Kimber Failed Me :(

[Electric Factory]

Bollocks to just about everything stated above.

I have no love of Kimber pistols, but to judge reliability or accuracy from a range gun is problematic at best.

A rental range is a good place to get a feel for a pistol in your hand, the controls, etc. It's not the place to test drive for results. They don't clean them, they don't maintain them, and they're abused by every git who comes through the shop to try one.

What gunsnrovers said.

[gn3hz3ku1*]

the 1911 has been around for almost 100 years.. i really do not think it will still be selling so well if its a POS.

with that said. basing your exp with a gun on your use of rental guns isnt the best way to judge anything.. its like a rental car that never gets a oil change

[1911su16b870]

FWIW The first thing I have done with four Kimbers is to run Wilson Mags. Never had a problem with 10s of thosand rounds down the pipe! Secondly, shoot someones Kimber not a range rental. Long story short, fight with whatever firearm you have in your hand. But if you're going to fight with it, make sure you've run it on the range to your satisfaction.

[SnWnMe]

The problem with the 1911 is that it literally is its own industry. It's like the PC platform. With hundreds of makers offering software and hardware, it is a miracle that the WinTel computer allows me to make this post.

If you want a reliable 1911, get a 945.

[bwiese]

You'll notice the 1911 problems go up in fancier 'race guns' with ultratight tolerances - sensitivity to ammo, mags, etc.

An out of the box Colt 1911 doesn't have these problems.

I'd bet my life on any of my 1911s using factory ammo. I've never had a problem with them and they are the equal of my Glock 21, performance wise.

[Kruzr]

Your statement is made true by implied definition -- for a 1911 to be a "good 1911" it has to be as reliable as a Glock.

That's like saying for a Glock to be accurate, it has to be as accurate as a 1911............and that don't exist in the real world.

LAPD SWAT, Tacoma PD and about 20 other departments trust their lives to Kimbers. If we were to add all the other brands of 1911's then we would have to include the FBI HRT, and countless other LEO's across the nation. If you take care of your gun like you do your car, then it will do what it's supposed to do.

WRT to range rental cleanings.........I clean our rental Kimber every Saturday and every Monday evening. By the looks of it, I'm the only one to touch any solvent to the gun at all. Our Kimber rentals have held up far better than any other 1911 brands we tried (SA and Colt.)

We had a previous Kimber rental that went 92K rounds, had to have the hammer and sear replaced and then went another 48K before we took it off the line (smooth bore and all.)

In the $1000 dollar range, based on all the guns I've seen being shot all day long at the range for the past 4 years, I'd go with a Kimber. At $1500+, I switch to a Baer.

[6172crew]

Your statement is made true by implied definition -- for a 1911 to be a "good 1911" it has to be as reliable as a Glock.

Funny- the top IPSC guys run a 1911 not a Glock. Check out IPSC over at u-tube and you will see that most guys are running a double stacked 1911 type setup and a few guys use a Glock....most of these IPSC pistols have 10's or 1000's of rounds through them.

[psriley]

When researching my 1911 purchase, I shot a multitude of SAs, Kimbers, Colts, etc. and had some kind of failure with each, most typically FTE, and got discouraged about the whole platform. Did some reading, and found a bunch of advice that shooting a 1911 properly is somewhat unique. Went back to the range and shot some of the same guns again, this time firming up my grip quite a bit and keeping my strong wrist absolutely locked. The failure rate reduced dramatically to almost nothing. The couple failures I did have could easily be chalked up to crappily maintained range guns or the reloads I was shooting through them.

Encouraged, I bought a Kimber Raptor II, and yes, I did have a couple of failures during the +/- 500 round break-in period. Since then, zero failures with any ammo, including my own reloads. A few thousand rounds later, the trigger has become as smooth as butter, and I have supreme confidence that the bullet goes precisely where the gun is aimed. There is definitely a certain appeal to how a 1911 feels and shoots, and I wouldn't hesitate to (and probably will) pick up another Kimber, although I think my next 1911 will be a Les Baer.

[Dont Tread on Me]

1911 reliability sucks

I shoot plenty of matches and work the public line at a Bay Area range. I've seen no difference between untouched Les Bears, heavily customized STIs, and plain jane Kimbers or Colts when it comes to jamming. They jam a lot.

The 1911 design is a compromise for the manufacturing techniques available at the turn of the last century. If you have one that works then you're lucky and should start playing the lottery.

Even with reliability aside, the 1911 is a low capacity handgun with a tricky little safety. I love the way they look and conceal. I'm happy with the way they shoot. However, when it come time to risk my a*se and I have only a*se to risk I go with something simple, standard capacity, and reliable and there is an ocean of great choices out there.

I really encourage you to seek out force on force gun-fighting training if you have not. Having a 200lb guy try to bash your head in totally changes the way you look at magazine capacity and safety (ie. suicide) levers.

[SnWnMe]

The 1911 design is a compromise for the manufacturing techniques available at the turn of the last century. If you have one that works then you're lucky and should start playing the lottery.

Compromise of what manufacturing techniques?

[s281c]

IThe 1911 design is a compromise for the manufacturing techniques available at the turn of the last century. If you have one that works then you're lucky and should start playing the lottery.

Even with reliability aside, the 1911 is a low capacity handgun with a tricky little safety. I love the way they look and conceal. I'm happy with the way they shoot. However, when it come time to risk my a*se and I have only a*se to risk I go with something simple, standard capacity, and reliable and there is an ocean of great choices out there.

Really then I must be exceptionally lucky then, I've got more then 40 1911 style guns, with the exception of the one's I currently have in pieces, and the 2 LLamas, they all have been exceptionally reliable, and I would not hesitate to use any one of them in a emergency situation. I guess it's time to buy those lottery tickets.

I don't understand what you mean by a tricky little safety? Are you talking about the Grip safety or the thumb safety? I don't see how either is tricky, as long as they are left to do what they are supposed to, they work fine. Unless you're talking about the many iterations of the firing pin safetys............

[tankerman]

When researching my 1911 purchase, I shot a multitude of SAs, Kimbers, Colts, etc. and had some kind of failure with each, most typically FTE, and got discouraged about the whole platform. Did some reading, and found a bunch of advice that shooting a 1911 properly is somewhat unique. Went back to the range and shot some of the same guns again, this time firming up my grip quite a bit and keeping my strong wrist absolutely locked. The failure rate reduced dramatically to almost nothing. The couple failures I did have could easily be chalked up to crappily maintained range guns or the reloads I was shooting through them.

Encouraged, I bought a Kimber Raptor II, and yes, I did have a couple of failures during the +/- 500 round break-in period. Since then, zero failures with any ammo, including my own reloads. A few thousand rounds later, the trigger has become as smooth as butter, and I have supreme confidence that the bullet goes precisely where the gun is aimed. There is definitely a certain appeal to how a 1911 feels and shoots, and I wouldn't hesitate to (and probably will) pick up another Kimber, although I think my next 1911 will be a Les Baer.

Thank you. This is what I said in my earlier post. But instead of questioning technique. Most would rather argue about which gun is best. This guy that had this problem normally shoots a 38 special revolver and refers to magazines as clips. Obviously does not know squat about pistols. Limp wristing is very likely the cause as I stated earlier. But go ahead and just keep arguing about which pistol is best.
Guess most aren't really interested in reviewing the entire situation anyway.

[ronbwolf]

Most have ignored the obvious here...the poster says his carry gun is a S&W model 10. The primary cause of malfunctions when a revolver shooter uses a semi-auto is not locking up behind the gun, but rolling it back as one would a revolver. A semi needs something to push back against. I would start looking at the mags,ammo, and pistol only after seeing the shooter shoot. Out of the box you will not find a better production pistol than a Kimber. BTW I work part time at a local range. If you want a clean gun to shoot, bring your own. If you want to shoot a rental that works, rent a Glock, or a Sig.

[Dont Tread on Me]

I hope I'm not offending anyone. I'm just trying to give my honest view on the 1911.

Compromise of what manufacturing techniques?

What materials and manufacturing techniques have we developed over the last one hundred years? Have any of them been used to improve the guns available to us? Could Browning have designed something like a modern Glock? I think he could but it could not have been manufactured then.

I don't understand what you mean by a tricky little safety?

For me the thumb safety is an issue. It is an extra step between needing to shot something and being able to shoot. What is easy on a square range without pressure changes when you add a little adrenaline at a match and becomes completely different when you get an adrenaline dump during a confrontation. I spent some time on Friday trading headlocks and chocks with some guys. The zip my gym bag was as good as a padlock afterwards. Adrenaline totally changes the way your body operates.

[s281c]

For me the thumb safety is an issue. It is an extra step between needing to shot something and being able to shoot. What is easy on a square range without pressure changes when you add a little adrenaline at a match and becomes completely different when you get an adrenaline dump during a confrontation. I spent some time on Friday trading headlocks and chocks with some guys. The zip my gym bag was as good as a padlock afterwards. Adrenaline totally changes the way your body operates.

You realize how many other gun design's use the "tricky" thumb safety in aproximately the same location with the same plus additional function, the CZ-75's, HK USP (SA/DA version I forget at this moment what variant number it is) with the addition of decocking ability, of course the Browning P35, there are more but those come to mind.

I'm curious to see that if you think the thumb safety on a 1911 is tricky what about the the slide mounted safety on S&W pistols and the like.

Personally a sweep down thumb motion with a adrenaline rush in place is a very natural and easy to do for me.