05 August 2020, 19:03
dogcatKimber of Oregon vs other Kimbers
Question to the AR gaggle -
I know that Kimber has moved, reorganized and changed over the past few years. Are guns made in one of the Kimber locations any better/worse than others made in other places?
I have heard the guns made early in the Oregon plant are better than the ones made elsewhere. Ture or false or old wives tales?
05 August 2020, 22:44
nopride2My experience with Kimber had been a rifle from Oregon and two pistols from New York. Products from both locations left a lot to be desired.
Dave
06 August 2020, 09:56
CougarzI don't agree. The Oregon Kimber's when Jack Warne was there were very nice rifles indeed. I once had the chance to buy a Super America .270 win at a very nice price for my wife. We waffled on it for a little too long. Still kicking myself for that one.
I would take an Oregon Kimber any day over a New York one.
06 August 2020, 10:39
LeonardCOnly in .22s. The Wife and I like our Kimber of Oregon .22s. Mine are LH, I don't think the NY ones come in LH.
Kimber made guns in Clackamas and in the end at Colton, OR.
07 August 2020, 05:26
df06I hade a Kimber of Oregon 22 hornet. Beautiful rifle, perfect function and accurate. In a bout of stupidity, I sold it. And had a 22Lr, from Oregon. It like was was a great gun.
I bought one of the newer kimber, a Montana Version in 270 WSM. It was poor accuracy wise, before and after I sent it back to a Kimber. Sold it. My experience is a small sample, but I sure won’t buy another of the newer ones.
07 August 2020, 22:08
JohnlyI have one of the two M84 Super Grade rifles built. Bought mine out of the Greg's office during one of my visits. Spectacular! It's still living it's life in its original box unfired.
Have several others that I hunt with on occasion, but they make it more often to the range just because they look as well as they shoot.
08 August 2020, 03:37
StonecreekDifferent companies, different locations, and completely different guns. Only the names are the same.
The current Kimber company (New York) uses a totally different action for their various rifles. I've only had one and didn't have very good luck with it (although it looked nice).
The Kimber of Oregon M82 (rimfire and small centerfires) and the M84 (.222-based cartridges) were excellent rifles made to close tolerances. My .22 WMR M82 and M82 .22 Hornet are the very most accurate I've ever owned in those calibers (well, the Hornet is
as accurate as my Brno ZKW 465, anyway.)
There is an active collector market for the Oregon Kimbers. There is none for the NY products.
08 August 2020, 05:26
rglenzI have a Model 82 Super America and a M84 in .223, both made in Clackamas,_ great little rifles! Also had a Model 89 big game rifle that was evidently made under duress in Colton. I killed a few Cariboo with it, the rifle shot well but had some flaws I couldn't live with.
If my memory is correct our resident, rock star gunmaker designed the model 82 stock.
11 August 2020, 00:56
QuintusI have owned and loaded for a number of NY M84s in .308 and .243. Absolutely wonderful to look at. All very ho-hum to shoot. Functional walking guns. These are all pre-accuracy gaurantee, but I wouldn't spend 14 hundred bucks on a new to see if they got better.