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I am looking at buying a Kimber 1911, mostly because it is half the price of a colt, but I have heard mixed reviews. Anyone know whether or not the Kimber 1911 is reliable? Or functionally practical?
Kimber 1911
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1,511 Posts
Buy the Colt.
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Ride the pony. Buy once, cry once
Kimber makes a very nice looking pistol. some run very reliablily and have no problems at all, and some are constantly plagued with various problems. they only have a one year warranty and this turns off a lot of people.
with Colts warranty and their reputation, i would have to also recommend the Colt over the Kimber. several other makers of 1911's have much better warranties than the Kimber.
with Colts warranty and their reputation, i would have to also recommend the Colt over the Kimber. several other makers of 1911's have much better warranties than the Kimber.
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821 Posts
Nice guns, WAY overpriced. The Raptor and Pro Carry series are pretty sweet....I prefer the officer models for these guns, shoots like a dream.
Never had issues with my Ultra Ten II but have read stories about how sensitive the guns are to certain ammo....even after a break in period. There are a LOT of quality 1911's out there now. Depends on what level of quality you want. I usually go medium quality on my 1911 purchases and am extremely happy with mine. I own a $600 American Classic Commander and a $800 Springfield Ultra Compact.
Never had issues with my Ultra Ten II but have read stories about how sensitive the guns are to certain ammo....even after a break in period. There are a LOT of quality 1911's out there now. Depends on what level of quality you want. I usually go medium quality on my 1911 purchases and am extremely happy with mine. I own a $600 American Classic Commander and a $800 Springfield Ultra Compact.
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I've owned a couple of Kimbers...both of them were out of my possession within 6 months.
My Ultra Raptor II gave me fits. I'm sure my grip wasn't helping, but my Colt New Agent (same size) didn't have any problems.
My Pro TLE II had a finish that just seemed too fragile and the scratches proved it.
My Smith and Wesson scandium commander is awesome and doesn't give any of the same problems. There are more brands out there to compare than just Colt. Springfield and STI are a couple of others.
The warranty on Kimbers, alone, will keep me from ever owning one again!
My Ultra Raptor II gave me fits. I'm sure my grip wasn't helping, but my Colt New Agent (same size) didn't have any problems.
My Pro TLE II had a finish that just seemed too fragile and the scratches proved it.
My Smith and Wesson scandium commander is awesome and doesn't give any of the same problems. There are more brands out there to compare than just Colt. Springfield and STI are a couple of others.
The warranty on Kimbers, alone, will keep me from ever owning one again!
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456 Posts
Nope, have two as well and they're amazing firearms.
There are enough options on the market though that Kimbers less than stellar reception doesn't surprise me. They do have the worst warranty, did have some reliability issues and did help in giving MIM parts a worse reputation than they probably deserve at this point.
I'm happy with mine, which is really all I care about, but I don't blame anyone for being leery of their product. Kimber spends a ton on advertising, if they diverted even a fraction of that money into a concerted effort to show the gun buying populace how they have worked to correct some past errors they could probably earn back some goodwill.
As it stands though, if Kimber doesn't stop to acknowledge that they have a hell of a lot more competition now than they did, and change tactics accordingly, they could be in for some trouble down the road.
Otis, spoken for the truth! very well said.
Kimber does spend a lot of money on advertising. and there is more competition for the market share of those buying 1911's now. many of them are making some really dependable and decent 1911's for a decent price. in the prices of even the Kimbers, there are some really good choices.
Kimber does spend a lot of money on advertising. and there is more competition for the market share of those buying 1911's now. many of them are making some really dependable and decent 1911's for a decent price. in the prices of even the Kimbers, there are some really good choices.
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Love them or hate them, they sure are photogenic!
Lipstick on a pig.
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My Kimber was the best paperweight I have ever owned with 100% reliability. I still have every piece of paper I put under it.
The alleged gun in question was a Pro Crimson Carry II, and was without a doubt the biggest pile of steaming crap I have ever owned. It never functioned properly, and the more I sent it back, the worse it got. It took almost a year, but Kimber finally bought it back.
I have an Ultra Carry II that I am VERY happy with its performance. I've run about 700 rounds through it without any issues. I get good grouping at 25 yards. I've used Remington, Winchester, Federal Premium, and even UltraMax bulk rounds.RNMKR_Actual01 said:
That can't be.... Kimber claims to make the world's finest 1911 pistols.
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Kimber 1/2 the cost of a Colt? Is it hot?
Compare like models for price check and then compare warranty.
Oh yea, and read my siggy below.
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