Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Kimber Hunter and Montana stock swap

I just won an auction for a Kimber hunter in 243 on gunbroker the other day, I was wondering, if I had a stock and bottom metal from a Montana same cartridge, if they could be swapped. I would like to put the Hunter action in the Montana stock, and use the detach mag and stock on the other rifle. Anyone do this?

Yes the parts are interchangeable. The Hunter will slip right into a Montana stock if you have the Montana parts.

These are the parts you need.

https://imgur.com/a/5vuSOqg

Yes, and yes. If you have the stock and montana TG/box/follower it will work.

The only difference between a factory Montana and a Hunter barreled action in a Montana stock & box/spring/follower/TG is that the Hunter version has "Hunter" stamped on the barrel and the Montana has "Montana" stamped on the barrel. Triggers are same/same.

The Montana is bedded to a slave action, not the actual action that ends up being bolted in. So dropping in a Hunter is exact same as dropping in a Montana except for the barrel stamp.

And.....good luck finding a Montana stock and bottom metal if you don't already have one. All SA's (84M) are the same and all 84L's are the same. Only ones to watch out for if you have a 84 action is a 8400 Montana stock. They will not fit.

OK, great

PM:

MCMXI

He has 84m stocks.

And he’s a great stand up guy

He doesn’t have any, I checked with him weeks ago.

Aw man that’s too bad. The one I got off of him is beautiful he had a ton late last year.

I should have bought more

I had plans to do the same conversion with a Hunter a couple weeks ago. Found a 84M Select stock. Before I purchased, I called Kimber to get a quote on bottom parts. Kimber would not sell me a bottom metal, box, follower etc. Was told that I could send a factory rifle to them for repair or replacement parts.

I have two 84M AG Composite stocks which have a 100% carbon fiber outer shell and the Open Country dipped pattern but those are not currently for sale. I'm building an 84M 7mm-08 AI with a Criterion stainless 1:8 twist, 1/2-28 threaded muzzle barrel and TriggerTech trigger.as soon as the PT&G reamer shows up. I plan to sell the second rifle either as a parts kit (with the reamer) or complete rifle, using the one I'm keeping as a carrot. I don't have any need for two 7mm-08 AIs.

That said, I do have two Iota 84M stocks (Montana style) available along with a bunch of Hunter 84M and 84L stocks. The Iota stocks also have the Open Country dipped pattern. Once those stocks are gone that's it, no more.

Will Kimber sell a MT stock?

Not any time when I tried, but there have been others who have reported that they will. It may depend on who you talk to and how many they have sitting around.

The only way I know that Kimber will sell you a Montana stock is if you already have a Montana. Most annoyingly, they will require you to send in the rifle to "fit" the stock. I purchased a used Montana that had a very small crack near the pad, and reached out to their customer service many times over a few months about a stock replacement. They consistently refused to ship me the stock itself. I finally bit the bullet and sent it in.

Has anyone who owned a Humter ask Kimber to sell them the parts and stock, to see if they could send in a Hunter and get back a Montana?

Do you still have the iota stocks available?

Not to hijack the thread, but what is the overall difference between a Hunter and Montana? (I.e., why do people seem to have issues with the Hunter they didn't with the Montana... are they the same with less QC on the Hunter or actual design differences?)

I don’t think people have many issues with the hunter anymore. They’re great rifles. Actions and barrels are exactly the same, except one is stamped Montana and one is stamped hunter

What about the stock made it a Montana or did they literally just change the name?

Completely different stocks. The Hunter is an injection molded stock with a detachable magazine. As far as a non fiberglass stock, it’s a decent one.

The Montana has a carbon fiber stock with a blind magazine. Both are well built in my opinion.

I apologize if this has been covered but can we order a AG stock for a kimber? Are their any other options for bottom metal like maybe going to a DBM if Kimber doesn’t want to sell parts. Thanks.