Kimber Quality?

[winters]

Every time I have tried kimbers they always have sloppy triggers, unfitted slides, and not very accurate. Yea a lot of them have cool finishes but that doesn't make up for anything.

Even their supposed high end guns are sloppy fitting and that makes no sense to me.

I have a few mid level 1911's from smith and wesson and the slide is fitted properly and don't have sloppy triggers.

[Glockster]

I've heard negative impressions and opinions of Kimber quality and customer service for a number of years now.

Conversely, most of the internet sentiment regarding Springfield Armory quality and customer service is positive.

Of course, any manufacturer can have a problem in a specific transaction that proves an exception to the general trend.

I'm on a Kimber forum, and don't see threads there mentioning customer service problems.

[Glockster]

Every time I have tried kimbers they always have sloppy triggers, unfitted slides, and not very accurate. Yea a lot of them have cool finishes but that doesn't make up for anything.

Even their supposed high end guns are sloppy fitting and that makes no sense to me.

I have a few mid level 1911's from smith and wesson and the slide is fitted properly and don't have sloppy triggers.

That definitely doesn't match my own experience. Using the Crimson Trace LG I can put all 7 rounds into a very very tight pattern every time and certainly no trigger issues there.

[jwine]

I have a master carry ultra and haven't had a single issue. It's a great gun IMO.

[ShootDontTalk]

Every time I have tried kimbers they always have sloppy triggers, unfitted slides, and not very accurate. Yea a lot of them have cool finishes but that doesn't make up for anything.

Even their supposed high end guns are sloppy fitting and that makes no sense to me.

I have a few mid level 1911's from smith and wesson and the slide is fitted properly and don't have sloppy triggers.

Have you ever owned one, or were you looking at used in a LGS?

I'm not hawking Kimbers, but my experience has been 180 degrees from yours.

[winters]

i have shot new and used kimbers. And their fitting is a joke. I can understand their low end stuff being sloppy but their high end guns seem like they are fitted by someone who doesn't understand machining. they are by no means the worst i have seen but for how much people say how great they are I'm not impressed. And unless your in the high end market like wilson combat its always kimber this and kimber that. like i said i find them to be highly over rated for what you get. I always suggest buying what you like and not always what others say. everyone has their opinion right or wrong. I'm glad we are talking about 1911's and not glocks.lol

[karder]

I have a Crimson Carry that I got as a gift. I have fired a decent number of rounds through it and I have never had a problem, even during the break in period. I have a personal bias towards Colt 1911s, but the Kimber has always been rock solid and it is in my carry rotation. I have heard a lot of horror stories about Kimber, but my own experience has been very good.

[Taypo]

i have shot new and used kimbers. And their fitting is a joke. I can understand their low end stuff being sloppy but their high end guns seem like they are fitted by someone who doesn't understand machining. they are by no means the worst i have seen but for how much people say how great they are I'm not impressed. And unless your in the high end market like wilson combat its always kimber this and kimber that. like i said i find them to be highly over rated for what you get. I always suggest buying what you like and not always what others say. everyone has their opinion right or wrong. I'm glad we are talking about 1911's and not glocks.lol

You seem to have a thing for fitting. Me, I'll take a gun that shoots straight and doesn't jam every time I get a piece of lint in the slide. Good thing we both have options.

[psijac]

Kimbers feel better in hand because they all have a high ride beaver tail. Not something terrible hard to get in another gun.

The break in period is quite a bother.

[flechero]

My kimbers have all been good. Now having said that, if I were in the market for a new one today- I'd look at other brands because I think there are better options available for the same cost. (or very close to it) It seems the value isn't what it once was.

For example: My STI was within $100 of a similarly equipped Kimber... and I don't think you can argue that the STI isn't a better gun.

[Taypo]

My kimbers have all been good. Now having said that, if I were in the market for a new one today- I'd look at other brands because I think there are better options available for the same cost. (or very close to it) It seems the value isn't what it once was.

For example: My STI was within $100 of a similarly equipped Kimber... and I don't think you can argue that the STI isn't a better gun.

No argument here. My next 1911 is an STI, and i love my Kimbers.

[JSThane]

@AndyC:

I have no comment on the finish, other than to say that (so far) none of our four Kimbers, ranging from a Poly Custom (not a II) up to a brand new Pro Carry II, have had finish issues. Not saying they can't/won't, but my Painted Ordnance shows far more wear, and has been carried/shot far less than a couple of the Kimbers. Our Kimbers' finishes -seem- to be holding up well, and -seem- to be fairly even, about on-par with our other guns (aside from said Para).

As for the backwards dual-tone and the melt-job, I don't fault Kimber for producing what will sell. Sure, it offends the purists, and seems ridiculous to the eminently practical, but it SELLS, and Kimber is in business to make money. I can't see the logic behind half of Taurus' "innovation" these days either, but they're sure selling, and making Taurus a LOT of money. So it's not that Kimber have ruined the classic lines because they don't know what they're doing, or monkey-finished the gun backwards due to a misunderstanding, but that they've identified a market that wants a soap-bar gun with reverse pinto markings.

[Taypo]

I'm sure it sells to those who don't know any better, otherwise Kimber would obviously have been out of business years ago - but that ain't me. Good luck to them.

Awww, you just called Kimber owners ignorant. That's cute.