Kimber Reliability/Ruggedness?

S

Smiley

New member
I was hoping if some of you out there could give me your opinions on the Ruggedness and reliability of a 1911 style pistol. I am specifically looking at a Kimber compact 4" barrel.

Are they as rugged as say an HK uspC .45 or a glock. I have heard that they need to be babied more.

i wanted to round out my pistol collection with a 1911 style, but one of my requirements is that it be 100% rugged for SHTF and something that I would trust mine and my families life to on a whim.

Give me your stories please.
 
I love my Kimber Compacts!

No reliability problems except with one cast semiwadcutter, my beloved H&G #68s won't feed reliably. Any other RN cast bullets and every HP I've fed them feed very well.

I once put over 600 rounds through my first one without cleaning or lubricating it and never had the first malfunction.

My Kimbers don't need any more attention than my Smiths, Colts, Browning HP, Glocks, Rugers, etc. In fact, other than antique colletibles, I would not own any firearm that needed special attention.

Having said all that, I don't think the Kimber is any better or worse than any number of quality handguns on the market. Almost all makers have some model that will do the job. But for me, the Kimber Compact fits my hand and my hip (for IWB carry) better than the others I've tried. It is also a very attractive handgun, IMHO, and I enjoy carrying and shooting good looking pieces.

If you decide on a Kimber I'm betting you will be pleased.
good luck! jack
 
Any gun can be a lemon.

The Ultra CDP I bought was the most anticipated pistol I had, also one of the most expensive.

It came out-of-box:
1) slamfiring, went full auto first time at the range
2) the thumb safety was loose & rolled around
3) the grip safety rattled loosely, didn't fit the frame
4) the magazine thumb-release extended in the magwell in such a way that it was impossible to insert a fresh mag without having to manually hold-down the release

It has already gone back to Kimber twice as well as a private gunmith. I am finally starting to feel comfortable with it to consider it for self-defense. My next .45 will be a Wilson.
 
With the compacts, there's the issue of materials: aluminum versus steel. I have over 10,000 rounds through my stainless gold match. When I bought the gun, I couldn't get the slide to rattle at all. Now, there's just a slight rattle. Not anything like a new Colt; it's less than that.

I did have feeding problems in the first 500 or so rounds, but now the pistol feeds all my reloads without a problem.

My Pro Carry isn't shot as much, but the only feeding problems I've had have been with a Colt magazine that I bought.

Some, like me, have had excellent experiences with Kimbers. Others haven't. Some folks have had almost 100% reliability with their Harley Davidsons. I haven't. :(
 
My Kimber Pro CDP has been reliable.
The only problems I have had are related to a specific Chip McCormick magazine. It has never jammed or misfeed with any other magazine.
I haven't figured out how reliable it is, since it is more accurate than I am.
I haven't noticed any undue wearing, but I haven't been pass 1000 rounds either.

I had been apprehensive about getting a 1911 style pistol, since I too had heard the horror stories. Now I am considering getting a Kimber Eclipse II.
 
I have a Pro Carry. First trip to the range - all the brass hit me in the forehead and the slide would not stay open after the last round was fired. A MEG GAR round solved the slide problem, trashed the shooting star mag. Sent the pistol back to Kimber. It returned now only about every 20th round hits me in the head. Cleaned it and the plunger tube fell off. Took it to a local smith this time for a replacement. No trouble since then. No trouble with my 2 springfield armory pistols. John
 
I have 4 1911s and have owned about a dozen. It's the only handgun I shoot now and the only style I buy. I just like it better than any other gun I've shot.

That said, the 1911 is a "commitment gun." The takedown is harder than a Glock. Detail stripping is easy, AFTER you take the time to learn it. It's one of the most accurate handguns around and the loose tolerances of the milspec 1911 make it rugged. Kimbers, Springfields and some of the new Colts have tight tolerances which can make them temperamental. The other part of the commitment is that 1911s have light triggers -- around 3.5-5 lbs. It's hard to transition safely from a 9lb DA trigger to a 3.5lb SA trigger. If you're going to use a 1911 for home defense or carry, you should practice with it a lot.

My experience with 1911s is that they DO jam more than Glocks, HK's, Steyrs and Sigs. IMHO, they are more sensitive to ammo. I like to tinker and so for me the 1911 is perfect. If I just wanted a gun to drag out to the range (and not worry about it) to just have fun with I'd choose a Glock or Sig.
 
If your craving for a 1911, then a Kimber is definetly the right drug to fill the need. They stand by their product and have a great no non-sense warranty. Here's my stock pre-series II Kimber Custom Stainless.

Kimber_Custom_Stainless.jpg


I have to warn you though, they can be really expensive, after you buy your first one, you'll be hooked!
 
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I like both my Kimbers a lot. They're accurate and with the right magazines and slide stop, faithfully reliable. :)
I would, and do, trust my life with mine as HD guns w/out hesitation. Good guns and well made. As accurate as they come. For true SHTF stuff, I'd switch out the full length guide rod though. I had mine come unscrewed during use.

:( Lots of doo-dads and rugged seem like a contradiction in terms to me though.
*shrug*
Maybe it's cause I paid a lot (what I consider "a lot") for them that I baby them, and they really are dump-truck tough like say, a CZ or a Ruger. I just don't have the desire to run them till they drop to find out. Too bad Kimber doesn't sponsor anyone in competition to find out how long one will run.
 
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