Kimber

[Bounty Hunter]

i am looking for testimonies from kimber owners. i understand that they are accurate, but would like to know how the REAL WORLD feels about them.

Bounty Hunter

[Ak_Red]

I am also interested in what others have to say. A friend has one and has let me shoot it. It was something, though my shooting skill was about the same with it as without.

I looked into getting one. The first and second gun shops I went to were all about getting my $1000.00 and filling my hand. The third, well the gentleman in the third was a little different. While willing to sell me a Kimber, he brought to my attention there is no lifetime warranty on them. He then showed me a Springfield, which cost about the same (there were some basic models that were MUCH cheaper), felt just as good and has a lifetime warranty. Right now I am leaning towards the Springfield.

David

[gregarat]

I was contemplating a Kimber, but the lack of a warranty turned me off. Pulse I heard from several people that there quality went down the toilet recently. Go to 1911Forum and see for yourself. Most people don't have any problems with there Springy's, unfortunately mine did. I now have 300rds through my Springy G.I. mod, and its alot better. If I had big bucks to blow I would get Wilson, they also have there fair share of problems.

[Ol` Joe]

Which Kimber type are you interested in? I`ve both a 1911 CT and a M84m in 260 Rem.
The handgun has been around quite a while, it`s a series 1 model and has never bobbled on anything I`ve fed it, 4-5000 rds min. The guns fine on 200gr LSWC, 185JHPs and hardball. The gun`s more accurate then I am -not hard to be- and is keeper.

The rifle was of very early manufacture for the cartridge it`s chambered in, I think I recieved it in Nov. 02. Kimber brought out the rifle in stages starting with the 308 then with each cartridge added as they got ramped up on the last. The bolt travel was quite rough and had some binding. I sent it back to Kimber with a note and had it back within less then a week, bolt smoothed out and binding taken care of. I don`t know about others but their customer sevice was very good IMO. I`ve since played with the newer rifles on the shelfs and the bolts have ALL been much better then the first couple of production runs. The feeding has been a problem I`ve read about for some, but mine hasn`t shown any quirks in this area.

The accuracy of mine is in the sub MOA range with proper 100, 120 , and 140 gr reloads for 5 rds @100yds. The Rifle has a fantastic trigger right from the box, very crisp and set around 3# with no over travel. They are pillar bedded, bbl floated, and lug area glassed from the factory with a nice piece of wood attached. All in all I`m happy with mine. I`ve been waiting for Kimber to come out with a long action version to match, and plan on getting one if they do.

[Bounty Hunter]

joe

i'm looking @ the 84m in 7/08. thank you for the info

BH

[gregarat]

oops! Your all talking about rifles.:o (after all this is the rifle room)


Don't mind me, Ive been 1911 crazy lately.

[Ak_Red]

Nope, that was my bad. I forgot what section I was in. I read the post and assumed pistols. We all know what happens when you assume. Sigh.

David

[krshunter]

I purchased an 8400 this summer in .300WSM and was extremely pleased with the finish of the rifle. I didn't go the conventional route breaking in the barrel but rather used the David Tubb Final Finish Bore Polishing System. I used only the last three grades of bullets rather than the whole system because the Kimber barrels are supposed to be be good to begin with. I took a box of factory rounds and four different handloads to the range and had nothing larger than a 3/4" 3-shot group at 100 yds. Smallest group was with Barnes XLC bullets and was practically one hole. The trigger is excellent at about 3 lbs., great recoil pad and a nice piece of wood. I've taken three animals with it this fall and the combination of the gun and bullet has performed flawlessly. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase another one. Good luck.

krshunter

[Evan03]

while kimbers are great rifles, ive thought about getting one many times.

but i cant get over the fact that my rugers shoot so dang well, everything from 22/250s to a 300win. and theyre tough as nails.


id buy a ruger and put more cash towards glass.

[Bounty Hunter]

owned a m-77 7mm/mag one time. i can honestly say that it is the only BAD rifle that i have ever owned, so i don't think that i'll do that again. i do also have a ruger #1 in .223 that shoots exceptional. when you have a bad experience though it's hard for me to do the same thing again.

B H

[Evan03]

just think

you can spend so much more on a kimber and have that same bad exsperince with it that yo had with your ruger.

id seriously save your cash and get more for your money in glass. i think. i know id be better of spendinh 500 bucks more on my glass than i did on my rifle.

heck maybe even savage or remington. spend 400 bucks on the rifle and 600 on the glass and youd have one heck of rig.

i just today ran into guy packn 300wsm win featherlight with some cheap tasco scope on it. those are pretty good rifles alittle spendy. to bad his scope was about as cheap as they come. think his cost bout 50 bucks.

they are a few exseptions to the rule but most rifles will shoot when givein the chance. and all have the possibility born into them that they may not shoot facotry ammo or may be touchy to load for. wether you spend 400 on them or 1000.

but unless you have good glass you can never blame the rifle.

Evan

i am very much a ruger guy. my opion is very biased. but that is not based on owning just rugers. ive saved and spent my heard earned money to get remingtons and winchesters aswell. havent yet justufied spending more on kimbers and the like when i may not get more for that money.

[Bounty Hunter]

evan

well i did spend "that much more" on the kimber in 7/08 and i guess that i was LUCKY, no problems. found two different loads that shoot under 3/4" first time out. that will get me through this deer season for sure. i agree with you though, on the glass, it's absolutly just as important as the piece itself. i want you to remember one thing though "old age and treachery shall overcome youth and skill". bill ruger was a fine gentelman but SOME of his products are a bit controversial when it comes to accuracy. i have a problem with a company that accepts over 1" MOA as acceptable.

B H

leaving in the A M to break er in on the real thing this weekend. then the proof will be in the puddin(load)

[Mike Moss]

I have bought five new Kimber rifles in the last few years. The first ones were 84M Classics as the Montanas were not out yet.

I wanted lighter rifles for hunting.

When the Montanas came out I got three of them and now the dozens of older guns that I have are in the back row. I feel that the Kimber Montana is the state of the art in bolt action hunting rifles.

I gave one Classic to my kid and sold the other as I have plenty of wood/blue.

If you can afford it get a Kimber.

[RUMLUVER]

I have had 2 bad experiences with Kimber 1st with a rifle it was a model 84m in .300 WSM. It was my dads rifle and I was with when he took it to the range the first time and we were surprized in a bad way. My dad chambered the round aimed and squeezed then nothing he then went to lift the bolt handle and the bang once he moved the bolt handle! Tried one more the same thing happened. Tried a third time to see what would happen and got same results. In all the years I have shot and owned rifles I have never seen this problem nor has my father who has owned a rifle or shot one from most every major manufacturer including some old military mausers. We returned it to Kimber and it took 6 weeks to get it back with an explanation about a spring malfuntion. We took the rifle back to the range and it was fine couldn't get it to shoot under and inch with anything we tried so it got replaced with a Browning and my dad has never looked back or at another Kimber since. 2nd experience with Kimber was a TenII TLE high cap .45auto first trip to the range couldn't get the pistol to stop jamming it wouldn't fire a full clip without jamming and it wouldn't feed trunkated style bullets either. It also got returned to Kimber it took 5 weeks to get returned with an explanation that the feed ramp needed polishing and clip springs needed replacing. Got it back and it shot fine but still didn't want to feed trunkated bullets. The other thing was that I was told one day that my pistol had been shipped and then I didn't see it for a week then called back and was told that it was getting shipped that day because it just got done being test fired that day. I was pissed that I was told a week earlier that it was shipped when in fact it wasn't. The other thing is that it not only came with one clip but bad customer service as well. Since then I have switched to Para Oridinance and not looked back or at another Kimber. But I'm sure there is more good than bad experiences with Kimber firearms it just happened to be that mine were all bad.

[Mike Moss]

"model 84m in .300 WSM"

The Kimber 300 WSM is not made in the 84M model but in the 8400.

It's too bad that you had a problem with the Kimber but I feel that they are the finest American made rifle today.

Another thing is that I have had five Kimber rifles and you don' t have any and you don't know the right model numbers.

I have an collection of fine, selected pre-64 M70's and I am using Kimbers today.

[RUMLUVER]

It doesn't much matter to me if it was a 84M or a 8400 it just wasn't a good rifle. Mabey if it was a better rifle it Iwould have stuck out in my mind but it wasn't and so not worth remembering the model .The fact is I have owned rifles that cost 1/3 the price of a Kimber that shot better and didn't need to go back to the manufacturer.

[Mike Moss]

In my view you can't get your facts straight.

[RUMLUVER]

The fact is that there was 2 brand new firearms from Kimber 1 was a rifle in .300WSM and the 2nd a pistol niether one worked out of the box that in itself was enough for me. Both were sent back and didn't impress me or my father it definately wasn't performance worth the price! Nevermind the costumer service wasn't good either. I also didn't like the fact their pistol only came with one clip.

[Desert Fox]

I own one of the old one that came from Clackamas Oregon. It's a Model 82 in 223. It will shoot one holer using 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip. The workmanship of the old Kimbers were superb. JR

[Mike Moss]

Rumlover,

It's too bad that you had the problems that you did. I enjoy my Kimbers. Its just a big problem for you. You had better not buy any more of them.

Check on some of the active forums like AR and 24 hr and you will find that you have no luck.

[RUMLUVER]

Mike,

I hope you don't think that I'm bad mouthing Kimber because I'm not all that I was doing was reporting on my experience with thier products that's all. I don't think that they are a bad company because thaey have alot of satisfied customers like yourself. I don't see what the AR or 24hr forum comments mean but that is a mute piont. I just didn't have good luck with Kimber and that is just one experience among many others. I hope there isn't any hard feelings. Just because I have had better customer service and results with other componies doesn't make it the norm with those componies or Kimber.

[Mike Moss]

I have been shooting my Kimbers about every week since I got them. My newest one is a 308 Montana.

This is a special rifle going only 6 lbs with a scope. It's quite accurate with 150 Ballistic Tips and 150 Accubonds.

On the last trip to the range I shot some 110 VMax's as it's time to do some varmint hunting and practice with the rifle till next big game season. I was pleased that the work up loads all shot 1" groups at 100 yds and then the last load, which is about maximum, put the two shots next to each other at 200 yds.

Now I have loaded up a lot more of those 110's and I will shoot them this week weather permitting.

[huntingvet]

Can't say anything about the rifles, but my dad purchased a "custom" "test-fired" Kimber 1911. He was so excited since he was such a 1911 enthusiast and has quite a collection of them. He paid a pretty penny for it. I went with him to the local range. First round, pulled the trigger... nothing. Maybe it was a bad batch of ammo. Different batch, pulled the trigger.... nothing. Maybe reloads were all bad. New round from a box of factory ammo, pulled the trigger... nothing. It had to have been that all this ammo was bad because this pistol was advertised as test fired prior to shipment right? He sent it back to Kimber, had it reworked and was told the firing pin spring was bad - shouldn't they have found that out when they test fired it?

He gave up on Kimber completely after that (although he still owns this gun). He proudly recommends Wilson to anyone.

[Downwindtracker2]

I have been reading the Kimber posting ,here and on the other two boards,with interest,as my next rifle I need will likely be a light carrying blacktail deer rifle.I gather, on earlier Kimbers barrel quality was hit and miss.I like the caliber choice, as I like the 260 over the 7mm-08, and the weight.But for that price I can get a Sako,I know that will shot. A Model Seven is half that price ,but with maybe a trip to the gunsmith for a new barrel,there goes the saving.

[Mike Moss]

Kimber has a good design and many feel that they are the best American made production rifle today.

I suggest that you search other forums. There is not much information here on Kimbers. I may be the only person here in fact that actually owns a Kimber of NY rifle.

Here are links to what people think about Kimber rifles.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=UBB54&Number=761930&Searchpage=1&Main=757782&Words=kimber&topic=&Search=true#Post761930

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/3221043/m/815100334/r/943103434#943103434

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/3221043/m/478101034/r/845102134#845102134