I dont typically bad mouth anyone or any company. But I just had to say this. A friend of mine proudly showed me his new kimber purchased thru Cabelas. The first thing I noticed was that the barrel band sling was loose - ie. sliding along on the barrel like a ring. It had no sign whatsoever of ever being soldered on. Neither did the barrel have any mark on it!!!

This is an absolute lack of quality control. I would be scared to fire the crappy rifle - cost $3,000!

OOPS!
Somebody fell asleep on the Caprivi line?
Forgot the solder or epoxy.

My .458 Lott Caprivi just got back from the factory for a loose barrel band (came loose after 3 shots). I was shooting it off sandbags at 50yds and it wasn't on paper. I suggested that while they had it they ought to bore sight the damn thing to get it on paper at 50 yds. Got a call back that said "Where is it hitting?" I politely informed them that if it was on paper I would know that, but since it started falling apart after 3 rounds, I had no ____ idea. I did tell them that I suspected it was hitting low, but that's based on a dust cloud, and really unreliable. (This is in part because I suspect they don't know how to take a tight bead given their front sight????). I suggested that the damn thing better be on paper before they sent it back. They were quit polite to their credit.

Rifle is back. They say barrel bands are reattached (or attached for the first time) (based on your e-mail, perhaps they didn't know that was a requirement). They also say I now have a test target. I'll take a look and shoot it.

When you don't find paper, folks general reply on all big bores is "you just don't know how to shoot them" or "You flinched". No question, I can shoot the SOB -- this is not even a really big kicker. Unfortunately, I enjoy some perverse pleasure from putting 3 rounds from a big bore into the same hole off sandbags. (Some guys like being tied up and whipped, but this is what floats my boat). I expect them in the same hole -- not just on paper.

We'll see. I'm keeping an open mind. I like the rifle -- lines, fit, appearance. My bottom line is it's got to shoot and perform in the field. That's an open question, but this rifle will get run through the mill before it meets my test.

Not that I need this rifle for anything. It's totally redundant. If it doesn't work, it will be a safe queen or get sold. No attachment yet. Hope there will be.

Buy a Blaser R 93.

No DRAMA. They shoot GOOD, and they WORK.

I should add. Have a Kimber "montana" in .300 Win. that is awesome. One reason I bought the Caprivi. Now everyone should know that .300 Win. Mags. are finecky on loads (every one I've ever had), and the Montana is no exception. But once you get a load, it shoots.

lavaca,

there are some issues with the CAprivi line. They are doing the same thing the mauser 98 had done to it. Taking a standard length action and milling it out to take the long 300/375/416REM cases. Like an old Rem722(?) you have to stick the rounds in ass first into the back of the magazine box. At least all of the ones I have seem require that, It is harder to make them feed that way, IMHO.
It is expensive to do a full length magnum action, witness the time line with the MRC PH. They are a good company to deal with. I am sure they will make it right for you.

Rich
Buff Killer

Thats a shame about the Kimber. Truth is it is a damn shame what has happened to that company. They used to be a quality arms maker. I am still astonished the guns have a following given the fit and finish of the present guns.
Pistols...good
Rifles...not so good.


NE 450 no 2,
Are you aware of all the lawsuits against Blaser for those 93's blowing up?
The suit that is getting the most press is a young European boy who is missing half his face.
Appearantly there are a fair number of exploding Blaser R93's.

Thanks for posting of your trouble.
I want to get a .375 H&H in the next couple of years. I will track this issue closly.
But i must add that my 84 select walnut .308 is a great rifle.
and i am a prety fussy old bastard.
There has only been 1 load that did'nt shoot well enough for hunting and most loads are right around an inch.
The best loads are well under. For a 6LB rifle that is prety good.
The 900.00 was well spent in my opion.
It sounds like there is a problem at the swivel attachment and they need to add another step in the QC check.
And that one rifle was not even fired for sight in is really piss poor. very dissapointing indeed...tj3006

quote:

Posted 11 May 2009 09:32 Hide Post
Buy a Blaser R 93.

do they make good barrel bands?

quote:

Are you aware of all the lawsuits against Blaser for those 93's blowing up?
The suit that is getting the most press is a young European boy who is missing half his face.
Appearantly there are a fair number of exploding Blaser R93's.

Gun toter, this internet legend has been thoroughly debunked. There are not numerous lawsuits as you suggest, nor are there a "fair number of exploding R93's." The couple of incidents were clearly shown to be operator error, e.g., reloading with pistol powder. Further, at least one test has shown the Blaser to be quite strong. NE 450 No. 2 has a greater command of the details and can fill you in if he chooses. I don't claim that the Blaser, or any rifle, is the perfect firearm. The Blasers are darn nice, though.

quote:

Are you aware of all the lawsuits against Blaser for those 93's blowing up?
The suit that is getting the most press is a young European boy who is missing half his face.
Appearantly there are a fair number of exploding Blaser R93's.

Last I checked (January) ,less than ten rifles total were involved in catastrophic failures,(out of several hundred thousand) all had either incorrect ammunition for calibre or bad (dangerously bad) handloads.

The same occurs every year in other firearms of other makers, as many of us have seem all to closely.

A manufacturing problem the R93's did have early-on was with trigger pins, recalled and corrected with professional vigor.

Personally, having shot R93's for about 9 years now I no qualms about their safety---that is --if I am safe with my loads.

Back to the Kimbers, they do appear to have some quality control issues with the rifles at least in the final inspection area (I am unaware of any recent catastrophic failures, only fit,finish and accuracy issues.)

I have a Talkeetna in there shop as we speak. Accuracy issues and the feed rails were so sharp they drew blood trying to load magazine. I was informed tht the accuracy was "within spec" 1 1/2" at 50 yards.

Based on their lofty claims about match chambers and barrels and the conversation I had with one of their reps at DSC, I expected much better. Also, their web page states it has a free floated barrel. It in fact does not and I was told that their ad was a mistake and would be corrected.

Seems to be some misrepresentation on their part. I would never have bought a rifle with 1 1/2" 50 yd groups as criteria.

They asked me what I wanted them to do. I said get it shooting a lot better or refund my money. I am awaiting further word.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Buy a Blaser R 93.

No DRAMA. They shoot GOOD, and they WORK.

+1

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Buy a Blaser R 93.

No DRAMA. They shoot GOOD, and they WORK.

+1

Maybe yours does but mine has a trigger worse than a '50s jap plastic cap pistol. Andrej Gorjup, the BlaserUSA gunsmith, checked it and said nothing was wrong. So stop spreading the word that Blaser 93s are all God's gift to the hunting world. All gun manufacturers make lemons. Some won't honor their warranties and correct their mistakes. Sad that we have to end up with an expensive tomato stake.

I would like to hear more about the Caprivi. Are these guns even test fired. Would that be sop for a 3k gun? Are there any satisfied Caprivi owners?

I pretty much dont care about blazer. I dont see what that has to do with Kimber?

All of a sudden those junky CZ's and Rugers are looking pretty good, huh!

Seriously, if you're gonna spend $3k for this Kimber, nut up and another $1k and get an AHR rifle that'll work and is a true semi-custom built one-at-a-time. If not, find a Ruger RSM for a little over 1/2 the price, have it bedded, trigger done and put a pad on it and still have 2/3 the money. Or go budget on the front end with a std. CZ, send it to AHR for their basic upgrade, and still have half the cost of Kimber CaCrappy. I've heard so many negative posts on these that I wouldn't touch one. I'm sure there are plenty of good ones out there, but you simply just don't hear abou them.

Thats interesting about all the Kimber problems. I handled them a few times but never pulled the trigger so to speak. Lucky me.

Neither Kimber Caprivi nor Kimber Talkeetna
is half the rifle that a Winchester M70 Classic is.
Remember those?
Glad I stocked up on those M70 Classics while I could. Reckon they'll ever make anything bigger than a .338WinMag in the latest M70 iteration?

M70 Classic Stainless/Synthetic: Winchester Wasilla
M70 Classic Walnut&Blue: Winchester Zambesi

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
Neither Kimber Caprivi nor Kimber Talkeetna
is half the rifle that a Winchester M70 Classic is.
Remember those?
Glad I stocked up on those M70 Classics while I could. Reckon they'll ever make anything bigger than a .338WinMag in the latest M70 iteration?

M70 Classic Stainless/Synthetic: Winchester Wasilla
M70 Classic Walnut&Blue: Winchester Zambesi

Better yet are the new Winchesters made by FN in South Carolina. They shoot well and the new trigger is excellent.

quote:

Neither Kimber Caprivi nor Kimber Talkeetna
is half the rifle that a Winchester M70 Classic is.
Remember those?
Glad I stocked up on those M70 Classics while I could. Reckon they'll ever make anything bigger than a .338WinMag in the latest M70 iteration?

RIP

EXCELLENT---You know how I feel about them!!!!!!

Michael

I have an older Kimber 1911, .45 acp, that is a very good gun. Everything I expected. Recently I bought a Kimber 1911 in 9 mm. Paid $1200.00 for it including sales tax. It is a piece of s--t. It looks good, fancy nite sites, etc. but it doesn't shoot worth a d--n. I think their quality is slipping.

Got my .458 Lott Caprivi back. Barrel band appears to be well-secured. As it should be.

They provided a test target with 4 rounds -- noted to have been fired out of a lead sled at 50 yards. It's encouraging. Hope they didn't split my stock shooting out of one of those things. Nothing visible at this point.

They've got two in the same hole right at 6 o'clock (awesome, that's where it belongs) and two creeping up into the bull. It's about a 4" group overall. Which sucks at 50 yards, but windage is good, I'm suspecting pushing the "black" on their part is responsible for the stringing. They did replace the front sight. I suspect it was too high initially.

Do you think their smiths are afraid to shoot their rifles? I'd be a lot more confident if it was shot off a standing bench than out of a lead sled.

Haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. But I suspect I can make it shoot, even if they can't.

I'm not real pleased at being charged $37.50 for shipping a defective rifle back for repair. Not sure if that was from Kimber or Carter Country, the dealer, but that's what it cost to get my rifle back and that kind of chaps me.

The gun writer's all gushed about the Caprivi, but for most of the writers on major magazines, it's pretty hard to get a bad review from them on pretty much anything. It's the economics of the thing. I knew there were problems with the first few but thought they had worked that out. I have a CZ which had to be sent back the first time, (their quality control leaves much to be desired but usually they'll get it right after one send back) but overall I'm very happy with it and it sure didn't cost $3000.

I hope your rifle is fixed now and is everything you hoped for. I'm also hoping Winchester makes some new M70s in 375 H&H. If they do, I'll be buying one.

Chuck