My Kimber is junk!!

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  • RH822-A

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    May 11, 2008
    395
    18
    Pleasant Lake, Steuben County
    I was informed by a Gun show "Expert" that my Kimber Eclipse custom II was junk and that I would regret buying it.
    The "Expert" also told me that because of the firing pin safety feature, that it was only a matter of time before my Kimber would go full-auto or stop firing all together.
    My first thought was, FULL-AUTO!!:ar15:How long do I have to wait?:D

    Has anyone here ever had these issues with their Kimber?

    The "Expert" was just another gun show patron, not an exhibitor.
    Thanks for your input.
    RH
     

    Trickpony

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    May 9, 2009
    254
    16
    Out of State :(
    No problems with any of the Kimber Eclipse 45's I've had... Or any of the other Kimbers I've had in 40 S&W and 9mm... Just another "gun show expert" that knows the sun sets before sunrise.
     

    Bigum1969

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Apr 3, 2008
    21,422
    38
    SW Indiana
    As much as I really like hanging with my fellow gun owners, it doesn't take a genius to know that there are some owners that are full of :poop:.
     

    ckmil

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Oct 13, 2009
    31
    6
    Greenfield
    I had a front sight come loose. Shipped it off to Yonkers and got it back with in one week. I'm convinced Kimber backs up their stuff, so if it breaks, just send it back. I plan on buying more.
     

    wtfd661

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Dec 27, 2008
    6,467
    63
    North East Indiana
    Sorry but your "expert" is full of :poop:. As has been said you better send that dangerous gun to me so I can keep the unsuspecting public safe :D. Another hint for you, besides not believing everything you hear at a gun show don't believe everything you read on the internet,,,,, oh and one last thing the Government is only here to help you :laugh:
     

    saw223

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Feb 24, 2010
    29
    1
    NW Indiana
    Alot of 1911 fans aren't fond of the swartz safety system kimber started using in the Series II, but it's more of a trigger pull issue, not a safety issue. They have gotten better with the trigger pulls over the years, if you are unhappy, there are numerous forums that have guides on how you remove and/or tune the swartz system. They started using MIM parts on the Series II but the majority of the companies use them too. If it worries you that much, for $100 you can replace them all with aftermarket steel parts from a plethora of vendors. In a nutshell, shoot it, you will either love it or hate it, but it will have nothing to do with what a guy at a gunshow said, it will have to do with your personal preferences. :D
     

    walt o

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Feb 10, 2008
    1,098
    63
    Hammond
    free advise

    The advise from some people is worth what you pay for it . In my opinion that dealer was a circular mussel.
     

    darinb

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    11   0   0
    Jan 20, 2008
    1,208
    38
    Scott county,indiana
    He was just making up for his insecurities somewhere in his life. It kills me how people put down others gear,guns,etc. Kimber makes a nice gun. I about bought a polymer model though I cant remember the model. Full auto would be fun:D.
     

    bordhed

    Plinker
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jun 23, 2009
    58
    6
    indy
    exhibitor at last 1500 tried talking me out of getting my Kimber; right after he said that they didn't have any in stock. so this sounds about right
     

    bullitstang1313

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Feb 26, 2010
    149
    18
    Columbus
    Yeah, I've heard plenty of Kimber horror stories over the years now on the forums. Its not deterring me from a Crimson Pro Carry II. I've come to this conclusion, some people have had issues with their Kimbers just like some people have problems with their Colts, just like some people have problems with their Glocks, and so on and so on. Sounds like your "Expert" believes everything he reads on the internet and feels the need to "inform" those around him.
     

    MilitaryArms

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Apr 19, 2008
    2,751
    48
    I can say from first hand experience I will never buy another Kimber product. Just my saying this often times gets me flamed by Kimber fans. It's almost as bad as saying you don't like Glocks. :)

    I had two of their pistols, both were completely unreliable. I did the service dance with Dennis several times and after that unpleasant experience, I traded them back to the gun store where I bought them and washed my hands of them.

    I took my Kimbers apart and was far from impressed with the quality of their "custom shop" guns. There's absolutely nothing custom about them. The parts are of poor quality, appear to be unfinished in some cases and are poorly fit. It looked as though someone "fit" my disconnector with a wheel grinder. Horrific for the price I paid for the gun. Compared to a Springfield TRP... well, there is no comparison. The TRP is actually touched by world class gun smiths, the Kimbers I had were assembled from parts bin parts and weren't fitted by anyone other than some assembly line worker with a dremel tool or wheel grinder, I'm not sure which.

    For the price I paid, I expected something better. Much better. Given the competition, I could have spent the same money on a SA pistol like any of the TRP line, a Dan Wesson Valor, or even a Colt Custom Shop 1911 and gotten a much better assembled pistol with higher quality parts. Hell, I could have gotten a low end Les Baer.

    I have been buying and shooting 1911's for over 20 years. I know them quite well and I know a good one from a bad one. I didn't buy my first 1911 last week.

    And something else I learned in my dealings with Kimber, they don't have a real "custom shop". Their "custom shop" guns are built on the same production line as their generic 1911's from the same parts and get the exact same attention to detail (or lack thereof). The only difference is they roll mark it "custom shop" and mark the price up. If you doubt this, call them up and request a custom barrel length, custom markings, custom checkering (non-standard), or anything truly custom. They can't do it. Now call up Springfield and ask them the same questions, and they'll give you a price.

    If you're happy with your Kimber that's absolutely great. I wouldn't disparage you or your purchase one bit. I had a horrible experience with them and I honestly felt ripped off, and then after dealing with Dennis felt belittled. So please don't dismiss the experiences of very seasoned shooters like myself that gave Kimber more than one chance and found them to be substandard both in terms of the quality of their products and in customer service.

    Sorry for the rant, but I hate it when people make disparaging comments about former customers of Kimber who are unhappy with their products and customer service.

    Give me a minute to put on my flame retardant suit. :D
     

    saw223

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Feb 24, 2010
    29
    1
    NW Indiana
    No offense full auto, but you can find horror stories like yours in every single gun forum for every single maker out there. The fact is Sometimes there are lemons, and sometimes one person seems to get them all. :) I myself have had bad products from Colt, Springfield, and Smith and Wesson, but I'd still buy certain products from them. Maybe not the exact same models I had issues with, but most makers have a plethora of models out there. While you seem to have had a poor track record with Kimber, just remember, each of the other makers you mentioned have people that would boycott them for the exact reasons you would Kimber. Machines aren't perfect, the can be made with imperfections, and can fail down the road. I'm not saying you didn't really have issues, and I'm not saying they have the best CS, I'm just saying posts with blanket statments like yours will always get a lot of flak. :)
     

    MilitaryArms

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Apr 19, 2008
    2,751
    48
    I'm not saying you didn't really have issues, and I'm not saying they have the best CS, I'm just saying posts with blanket statments like yours will always get a lot of flak. :)
    Well, that's good! I did have issues. :)

    And I'm not the only one. For a time, out of spite for rabid Kimber fans that attack anyone that has a bad experience with them and dare to share it, I kept track of discussions and threads about Kimber problems.

    FULL-AUTO.org • View topic - All the reasons Kimber 1911's aren't so hot.

    I found that even on the 1911 forums the Kimber forum was mostly dedicated to "how to fix your Kimber" threads at one time whereas the other industry forums were mostly comprised of "look at my new pistol" threads, or "what model should I get" threads.

    It wasn't a coincidence I don't believe.

    But I also realize that people tend to be very protective of their purchases. After my run-in with Kimber I was a range master at "Range Masters" in Chesterton, before they closed. I watched one Kimber owner after another clearing malfunctions and bringing their pistols to my range booth to help fix various problems. As I was logging people out of the range I would often times ask them how they liked their Kimber pistol, and almost always I would get responses like "Love it!" or "it's the best gun I own"... despite the fact I watched them clearing several malfunctions. When asked about the malfunctions it was always a ammo related issue, magazine related issue, limp wristing related issue, but it was never the fault of the gun. I thought that was quite interesting.

    That's not to say I didn't see problems with other 1911's from time to time, I did. But the Kimber problems were far more common in my experience.

    I also went to Blythes one after noon and shot pictures of various Kimbers they had hanging on the walls for sale. Those pictures can been seen in the thread I linked to above. Talk about horrible quality... and that's several new pistols out on display. Machine marks, rust all over them, poor fitting, discolored plastic main spring housings, etc.

    I mean, why the Hell would Kimber use carbon steel in the white for barrels that rust so easily? I'll tell you why: cost. Carbon steel is easier on tooling and thus lasts longer which lowers the per unit cost by pennies... pennies Kimber wants to save. They use in the white barrels because it looks like stainless steel which their competitors like Springfield use in their pistols... to be competitive on a budget. When I see unscrupulous penny pinching like that, it speaks volumes about the manufacturer IMHO.

    But I'll stop there. I don't mean to turn this into a huge rant thread on Kimber. I'm sorry if my point of view and experience ruffles any feathers. I don't intend to talk anyone out of their pistols or to convert anyone to another brand. I guess I'm just passionate about my view given it's so crystal clear to me and I've been flamed countless times for having it. :)

    I should probably learn to let it go. :evilangel:
     
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