Kimber quality issues?

[IdahoG36]

I recently picked up a Kimber Pro Raptor II and a Kimber Custom TLE/RL II. I went out earlier in the week and shot my Raptor. I put 100 rounds of WWB 230 ball and 20 rounds of Federal Hydrashok 230 jhp through it. It shot fine, and twice failed to go fully into battey. It was near the end of my shooting session, and the feed ramp was pretty dirty. No big deal.

I took it apart to clean it, and found the ejector is not fully staked into the frame. It is loose at the rear and you can actually almost remove it from the frame by hand. Also, the grips are loose, even with the grip screws tight.

I have not shot the TLE/RL yet, but I am going to send the Raptor back to Kimber for the ejector problem and grip problem. They are not that big of a deal, but when you spend that kind of money on a 1911, the QC should be better.
I have seen some posts here in the past on Kimber QC issues. They are high dollar 1911s, and their QC seems to not be so great. What are your recent experiences with Kimber 1911s, good or bad? How about their customer service department. I haven't had to deal with them before. I owned one Kimber previously, a Custom TLE II. It had no problems.

[HisSoldier]

Kimber usually pays freight both ways for warranty work I believe.

[Shadi Khalil]

I had a ultra stainless. It wouldnt reliably feed anything no matter what i tried. Kimber did pay for shipping the first time but not the second. Both times they had the gun for over a month and just looked it over rather than actually work on it or test fire it. Both times they sent it back saying the pistol was fine

[maestro pistolero]

Hello all,

Here's a four month follow up report on the the Pro TLE/RLII that Kimber replaced with a brand new gun:

It's better but IT'S STILL TERRIBLE. I haven't had a single range day where there wasn't at least a few failures. The biggest problem is that the rounds nose-down and stick on the feed ramp (FTF), and, occasionally, I get a stove pipe.

Back on 12/28/07 shooting about 100 round of WWB the following occured:

Mag 1 (the orig Kimber Mag)had no failures,

Mag 2 ( a Kim-pro that Dennis sent along with the new gun)3rd round FTF (stuck on feed ramp), last round stovepipe

Mag 3 (another Kim-pro) no issues

Mag 4 (a new Act-Mag) 3rd round FTF (stuck on feed ramp)

THE SAME DAY 12/2807 shooting 50 rounds of REM UMC JHP:

Mag 1 no issues
Mag 2 no issues
Mag 3 no issues
Mag 4 FTF 1st round nose down on feed ramp (from a full mag using the slide stop/release to chamber the round

TODAY shooting 25 rounds of 230 gr Federal hydra-shok :
Mag 1 (orig Kimber) 3rd round FTF (nosed down and stuck on ramp)

At this point I just put the gun into it's case and turned my attention back to my XD45 compact, which has been flawless for the last 400 rnds.

Until today, the orig Kimber mag had been flawless.

And before anyone starts in with : did you clean it? lube it?, break it in properly?, remember not to limp wrist it?, try different ammo?, send it back to Kimber?, etc. etc. The answer to all of the above is YES, YES, and YES.

BTW, intentionally limp-wristing the happened to produce no failures whatsoever. So much for the limp-wristing theory.

I'm guess I'm going to order a Les Baer Mag to see if it might correct the nose-down-on-the-feedramp problem. My brother's LB mag seems to keep the nose up longer as the top round emerges to be fed.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, I guess I'm stubborn cause I really want to make this gun work. Although I'm about 500 flawless rounds away from EVER trusting this gun for SD.

Thanks

[IdahoG36]

I'm going to take it to the gunshop I bought it from and have them send it to Kimber for me. They are minor, easily fixable concerns, so hopefully it shouldn't take long.

[VinnyT]

What's the deal with Kimber? I remember them being a very reputable manufacturer of 1911's. Now I here more and more problems with them. Hav they chaanged their business practices or materials?

I am not knocking them, in fact I've always wanted a Kimber in 10mm. I'm just skittish to buy one wih the rash of issues.

[IdahoG36]

Maestro, you might try the Wilson Combat mags. From my own experience, they are excellent. I purchased six KimPro Tac mags with these two guns, and so far, they have worked well. I have had good luck with Wilson Combat mags, KimPro Tac mags, and Novak mags(made by ACT).

[BanditSRT8]

I ignored much of what I had read on forums and decided to plunk down my $1,000 on a Kimber Eclipse Pro II. Damn it is one sexy looking 1911. Felt great in the hand, and shot accurately.

It had constant problems, especially stripping the top round off any magazine (both factory and Wilson mags), but I chalked it up to break-in.

After 500 rounds it still had issues not going back into battery about 40% of the time, and not chambering the top round, so I sent it off to Kimber.

I had to pay for shipping.

When I got it back I was appalled to see several brass marks on the top of my slide (top is black so it really shows up) that were not there before. They tuned the extractor, and throated/polished the barrel and ramped part of the frame.

I immediately took it from the counter to the range and fired off another 50 rounds. The ejected brass was clearing the port, but not going very far, it had not done this before. And lo & behold it STILL would not feed the top round in any mag regardless of how many rounds were in it.

Then after the session I looked at my slide and there were another dozen or so brass dings added to what was there when I got it back. The brass was coming out and BOUNCING off the top of my slide!

I sent it back, came back just as bad (paid shipping again).

That day I decided to buy my HK45, and straight from the box without cleaning/lubing it performed flawlessly and was even more accurate. I sold my Kimber and I will never go back.

I wish I had listened to members before and kept away from Kimber. I paid $1050 and then only a month or two later sold it and only got $600 out of it. You certainly can get a good one, and if you do it will be perfection... but the odds are not in your favor.

[maestro pistolero]

Idaho,
Thanks for the tip. I failed to mention that I had two Wilsons that I tried on the first pistol before it was replaced by Kimber. I got rid of them because I was having some of the same problems that I'm having now.

In retrospect, there was probably nothing wrong with them, and perhaps they would help.

I did notice that the magazine followers vary greatly in their design, and that, except for Kim-pros and Les Baers, most designs do allow the round to "nose-down" as it emerges from the magazine to be fed.

I don't understand the reasoning behind mag followers that are stepped-down toward the front lip of the follower, either all the way across like Act-Mags or half way acrossed like the standard Kimber mags. Les Baer mags don't do that and the Kimpro's followers are a flat surface almost all the way across. Sorry if this is confusing.

Perhaps I should try Wilson's again now that I have a new gun. But I think I'll order one Les Baer mag to test. Having had no success in the past with the Wilson's on an identical pistol, I'm reluctant to waste any more time/money/and especially EXPENSIVE ROUNDS testing it out.

I'd love to hear from someone else with a ProTLE/RLII that actually works, and hear what magazines they are using.

Thanks for the reply and I welcome any other suggestions.

[IdahoG36]

Here are some pics of it. They aren't the greatest. I took them with my cell. I took the cool wood grips off because I carry it and don't want to mess them up. I installed Hogue wrap around grips.

[ghalleen]

Just for fun, I gotta say it:

Are Kimber and Taurus related?

[maestro pistolero]

No, Kimber and Taurus are not related.

Kimbers are expensive and unpredictable.

A Taurus is inexpensive and predictably reliable, if a little boring.

I hear that if get a good Kimber and you've got a real gem. To my chagrin, that has not been my experience.

This is not Kimber bashing, just my unfortunate experience with two different Pro TLE/RLII's.

That is a beautiful weapon, Idaho. I wish you better luck with Kimber I have had.

-Maestro

[SKM&P9]

And yet my "junk" PT1911, which has only had a bore snake pulled thought it 4 times since new, is now over 1,700 rds, I mean, flawless rds !!!

[theotherguy]

So, it's true. I have owned a total of 3 1911's including a Kimber Custom II and they are unreliable. Not to bash the 1911. Just a true statement.

[James41]

I have a Kimber TLE that has about 2000 rounds through it without any, repeat any problems what so ever related to the gun. I did have some problems with a few reloads, but after i readjusted the crimper the problems went away. Been an excellent weapon and i carry it every day as my concealed carry.

[MJZZZ]

I have an Ultra CDP II, when it was new I had alot of problems, even way past break in. Kimber paid shipping and repaired 6 things. Now when I'm deciding which gun to carry, I consider it just as dependable as my CZ, so it's all a matter of what my clothing and the weather dictates. Mike

[maestro pistolero]

Thanks for your replies. Stories like James' are what led me to buy the TLE/RLII in the first place.

I have heard repeatedly that the 5 inch models tend to be more reliable.

James, Is yours the 4-inch "Pro" model like mine? Also, which magazine(s) and ammo are you using in your Pro TLE/RLII?

Thanks in advance.

[BanditSRT8]

James41 should play the lottery. You seem to have better luck than the average guy!

[ghalleen]

A good friend of mine, LEO, used to be a bit fan of Kimber, but recent bad experiences with quality has changed his opinion.

[oldcspsarge]

TOO Many problems with MIM parts and failures with Law Enforcement Officers using steady diet of +P Gold Dots.....but anything else.

S&W in same or less price class or step up to a BAER !

[Sturmgewehre]

Buying Kimber is a HUGE crap shoot. You stand a very good chance of getting lemon. I have no idea why people keep buying their junk, probably because there are 50,000 of them made a year (FAR more than anyone else) and there are countless of them in every gun shop in America. I guess if you flood the market with mass produced junk and charge a premium for it, people will buy it thinking it's the best thing since sliced bread.

[TacticalDefense1911]

Kimbers are pretty picky about what magazine you use. I have absolutely no problems when using the factory 7-shot mag that came with the gun (bump on follower). The factory Kimber mags without the bump have been problematic and dont even think about using 8 round mags, including Wilson Combat...they just dont work. My Kimber Custom II is even an external extractor and I still have no issues.

[WSM MAGNUM]

I have had my Kimber Stainless Custom II TLE since July 2007. I have had not one single problem with it.

[Deadduck]

I've had my Custom Classic since 2001 and not one problem with it. I've never had a malfunction or failure of any type. Not one. This is with a wide varitey of ammo and magazines.

I have several friends that I shoot with on a regular basis with various models of Kimbers and I don't recall any of them having many problems. Seems like one of them had a problem with a little Ultra Carry II, but it was fixed at the dealer and he never had any more problems.

Guess we've all been lucky, huh? Heck, I didn't even know they were considered unreliable till I started reading some of these websites.

IMO, if they were all junk like some of the previous posters have said, they wouldn't sell 50,000 + per year, now would they???

[IdahoG36]

IMO, if they were all junk like some of the previous posters have said, they wouldn't sell 50,000 + per year, now would they???

I'm not trying to sound like a smart*ss, but Taurus does just that.