jshooter Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Hi there, I am new to USPSA, I have been shooting defensive matches etc., since mid winter just started last winter. I have a Kimber Classic Target. I don't hear much about many people shooting Kimber's. Just wondered why. I love mine, but again I am just getting started too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidwiz Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Check some of comments posted here by people who have Kimbers - its about 50/50 that they work 100% of the time. One good thing that I can say about Kimber is that, from my experience, their warranty dept is good - if your gun isn't working, and you send it back to them, they will fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameron Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 My Eclipse had a broken rear sight at about 2000 rounds, and needed about 1500 for break in. After that, the gun has been 100% and I would recommed a Kimber highly. My Eclipse now has about 12,000 rounds through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 You might get more responses if this were in an appropriate forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jshooter Posted August 2, 2004 Author Share Posted August 2, 2004 My kimber had a broken rear sigh as well, they fixed it, had the slide back in 5 days. There warranty dept is great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jshooter Posted August 2, 2004 Author Share Posted August 2, 2004 I just signed up on this forum today, I guess I didn't find the right forum yet to post this question to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Stock-Type or Limited Gun Technical Questions... I think in Limited-10 they're very popular with the Singlestack crowd. I would guess I see more of them than any other .45 1911. There's just so many choices out there.. I've shot about 8-10K through mine, I think after the 500 round break-in, I've had 2 failure to ejects.. I'm still not sure why.. and it's ran the last 500-750 rounds with no hicups. As long as the grip safety works for you (I think that's the most common complaint I see/hear).. you're good to go. Search through the topics you'll see tnigs people change on them the most: Front Sight, rear sight, Extractor, Grips, trigger work, Grip Safety, Ambi Saftey, ... but they don't need anything, it's just personal choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogmaDog Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 My Kimber Gold Match, bought in '98, has been great. All I've done is mess around with springs and add grip tape. I've had a set screw back out of the rear sight, and a firing pin spring break, but neither caused any malfunction of the weapon. The Shooting Star mag that came with it sucked (I had failures to feed), but GI issue and Wilson magazines work flawlessly. Great gun for L-10 division. Not a very competitive platform for Open or Limited, which are probably the two most populous USPSA divisions, so that's probably why you don't see too much about them here, where STI/SVI dominate. DogmaDog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jshooter Posted August 2, 2004 Author Share Posted August 2, 2004 What weight recoil spring to you put in yours? Mine seemed to be getting week, so I ordered a 22# and an 18# Wilson combat. I had been having some feed problems before, I put the 18# in and haven't since. Not sure if that was why. If I put the 22# in, should I use the spring buffer bushings they make? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidwiz Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Factory standard recoil spring for a 5" 1911 is 16#. If your gun is working with an 18# recoil spring, then I would leave it in. To buff or not to buff has been discussed here many, many, many times - do a search for it. Personally, I use a EGW buff in all my 1911s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 I'm surprised that 1n 18# had feed problems.. probably another problem here, mags, feed ramp, something... What mags, bullets, OAL are you using? Do searches for the springs too... try them from 10#s and up... I shot Matt Burket's 45, he ran a 10#... that gun was so nice..... SVI though... a lot smoother than my Kimber I've tried most of the, went down to 10, a couple times, only from slide lock, the slide didn't have quite the power it needed, 12.5 - 14 (right now 14#) for me.. but this is like a Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge debates... there is no right answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wakal Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 My exposure to the Series II Kimbers is limited...only four in the last few months...but I've found that once that "firing pin block" is removed, they seem to work just fine. Only had to deactivate the grip safety entirely on one of them, but the owner is 5' and 95 lbs Queue the "MIM" v "machined" debate Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscbigdawg Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 I gave my father a bottom of the line Kimber for Christmas one year. Since, it's had new sights put on, front strap checkered, cooler grips and his delight Allen head screws (long story). The gun has run since day 1. I replaced his factory spring with a 15# and he loves it. I run a 12# in my 1911. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 I shoot a Kimber in both USPSA and IDPA and I love it. It always works and it is quite accurate. I see a LOT of Kimbers here (Indiana) in USPSA Limited-10 and in IDPA CDP. It's probably the most popular single stack gun around here, with Springfield Armory being a close second. My only real complaint about them is the grip safety --- it's too low. I had mine replaced with a Chip McCormick on one and an Ed Brown on the other. I think that they are at least as reliable as any other 1911 at or below their price point. I also think that in the same group of manufacturers, Kimber does the best job by far of fitting their barrels and bushings. To get a gun built better, I think you'd have to step up to an STI Trojan, which I think is the best value overall on the market today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jshooter Posted August 3, 2004 Author Share Posted August 3, 2004 I bought my Kimber about three months ago, I can't believe how accurate it is. I started shooting competition about 4 mos ago. Since I started shooting my Kimber I have won two defensive matches and placed 5th at my first IPSC match last month. I have the bug, my wife says that I am obsessed. I only wished I had started shooting competition years ago, I am 36 now. I am going to the Colorado Steel challenge this weekend. I can't wait. A few of my cop buddies tried to get me to buy a glock when I started, I just can't get away from the 1911s. Maybe I am nuts, and new as well I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 I shot Matt Burket's 45, he ran a 10#... that gun was so nice..... SVI though... a lot smoother than my Kimber I've tried most of the, went down to 10, a couple times, only from slide lock, the slide didn't have quite the power it needed After MB gave me a hard time about my "heavy" 12 pound recoil spring, I also went down to 10 pounds in my Wilson .45. The guns runs great, no problems chambering the top round from slidelock with 200-gr. LSWCs. But then, that bullet shape feeds so smoothly in my gun I can actually grab the slide and eeeeaaaase it closed and the gun will still chamber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipster Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 Well I bought my Kimber back in 1997 or 1998 it was one of the first Custom Classic models, it's Stamped Made in Clackamas Oregon. I now have over 20,000 rounds through it. In 20,000 rounds I can count the number of times that It has failed on a couple of fingers, except during load development (it doesn't like 200 gr plated SWC made by West Coast Bullets). All I have ever done to it was replace my 16 lb Recoil spring with a 12 lb and replace the 21 lb. main spring with a 17 lb. It still groups better at 25yrds then I can shoot it. I love it and wouldn't part with it. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 Sounds like you made an excellent choice and that you got a really gun in the process! Good luck at the big steel match! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve223 Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 I have a 97 model Custom Classic Target that has bookoo rounds through it, After about 500 break in rounds it has run like a top.It has a 10# recoil spring & a 17# main spring in it. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ktulu Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 I have a Stainless Gold Match in .45 and a Stainless Target II in 9mm. Both have been very good to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpeters8445 Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 I think that new Kimbers out of the box are kind of hit and miss. Some run great, and some end up going back to Kimber for work. There warrenties are very good thought. Once you get them running they are a good pistol. You can chalk up two more broken rear sights on my buddies eclipse 2 and my eclipse 2. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 Oh! The tritium vial in the rear sight of my Eclipse Target II broke, but they replaced it without any problems. I've had no problems with the mechanical aspects of the adjustable rear sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek45 Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 This is My Limited 10 / CDP gun. It started out as a $500 basic blued, fixed sight Kimber CLassic. Ken Hallock fitted the Bo-Mar Lo-mounted sight. I did the Edbrown ambi safety, Blended S&A magwell, Wilson trigger, Blended CMC extreme grip safety, hand checkered 20lpi frontstrap. KART NM barrel, Brazos front sight, De-horned, Industrial hard chromed by METALIFE. I Love this gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 And it's still a beauty! How does it shoot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBaneACP Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 I've got a few Kimbers, and the only one I ever had trouble with was the 9mm (works like a champ now). The Kimber .45s were absolute workhorses in the NSSF media education program, and we shot the living hell out of them. I still think the STI Trojan is the hands-down best out-of-the-box 1911 in America, but I recommend the Kimbers at their lower price points. And they don't even advertise on my show! mb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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