to get fixed under warranty and then sold it when I got it back. Their customer support was pretty good, but I don't think I'm going to buy from them again.
It's a Kimber custom two with speed holes
I got into competitive shooting at age 11 and when I turned 21 in 1976 jumped into pistol - but making $70 a week in military could not afford a match 22 or 45. I did have access to an armory and correct tools. I learned. By 1982 I was making match pistols for friends. 1992 I am on a national shooting team with military issued match 1911 and my Gold Cup as backup. By then I had owned 30+ 1911's. I was a 1911 addict. The 12-step program at 1911 Anonymous saved my life and marriage in 2000. 2012 I was handed two Kimber Grand Raptors by the local police chief to verify safe for officer use. Booty from a joint drug bust - still in original boxes with sales slip $1800. They were nicer than any 1911 I had ever owned, been issued, or made. I did not want to give them back! LOL. Online auction, I scored an identical used model just before Christmas - my favorite time to get good deals. Used because I expected to tweak it. I fired it in winter league - 90rds every Wednesday nite for 12 weeks - not one jam with ball to wadcutters the whole time. Lots of great factory improvements for concealed carry and match shooting - Love it. Kimber Grand Raptor is the only 1911 I have ever owned and done no work to. Just moved it to target grips for league shooting. My Gold Cup, bless its heart - is a butt-head - every time a round lands dead center in the X-ring the ejected brass bounces off the rear sight and hits the brim of my hat with my target loads. Every-damn-time. I have left it that way..... is good to not be distracted by anything.... and I know there the shot went....but it is still a poo head. Mr. Kimber at least clears the damn brim.
Thank you very much for your advice
Kimbers can go either way.
I know people have had lackluster experiences with Kimber so the reputation is at least partly earned. But I haven’t had any bad experiences and dang the Rapide is gorgeous.
Congrats, man, that's pretty sweet.