kimber 1911 -Any good?

[patrick james]

A friend wants to sell his Kimber 1911 custom target II. Is Kimber 1911 quality good? He is asking $850.00 and it's LNIB.He shot it less than 100 rounds.Thank you

 

[USAF385]

I'm not sure about the performance of the gun, but the cost is iffy. If he tried to trade it at dealer he'd get a lot less. I've seen them NEW for $800 (even less).

 

[Ron H.]

Sir, Kimbers seem to vary. A buddy had a Compact Carry that was very good. I had a Classic Stainless Target that was extremely fussy about magazines. For $850, a nice used Colt is a better idea IMHO.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

 

[Dan Cash]

I have not kept up with the price of this model but the quality of Kimber is first class. My wife and I have 6 or 7 of them. It has been several years since I looked at the custom target but it was spendy then.

 

[RABULL]

That price sounds a little high to me. I have owned three (3) Kimber 1911's. Two of them, I had to send back to Kimber several times to try to get them fixed to work well (FTF/FTE). Kimber could fix neither one of them. I finally sold the one (Kimber Pro CDP II) as it continued to FTF/FTE. The other one, (Kimber Super Match II, their "custom gun") I had to send to Novak Custom .45 Shop to get it to work right. In December 2008, I bought a used Kimber Ultra CDP II .45 (after shooting it before buying it) and it has been an outstanding compact 1911 .45. For me, the bottom line is it depends on the individual Kimber handgun that you buy, some are great, some are not, so I would suggest shooting it before you buy it...My 2 cents only....

 

[Revolver-time]

I have a Stainless Custom II that is completely reliable.

 

[Big Rich]

I have a TLE II that is 100% reliable. I use it as a daily carry piece.

 

[29Wheelgunner]

Originally posted by Big Rich:
I have a TLE II that is 100% reliable.

Same here. I have two Kimbers, a Royal and a TLE II. Both are exceptional 1911's.

Around here, Kimbers hold up in the resale market quite well.

 

[Marshall 357]

I had a few Kimbers a Gold MatchII a Full Size Eclipse and a Custom Carry.Everyone of them had a feeding problems. The barrels started to get rust pits on the outside,and they all came with plastic mainspring housings.My Friend has a Kimber Classic it is great. I just must be lucky,and got the one built on Friday at ten to five.LOL. I have a Springfield now and love it. Good Luck.

 

[Onomea]

The info here is very much on target with what I learned when I was looking at Kimbers. Some are great and their owners love them. Some are not, and their owners are unhappy or frustrated.

The other thing to watch for in a used Kimber, as I recall, was that Kimber briefly went to external extractors, and then went back to internal. The external extractors seemed to cause more problems. I think the external extractor models are called "Series II" or something like that, but do not recall exactly.

In my own case I wound up going with a used Wilson over the LNIB Kimber. Cost considerably more though.

 

[gunsmith11]

My son has 3 kimbers, he loves one and hates the other two, me I think i will just stay with the gold cup I have had for 30 plus years

 

[m657]

I got the "Custom Target" model long before there was a "II" version.

It has never had any issues and it continues to outshoot any other 1911 I have used.

 

[rundownfid]

As this is a used gun why not shoot it and determine its reliability yourself? Then if it fails to function either run or get the price down to reflect that fact. The price is fine for Kimber quality and accuracy; if it is also reliable.

 

[18DAI]

I've had three Kimber 1911's, and still own one, a Stainless Target II. My remaining Kimber shares similar traits to the two I dumped. It is an over priced, over hyped, rusting, single shot POS.

Do yourself a favor and buy a Colt. What you save in shipping charges to Yonkers NY will pay for a years worth of ammo. My 0.02 Regards 18DAI.

 

[ingmansinc]

I have the SS TLE II and find it extremely accurate. I would ask him to come down $75.00 on his price.

 

[mroyal98]

I have a Team Match II 45 and it is a wonderful gun in every aspect. The only thing I didn't like was the colour of the grips, but that was easily remedied.

 

[oldRoger]

I have a Kimber SS Target II in 10mm, except for the Kimber magazines, it has been very reliable. The magazines do not always want to feed the last round. I have Cobramags which feed fine so it's not the gun.
My shooting group likes it better than my 1006, it is a nice shooting gun.

 

[Jerry in SC]

We have two Kimbers in the household, neither have had a single malfunction. I would recommend a detail strip and cleaning/lubing before shooting. They are tight and are usually very accurate. They are behind in production and command pretty decent prices here.

 

[fat tom]

Well,I have a Custom Deluxe Royal,a first year production gun,and a Pro CDP. The workmanship on both is outstanding and they are both 100% reliable.
f.t.

 

[Grayfox]

I believe Kimber makes a good 1911.
I also believe they're over rated and over priced. I have shot them, but don't own one.

 

[GONAVY]

I have 4 kimber's and they are all reliable. For me, best buy on the market. The prices have escalated alot since the election. 850$ doesn't bother me for a kimber.
Many friends who shoot IDPA utilize kimber's. One friend in particular has now put 50,000 rounds through his and the only thing he has changed was the recoil spring. He continues to blast away.
I have seen more trouble with colt's and custom rigs than kimbers. My 2 cents.

 

[Spotteddog]

I've had three, now only have one. I gave my Son my CDP "G" length. He's used it for 6 years now. I purchased a CDP Ultra that my BIL took a shine to after all of his were stolen, so that's where another one went. The only issue was a slide stop failure on the 5" CDP @ about the 750 round count. The Ultra's REALLY don't like too much oil! All have been more accurate than their owner is. Wilson mag's for insurance. I don't know what prices are like in your area, but nearly nothing sells for what it did a year ago! So what's being charged is a function of your desire and comfort level anymore.

 

[John Kelly]

I think they really made other manufacturers create a better and more diverse product.
I own a TLE II and it is a fine gun.
Buy the Kimber and don't look back.
If you have problems they WILL stand behind their product.
Are they better than a Colt/Springer/SIG/S&W, I don't know. But mine and many like it have done very well.

 

[oliver507]

Dear PJ,
Some here like the Kimbers and smoe don't.
Personally I like them (own or have owned 4+),
sombody wanted to several of them for more than they were worth to me so they now own them. I still carry one of the two I still have every day along with my M-49. I have shot IDPA with both as well as a M-27 Glock. The CDP-II and the Ultra Carry have served me flawlessly. So if you like the gun then you ought to acquire it at what you think is a fair/reasonable price. $850 sounds close to me but this advice is free and is probably worth what you paid for it.

 

[Farmer17]

I had a Kimber Custom II with the external extractor and Schwarz firing pin safety. It was an excellent gun in every way possible... great trigger, machining, tolerances, and controls. Very accurate and 100% reliable during several thousand rounds.

 

[Joe in SC]

I had a stainless gold match that was very accurate. I aquired a les baer premier II and didn't need both. The baer came with 1 1/2" guarentee at 50 yds. Truthfully the kimber gold match was almost as accurate. It was one of the first series. I would buy kimber again in a skinny minute. As someone else said,kimber raised the bar on all other production manufactures.

 

[safearm]

I had a TLE II that wouldn't keep the rounds on the paper at 25 yards; I traded it for a Desert Warrior that was probably the best full-size 1911 I've ever owned. Sometimes you get a bad one, but in my limited experience, Kimber is a good buy.

 

[Jellybean]

I believe Kimber makes a good 1911.
I also believe they're over rated and over priced. I have shot them, but don't own one.

I've been a fan of the 1911s well before they were a status symbol and built a few in the '80s. I don't own a Kimber but have shot them, which is why I don't own any. I too feel they are over rated and over priced.

 

[perrazi]

in my part of the world, the dealers won't hardly trade for a used one due to the issues already stated. for what is supposed to be a major builder of 1911 guns, there are way to many bad ones for me.

 

[mroyal98]

I can't really buy into the folks that say overpriced and over-rated. I bought a match grade Kimber pistol for just over a grand and a S&W match grade from Performance Center would have been a heck of a lot more than that. I have had absolutely no problems at all with everything I've fed it, it is a tack driver for anyone with any skills that shoot it, and honestly I consider it to be the finest gun that I (in my limited experience) have ever shot and/or owned.
Of course, your mileage may vary, but you won't convince me differently.
For reference, my S&Ws are a 910 (that doesn't shoot that straight but I still like it's rapid fire) and a 637 (which surprises me constantly with it's accuracy).