[NewXD40fun]

I was out at the range shooting with a friend yesterday when he pulls out an old Kimber Custom Target, 45ACP, 5” barrel, 1911 style. It was not as comfortable to hold like the XD but it really pointed well and felt balanced.

It had Kimber/Bowmar sights and a real trick trigger. I shot some of his reloads and WOW, what a nice gun. It was so easy to get tight groups compared to my Service XD. The Kimber recoil was significantly less with the reloads than my .40. And smooooth.

I gotta get me one of those babies some day.


Tom

 

[theanswriz42]

JFYI, there is a General non-HS2K SA-XD Talk section of this forum

cheers

 

[chupacabrachus]

aye, "JFYI", I shoot much tighter groups w/ a 1911 than my XD40 service too. Eventhough it doesn't feel as nice in my hands.

 

[manygunner]

Save your money. Kimbers are notoriously cranky when it comes to ammo and reliability. Their firing pin safeties are also a major cause of troubles and malfunctions. It will spend half the time in a shop. Better to buy Springfield Milspec 1911-A1 and give it to a competent gunsmith to tune and refine. It will cost a good bundle to get it tuned just right though, then again any well tuned 1911 costs a bundle.

 

[bigun]

Funny my custom target 2 has over 5000 rounds through it without a jam or trip to the gunsmith. I must be just one of the lucky ones.

 

[Sry0fcr]

Better to buy Springfield Milspec 1911-A1 and give it to a competent gunsmith to tune and refine. It will cost a good bundle to get it tuned just right though, then again any well tuned 1911 costs a bundle.

That's my plan.

 

[manygunner]

Funny my custom target 2 has over 5000 rounds through it without a jam or trip to the gunsmith. I must be just one of the lucky ones.

Yup, you must be. I know several Kimber owners whose guns are always up at the Kimber Custom Shop for repairs/tuning. Might be a great range gun but I would never again trust my life to one. I used to own a Kimber Eclipse Pro II and my wife had a Kimber CDP Compact, both lasted only a few months in our inventory. Those Kimber tolerances are just too tight for reliability in a combat situation unless you have a dedicated gunsmith at your beck and call to custom tune it every few months like the pros (e.g. LAPD SWAT) do.

 

[Reckoning]

I have a Pro CDP II and my girlfriend has an Ultra CDP II. Neither has spent a minute of time at the gunsmith. Guess that for every person who "knows someone" with a bad Kimber, there are 2 or 3 who actually own a Kimber and can speak to their quality. Just my opinion.

 

[mike+p+]

I wish the two Kimber's I had would have been good feeders out of the box. Especially the BP Ten II, that double stack felt good in the hand, still not as good as an XD. Man I should have kept that one. BUt what's with using that little tool for disassembly? I guess there is a way to field strip without it, but do any other 1911's come with a tool for disassembly?

 

[Reckoning]

Yeah, the field stripping certainly is more cumbersome with the Kimber compared to the XD. The Pro is much easier to strip than the Ultra for whatever reason. The little tool is harder to find than it is to use. Luckily, a paper clip can replace it. The Tactical with the Don's guide rod/#22 spring is still the worst to strip. That spring will fire that guide rod out at about 100 mph. I've just about been impaled more than once.

 

[JD McDorce]

-deleted-

 

[ranburr]

I've got well over 10,000 rounds through a Kimber. I can count on one hand how many malfunctions that I have had. Those can be attributed to piss-poor reloads, old G.I. mags, and the fact that I don't clean them until they start to act up.

ranburr

 

[kkramer673]

I must be another rare, lucky Kimber owner. I've got about 1,000 rounds through my Pro Raptor II (external extractor and all) with completely reliable operation. I always use 230 gr FMJ rounds with it.

 

[stunksinatl]

I've got a Kimber on the way from the stork... Wish me luck!

-stunks

P.S. I'm sure the odds are it'll be every bit as great as I think!

 

[impcmonk]

I wish the two Kimber's I had would have been good feeders out of the box. Especially the BP Ten II, that double stack felt good in the hand, still not as good as an XD. Man I should have kept that one. BUt what's with using that little tool for disassembly? I guess there is a way to field strip without it, but do any other 1911's come with a tool for disassembly?

The BP Ten II was notorious for that. I have the Ultra Carry II and the Pro TLE/RL II. Both are outstanding.

 

[impcmonk]

However, nothing compairs to the FN 5/7.

 

[manygunner]

All you lucky Kimber owners, what is the most rounds you put through it in a single session without cleaning? How much of it was rapid fire/double taps/tripple taps?

 

[ranburr]

Well, I have used a Kimber at two different courses. One was 1,000 rounds over two days of shooting. The other was 2,000 rounds over four days. Every type of indoor/outdoor shooting that you can imagine. Never cleaned it while at either course. I always carry two extra pistols to any course that I take in case I have a problem. I have needed a second pistol only one time and that was to replace a Colt that threw a front sight. Incidentally, these two courses did more actual shooting than any other course that I have attended.

ranburr

 

[bigun]

So far the most is probably 5-600 without cleaning. I want my pistols to last as long as I do. Most of my shooting is at steel plates and Q targets so I dont do alot of slow fire.

 

[.40-.45]

I guess I'm "just lucky too!!" :roll: