What do you pro's think of the Quality of Kimber Rifles ?
Would love to hear of anyone here who is a factory warenty rep .
As far as the design features, a Kimber 84 standard seems to have alot to offer.
But I just read a thread on a different forum that has me retinking that opinion.
One guy says he has removed the barrel on at leas 20 Kimbers and says the actions are the farthest from square he has seen on a commercial rifle and that the threads are lousy
and a hole list of complaints.
can any body here set me strait ?
thank you in advance.
...tj3006

I have nothing but good to say about my Kimber 84. Mine is chambered in 308 and shoots exceptionally well - both with this barrel and the one it came with. I managed to break the stock and bend the first barrel when I rolled a 4 wheeler on a hunt a few years ago. Kimber not only replaced the stock and barrel under warranty they also re-blued the rest of the gun and upgraded the wood for me. Their customer service was exceptional. I am getting 5/8" groupd with 150gr Partition Gold bullets loaded over RL15. It is tricky to shoot such a light rifle off the bench and get good accuracy but it there. My Kimber is my "go to" rifle even though I own several other nice rifles.

I have heard the stories of Kimber rifles that dont shoot well but hinestly I attribute that more to the shooter than the rifle. Very light rifles are extremely sensetive on the bench and it is very easy to blow a group. I have handled and fired several Kimbers adn they have all exhibited fine accuracy.

But dont take my opinion or anyone elses as gospel. Get your hands on one and see for yourself whether you like it or not.

quote:

Originally posted by Thomas Jones:
What do you pro's think of the Quality of Kimber Rifles ?
Would love to hear of anyone here who is a factory warenty rep .
As far as the design features, a Kimber 84 standard seems to have alot to offer.
But I just read a thread on a different forum that has me retinking that opinion.
One guy says he has removed the barrel on at leas 20 Kimbers and says the actions are the farthest from square he has seen on a commercial rifle and that the threads are lousy
and a hole list of complaints.
can any body here set me strait ?
thank you in advance.
...tj3006

This is the internet TJ. A place where anyone can be anything. I have worked on several Kimber rifles and they are pretty good as a factory rifle goes. Me thinks the guy you referred to above is probably not what he thinks he is. I've seen some pretty crappy stuff coming from manufacturers, but nothing too out of place from Kimber.

A comment from the rank&file:

My father-in-law has one in .204, stainless, straight flute barrel, a nice lively piece of walnut, etc.

He loves it, and has a lifetime of gun ownership to make his decision from. I used it recently, and was impressed by fit and finish, and accuracy.

As mentioned above, a good factory rifle; a cut above, likely.

Gift-horsed, I'd maintain a level line of sight.

TJ,
I own a Kimber 84M Longmaster Classic in .308 Win. I agree with M1 Tanker,Bill, as to the quailty of the brand. The fit, finish, as well as the figure of the walnut stock is well worth the cost. I do not have a lot of expensive firearms, most of mine are very utilitarian. This rifle seems almost too nice for me to sling on my shoulder to trapse around in the Sonoran Desert chasing Coues deer. However, it shoots well enough not to take it. As to the threads and action being square, I'm not a gunsmith nor do I play one on the internet. If Malm has no problems with the Kimber, He is a staight shooter. My own estimate of a Kimber is that it's quality is as nice as a custom rifle, but it is a factory rifle. You can get a nice rifle from Remington's custom shop, however it is a custom, from the custom shop. The Kimber is a production rifle, what you see is their level of quaility. Good luck with your choice.
Jon In Tucson

Kimber Quality, not so much

The plastic stock may be the way to go.

I special ordered a Kimber Classic once. It was a wood stocked .270 Win. The stock looked like it was cut from green wood! The barrel was almost out of the barrel channel at the end of the forend. Plus the inletting was just bad. I sent the gun back to Kimber and they re-stocked it but scratched the metal and dinged up the new wood in the process. When I got the gun back I couldn't believe they did this to an almost $1000 rifle. I was so upset about the whole thing I sold the rifle at a substantial discount without ever even firing it and vowed never again.

Mine is an example of one. I'm sure lots of people get a good rifle from them.

#1 barrel almost out of the stock


#2 Notice the huge gap on the right side. It's rubbing on the left.


#3 A view from the top. Even if the barrel was centered in the channel it's cut WAY to big.


#4 The barrel is already pushed hard against the right side of the stock. Why is this gap there? Bad intetting is the answer.


To Kimbers credit they did try to fix the problem and they even sent me a shipping box with a prepaid label on it. IF the person that worked on the rifle would have given a crap about what he was doing I would have been a happy camper. But, the facts are they sold me a rifle with unseasoned wood on it. This is why so many wood stocked rifles have problems with wondering P.O.I.'s! and then turned it lose in the hands of somebody that had no skills to fix it.

If you like Kimbers that's cool, but I don't and the above pictures are why.

Terry

You need to expose yourself to more than one to get an overall view of the quality. One badly fitted forend does hardly a pattern set, unless of course it's yours.

quote:

Originally posted by Westpac:
You need to expose yourself to more than one to get an overall view of the quality. One badly fitted forend does hardly a pattern set, unless of course it's yours.

I could go broke learning to hate a rifle couldn't I?



Terry

I would be really pissed that I got a gun like that on special order, but I doubt I would hold that against the company. I would wan't to choke the life out of the asshole who let it slip by. But that's just me.

I really like the Kimbers as I wanted a lighter rifle due to me getting older. The Kimber has the M70 features such as control round feeding and that great M70 type safety and more with a state of the art stock and stainless steel if you want the Montana.

I had some problems with the first one I got but now my son and I have four of them and they are our go to rifles. Keep in mind that they have suplanted a battery of pre 64 M70's, 99F's, ZB Brnos etc gathered over a half century.

I've had an issue or two with Kimber products...not big issues, but...issues. I have a Kimber Custom Classic rifle with pretty darn nice French Walnut, but the black oxide finish wore off the floorplate after one trip in my padded gun scabbard on the ATV. This has NEVER happened to any of the other 20 odd guns that I have carried in that same scabbard. Also, I have 2 Kimber pistols, a full size Tactical Custom II and a Tactical Ultra II. Both have the same black oxide finish rubbed off the safely lever from sliding in and out of their respective holsters (leather). That finish isn't worth spit!!!

One other issue about the rifle... It's chambered in .300 WSM, shoots 1-1.5" groups, nothing great, but, MOST factory rounds will not chamber. I have to handload for it. I have another .300 WSM, a Browning A-Bolt, which swallows all those factory rounds without any problem. The Kimber is just short chambered. A tight chamber is fine on a bench gun, maybe even for a non-dangerous game gun, but a gun that won't chamber factory ammo is just not right. To add insult to injury, that Browning is an honest to God .5-.75" grouper all day long. I wish it had a pretty walnut stock....

MKane160

I own a safe full of rifles and my Kimber Clasic 84M in 7-08 goes with me almost every time I go out except when there is rain or snow.

It is realy light and points like my finger...but the bolt will bind if not pushed straight forward or with down presure any up presure and she won't move.

Thanks for the picture TC1 ! I will certainly look for that ! Mkane,160, Man Kimber sure should fix your chamber.
So far i am prety positive on the Kimber.
All I need is to sell my old 30/30.
...tj30,06