I received a NIB K6S yesterday and thought I would post my thoughts on it, should anyone be interested. Note that this review is based on one firearm and with all things, may or may not represent all Kimbers. Nevertheless, here are my findings.

One of the first comments you hear about these is the price. I paid $880 plus $30 shipping. That's less than retail, but perhaps more related is S&W's retail for a 640 is $729 and the PC version retails at $839. There are new K6S models that run considerably more, most noted is the First Edition which retails for $2,039.

First impressions: opening the box. The gun ships in a cardboard box. Inside is a zippered pouch bearing the Kimber name with the K6S nestled inside. Also in the box is the usual paperwork, including instruction manual, NRA application and Kimber decal. Besides the gun, the pouch also contains a plastic speed clip. More on that later. Removing the gun from the pouch revealed a very nice looking firearm. Fits and finish were top notch. The stainless is a matte finish, somewhere short of shiny, but far from bead blasted. The over all finish is very smooth and there are no tooling or brush marks. One surprise (for me) were the grips are made by Crimson Trace, though they contain no laser. Crimson Trace does make a set of laser grips for the K6S, at a retail price of $399.99. Finding a set may be a problem though as even CT lists them as out of stock.

As noted, the gun is to notch for fit and overall finish. The sights are plain and black, which provides a rather pleasing contrast to the stainless. However like all black sights, they tend to disappear in low light, especially against a dark target. Kimber seems to have known this though as both front and rear sight are easily replaceable, something that can't be said on S&W J frames. The cylinder latch is unique in being a "push button". It is easy to use, yet very positive in its action. The cylinder and crane/yoke swing out easily, revealing nicely machined counter sunk chambers. The assembly closes a little stiff, given the strong spring action of cylinder pin. This isn't a problem, but it felt a bit strange given the ease in which the assembly opened. Closed, you will note the cylinder fits very snugly in the frame.

Comparing the K6S with my older 640, I found the Kimber to be a bit longer over all, somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4 inch, and over all beefier. However my 640 is the .38 Special version. Comparing the K6S to a .357 J-frame would most likely show the two to be very similar both in size and weight. As for feel in my hand, the K6S felt very good, much like the 640. The trigger on the K6S has received rave reviews. I'd like to meet those reviewers. The trigger on my K6S was smooth, but has a rather long take up between the cylinder locking up and the internal hammer falling. It wasn't bad, just a bit weird to me. However compared to my 640, the K6S' trigger didn't justify its price as some of the reviews seem to hint at. In full disclosure, my 640 has had the trigger return spring replaced and a honing job by moi. One point I'd like to make here is given the two retail prices, sending a J frame out for a trigger job would put it up in the price range of the K6S, however you would in the end have a better trigger with the J Frame. I would also note that the new J frames contain MIM parts, which despite their naysayers, are much smoother than their machined counter parts, so a simple return spring change may be all that's needed to get a smoother trigger. My bottom line here is that while the trigger pull on the K6S isn't bad, it's not as good as I was led to believe it would be, given the reviews. Could the trigger on my particular gun be made better? Perhaps, but I've not pulled the side plate off to see how the internals look, let alone have the knowledge on what would need to be worked on. Besides, the trigger is supposed to be one of the major selling points to justify the price of this gun. The last thing I'll say on this is there is, as of now, no replacement springs or parts or even guidelines on working on this gun to improve the trigger. So at best, all I could do is maybe smooth out some parts and add lubrication.

One distinct advantage the gun has over the J frame is it's a 6 shooter instead of a 5. The cylinder is also different in that it is machined flat between chambers rather than left smooth or scalloped like Smiths. It's a different look, but not unpleasing, in my opinion. I mentioned earlier that the gun came with a speed strip. In looking at the open cylinder, I wonder if a K frame speed loader would work. The Kimber does not have a lot of room with the cylinder open though, and I'm not sure most speed loaders have enough room. That's an area I'll have to research on. To my knowledge, there are no speed loaders other than the strip available yet. My fear is the cylinder release, which I really like, sticks out too far and will impede any speed loader currently on the market.

At this time, I cannot give a range report, as I don't expect to make it to the range with the K6S until next week. I don't suspect there will be any accuracy issues with the gun, but I'm more interested to see how it preforms with full house .357 ammo. When I do go, I'll come back here and up date this report.

So, without actually firing the gun, what are my feelings? If all things were equal, I'd buy one of S&W's J frames. The J's come in a world of different flavors, weights and even calibers. However there are two areas the K6S stand out: the ability to change the sights (once replacements become available, which will surely happen when the aftermarket ramps up) and the overall attention to finish. Do these two differences justify the price difference, especially when used J frames are several hundred dollars cheaper than a new K6S? That's a question the buyer will have to answer. If you are seriously considering buying one of these revolvers, I recommend you do more research. There are a host of reviews out there to read. Just don't believe everything they say about the trigger.

__________________
So many S&W's, so few funds!!

I have the opportunity to hold and try the trigger on the K6s. The trigger felt like a custom trigger job. Light smooth and predictable sear break. That is one sample. The K6s is well thought out design with what appears to be a snubby for a dedicated snubby user. Check out a speedloader for a Colt DS and see if that works. Gun is basically a DS sized weapon.

Great review. I bought one about a month ago. The only thing I would have to disagree with you is about the trigger. I've owned a lot of Smith & Wesson recently manufactured J frame revolver's notice I said recently and the Kimber has the smoothest trigger pull I've ever felt out of all of them not even close. The fit and finish is amazing none of the J frames never come close. I took mine to the range and it functioned perfect and shot to the point of aim. So far the only downside of the Kimber is their customer service which is a nightmare from what I've read hopefully I will never need it. That's where Smith and Wesson has it all over them you only get a one year warranty with the Kimber. Then again with the recent crop of Smith & Wesson's you'll need the life time warranty. I have to use it several times over the last eight years. Time will tell how the Kimber holds up so far I'm 100% satisfied with the gun and very impressed.

Oddly enough, although I own several S&W's (bought my first one back in 1971), I've never had to send one back to the factory. The only time I ever even remotely got close was when I sent my 686 to one of their service centers for the recall. Although I do my own work, I've never had to work on something that would have been considered a warranty issue. Not to dis S&W in any way, but I hope it remains that way.

__________________
So many S&W's, so few funds!!

ADDENDUM:

I tested both the K6S and my 640 with my recording trigger gauge. The S&W tested out at very repeatable 9 1/4 pounds, while the K6S was almost exactly one pound heavier, averaging just a smidgen over 10 1/4 pounds. Also, to expound on the difference in feel I noted above, the S&W locks up and fires almost simultaneously where the K6S locks up, then requires a noticeable bit more movement to release the hammer. I'm not sure which should be judged superior so for now I'll just say they 'different'. My personal preference is the lock and release of the S&W, but for normal paper punching, I can see the appeal of the lock and further pull, giving you a pause to make sure the sights and target are aligned.

__________________
So many S&W's, so few funds!!

I just left our local gun shop, they had a k6 and I was looking at it for awhile. I really like it. The trigger was great! The only down side was the grips. Those grips are way to tacky for me. Don't think you could bend over and get back up without your shirt being stuck to them. Maybe somebody already make wooden grips for them. Other then that I think it's a great gun.

No pics and no range report? : (

I just got back from the range with my second K6. I bought the First Edition version (see my earlier posts and pics serial number 0002-shot a 100 rounds thru it and cleaned and oiled and put away) and then came across a regular one at Cabelas Thursday and bought it to be a shooter.
Let me preface this by saying i have had dozens of Smith revolvers over 20 years. PC guns, j frames, K,L,N, light weight, all steel etc... and i still own a 586 3" LComp PC , 337, 342, and 360 SS AND i will buy a 2.75" 66 when they come out (I think the 66 will be just about the perfect revolver in terms of balance, firepower, size, weight not to mention GREAT looking revolver).
Suffice it to say i am a huge Smith fan.
My opinion-The K6 has it all over the equivalent STEEL J frame. I am one of the reviewers that thinks compared to the presently manufactured Smith, the K6 trigger is a better, smoother, rolling consistent trigger that did not feel 10lbs. and allowed me to shoot one ragged hole at 7 yards in the 10 ring with AmEagle 130 grain FMJ's (200 rounds). Sights were great (I shot black silhouettes and picked them up fine) fit and finish was flawless,locked up like a tank, grips were excellent, (better for shooting than the beautiful checkered wood ones on my First Edition). Big plus is 6 shots instead of 5. I am not a huge "gotta have a million rounds" guy, (obviously since i almost never carry one of the 5 semi autos i have) but 6 shots is just better.
The K6 is a quality gun, but you do pay for the quality. To me, it was worth the extra $400 to get a revolver that was not the same old j frame we have all been buying and shooting for years.
I do think its a belt gun or IWB unlike my J's witch usually go in my pocket. BTW, i ordered a speed loader from the Kimber store. $25 , shipped to me in 4 days, and it cleared the grips and worked great.
Overall, i love the K6 and think its a total winner.
Will it put kimber on the map as a revolver company-only time will tell.

Reading - it's fundamental:

__________________
So many S&W's, so few funds!!

OK, here's the range report:

Below is a target fired upon at 25 feet. The rounds were 125 gr. HP 357, reloaded by myself. The sights on this gun are very sturdy and cleanly cut, but are black, so they get lost on a black target, at least for my eyes. Since they are removable, I foresee an aftermarket product unless Kimber starts offering different options (can you say "night sights"?). Therefore the grouping is, I feel, a direct result of the sighting issue. It's not bad for a 2" barrel hot load, but I really believe better sights would help a lot. For comparisons, I've included pictures taken of a 10mm group and a .22 cal group shot at 50 feet. I don't pretend to be the worlds greatest shooter, but I'm not bad - at least with see-able sights.

Next is recoil. It's unpleasant. There's no other way to put it. But then so is the recoil on a 357 J frame. Yes, you macho manly men sill sit back and say what a wimp I must be. So be it. While the recoil isn't unmanageable, it nevertheless is unpleasant. Some of this can be mitigated by using .38 Special loads, but if you are buying this gun for self defense (I'm not), you should really practice with what you plan to use for defense, and at least to me, that's going to prove painful. As stout as the recoil is, I'm sure the Crimson Trace grips help as least maintain a grip on the gun. I've shot some J Frames with wood grips and had trouble keeping them from trying to spin in my hand. No problem of that with the Kimber.

So my over all opinion of the gun: It is a well made, well machined product, that is apparent in looking at it. The trigger is not as good as I had hoped for, but not bad by any means. Is the price justified? In my opinion, no. While it is a nicely made firearm, it's obvious intention is for self defense use, and in this regard, a J frame in 357 will perform just as well, though admittedly lacking one round. Remember this too: if you were to use this in a self defense shooting, especially if the other guy ends up dead, the police will almost certainly snatch your weapon for evidence. What it will look like when (if?) you get it back, may not be good. So as yourself, would rather say goodbye to a $500 used J frame or a $900+ Kimber? All your call, of course. Opinions have a notorious saying about themselves, and this is only my opinion. At least for me, this gun was somewhat disappointing, mostly due to it's trigger.

25 feet - off hand shooting, two hand hold:
20170117_103937WEB.jpg

50 feet - off hand shooting, two hand hold:
20170117_103322WEB.jpg

The Gun:
IMGP0196WEB.jpg

__________________
So many S&W's, so few funds!!

I agree; the K6 has a nice trigger pull. But, my 360J out of the box has, IMO, an equally nice trigger pull "feel". I have not check the weights

__________________
John

It's not just the weight of the pull. The 640 locks up and fires, almost simultaneously, whereas the K6S locks up, then you have to keep pulling a bit further before the hammer drops. Some may like that pause, but I don't. It could be a matter of timing, but since I have no experience with the K6S innards, I can't say, nor am I eager to open it up and experiment with it due to lack on information and more importantly, lack of parts should something go wrong. I've not heard anything good about Kimber's factory service, and I'm not even sure they would do anything anyway, but I plan on calling them and see what they have to say about it.

__________________
So many S&W's, so few funds!!

Sounds to me that the trigger is different to what you are used to/like and you may be reluctant to adjust to it. If all K6S examples work that way, then maybe the gun isn't for you.

__________________
Release the Kraken

Prices are coming down. I just bought one NIB for $712 delivered from the auction sites. I've seen a bunch of them go for right around $700-$750. I should be getting mine next week, if not this weekend.

I bought a used one already. A guy won it in a raffle and wasn't really a revolver guy. I bought some wood Altamont grips for it was around $60. The trigger pull is worlds smoother than any of my S&W J-frames (it's similar to the feel of a Ruger LCR). The early lock-up that a couple folks mentioned is a big plus. Once staged to that lock-up, it's as if it's in single action. Love it.

^^^^what he said. Thanks to all for the thorough reviews of this most interesting gun. I've examined 2 at my range's pro shop (including a "blue model"?). I would like to love it (love to like it?) but I fear another steel .357 snub would join my SP101 in the safe while my J-snubs "do the town." Just bought a 340PD and after 2 range sessions with magnum ammo, it's already in my pocket.

Now if I could only get past these abdominal surgeries and return to my 1st love, IWB behind-the-hip...

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

I was at Cabela's earlier today and checked out the Kimber. Fit and finish looked very good and it's compact for a six shooter. But the grip was not for me. Just didn't feel quite right in my hand. At the present as far as I know there's not much in the way of replacement grips. I also checked out a S&W model 60 Pro. Now this also had a very good fit and finish and also a real nice trigger. It also felt great in my hand. Only downside was that hole but I have a couple of other Smiths with it and it's not something that would keep me from buying a new Smith. I know it's a 3" vs a 2" and it's one shot less but comparing these two(and these are the only two I looked at) I would take the Smith hands down.

Altamont has very nice wood grips in two or three different styles for about $60. Like you, I did not like the rubber grips. It took me 4 days to cure that problem.

Kinda of the same mind. I fondled one not too long after they came out. I really like the look of it. The finish was good. Grips weren't quit to my liking. The front sight's height, or black color, or both, made it hard to align with the rear frame's notch. It's DAO trigger was heavier than I'd want. I really wanted to like it but I passed.

Shortly afterward I bought one of the newly released 360J .357 Magnum 2-Tone with a Sc frame & a pinned red ramp front sight that I really like. Glad I waited.

.

__________________
Waiting for the break of day

I'd like to get my hands on one, but they aren't worth what they are bringing to me. Maybe one day when they are $500 used or so, I will bite.

I finally got to see and handle one at a gun show last weekend. Looks good, nice trigger and it felt good in my hand. But for some reason I just can't quite explain, it just didn't appeal to me.
I guess I'll just pass.

I haven't been able to handle one of these yet. Any thoughts on the pressure needed to trip that pushbutton cylinder latch? I'm sure I can manage it, but my wife has some arthritis in her thumbs and says she can't manage the similar-looking release on the Ruger DA revolvers. She can manage the S&Ws, even the old flat latch, if she must, but she prefers the pull action of her Colt Agent. Also, any comments on the double-action pull? The magazine reviews I've read mentioned there wasn't much stacking, which is my pet peeve with Colts, but I'd like to hear from somebody else before I go traipsing all over looking for one to try.

The push-botton is very similar to the Ruger (I can't feel the difference). The trigger on the Kimber K6s is similar to the Ruger LCR trigger which is excellent. They say it's 10 pounds, but it feels more like 8 because of its smoothness. The Kimber trigger is also exceptional because it locks up early and allows staging to almost a single action. Very cool.

I have had a K6S/lasergrips for a couple of months and now it has several hundred rounds of 38 and .357 downrange. I have a lot of j-frames and a SP101 to compare with the Kimber sooo...
As others have stated the trigger is very similar to the LCR, long and smooth. Everything about the gun is well made. A turn on the ejector rod will allow the cylinder to run like a bike wheel. The machining on mine is flawless. The gaps front and back of the cylinder are tiny. The timing is perfect. The Kimber has no MIM parts and the action will require no gunsmithing to make it better. Some j-frame holsters will work depending on the maker. The shape of trigger guard will determine if this is the case. The extra shot in my opinion is a big deal.

Kimber, with input from the likes of Grant Cunningham, seems to have a really nice start into the revolver world.

Size comparison,

Don't tell my father he got in a bidding war at a NRA auction and ended up paying I think $1275 all in all. I do like that the serial starts with NRA though. And it seems to be a well built revolver. But I like my 340 M&P a lot better, especially since I payed less then half what he payed.

Well, all in all pretty nice gun from what I've seen and heard but to be honest as far as a steel 357 snubby, I can't beat my old Ruger SP101. As long as I have that I really can't come close to justifying buying one of these. As far as the extra shot-well I've got a snubby 686-4+ so that part is covered too

__________________
Forum consigliere

Saw two more in the LGS today. One had white dot sights, the other the plain black. The dot (front) sight height looked to be slightly taller but way more visible & easier to align.

.

__________________
Waiting for the break of day