Is Kimber making any guns right now?

I have been trying to get my mitts on a .280AI Montana. The lady on the phone at Kimber says that they should "start shipping soon" which is the same answer she gave me in April. I've also been thinking about a Montana in a short action non-WSM chambering and nobody has them in stock locally. Within 40 minutes of my house, there are several small gun shops, a Cabela's, and a Wholesale Sports. No Montanas on the shelves and no idea when standing orders will be filled.

While at Cabela's last week, I was ready to lay down the cabbage for a Solo 9mm (as long as I liked the feel of it, etc.), but, of course, they didn't have any and have no clue when they will be able to get some from Kimber. No other stores have them either. And it's not like they are receiving them and selling them as fast as they come in. Nobody is getting anything from Kimber. Why is that?

I started snooping around online and talked to a couple mega-sellers (i.e. Bud's Gunshop, Impact Guns). They are all willing to take my order, but don't have any idea when I'll get a Kimber product. One guy told me that if he could get a steady supply of Kimbers (1911s, Solos, and rifles), he would have done a year's worth of business by May. But...he's in the same boat as everyone else--he is getting nothing from Kimber.

I recognize I could take my chances on Gunbroker or some other auction site, which I have done for a Rem 700 SPS and the like, but I'd like to at least see a LA Montana and a Solo in real life before making a purchasing decision.

Are any of you gunwriters "in the know" as to what's going on with Kimber?

Thanks!

Wade, Kimber is a little Co. that specializes in pistols but also makes rifles. This is a fairly typical time-line for a Kimber rifle launch.

I've been given a bit of behind the door access to the 84L project over the last 5 years, so if you think you're a bit anxious to get your mitts on one, you can imagine how I feel...

I talked to the Kimber guys at the Safari Club convention. The big problem is that they're way backed-up on orders for handguns, so only make rifles in their spare time. They even dropped the .22 rifle completely, for that very reason.

I would bet you won't see either firearm till next year 2012. Maybe a trickle of rifles at the end of the year.

In the meantime Kimber will market and advertise them to create and maintain a built up demand.

This is normal for them.

I think Kimbers product line is way over their production capacity. They keep adding to the handgun and rifle line with probably little or no additional machining. There were nib Solos selling for over $1K on gun auction sites. List is $600.

I just hope they don't let quality suffer inorder to get product out the door.

look at Perkiomen Gunworks, they have 26 Kimber handguns in stock at my last viewing.

I never really understood why they made so many different models of a 1911. I spoke with a guy last year who works for them and he said they were about 6 months behind filling handgun orders at that time.

To get the Kimber I wanted I just had to tell the guys behind the counter to order it for me. That was a long 7 days, but worth it. But then again, I never expected to see a 338 Fed on the shelves in central Texas.

I gave up waiting on them to come out, ended up going to Weatherby's Ultralight. I like them as well and I have em in my hands. Maybe they will get some out before the end of the year.

Yeah, it bugs me that they advertise a product for 2011 but know before hand that it'll be probably the END of 2011 before they can actually send the product out the door to the dealer. Don't advertise something you don't have...

This isn't something new in the firearms industry--or even any industry. Many companies announce new products and then delay production, even though they've already done the research and development, to see how many orders they get.

It's much more efficient to do it that way rather than to build, say, 20,000 .30-06's when there's only demand for 10,000.

Ruger is famous for releasing new products that you will lucky to see on Dealer shelves a year after release dates.

Just marketing, trying to keep you on a string to reel you in when the product hits the shelf to sway you from buying a competitors product in the meantime.

Ruger was famous for doing that. Hasn't been that way recently. I bought a Ruger SR 1911 within a month of the first time one appeared on the cover of a gun magazine. Likewise with the Ruger Gunsite Scout rifle, just about the time it was on the cover of "Shooting Illustrated" my local shop got one in.

Kimber should take some of that money they spend buying the back cover of every gun magazine, every month, and invest in increased production capacity.

Try Shedhorn Sports, Ennis, Montana. Shedhornsports.com. They have 55 Kimbers rifles and pistols in stock. It seems that Rob, the onwer, can aquire rifles, pistols, primers, powers and ammo when they are not available.

Thanks for the tip, abc!

I called the Shedhorn yesterday and was told, for the third time since the first of year, that they don�t know any more than anyone else about when the 84L Montana will actually be available. CP.

Running at the limit of production.. what a problem for a company to have.

Of course if your waiting on a 84l.. its a problem.

You must remember the XGI.

I stopped in and talked to Rob on Monday... as CP mentioned, they have no idea on delivery.

For the glass half full folks, it's great to see an American company struggling to keep up with demand. I kind of wish we could see more of that.

For all of you who complain, you could spend three times as much on a NULA. Personally, I think the quality and features/characteristics of the Montana 84L will be well worth the wait.

Guys, what was it, seven or eight years ago that Kimber announced their left hand rifle? I'm still waiting to see one.

Savage and Remington ended up with my money.

NULA does nothing for me...

Just to add to that, Kimber actually made a few LH rifles. There is a picture of one in my 4th edition copy of Bolt Action Rifles.

That means they have the CNC code written as well as having the fixturing required to produce them. It seems all they don't have is the production capacity to actually make it happen.
I guess I understand but it still irks me. Especially after seeing that photo of one.

Kimber has largely struggled to keep up with demand during the last 10 years on most models.. Nothing new there. The only way they can produce more rifles is to expand their facilities and workforce- which is easier said than done.

The problem lies in where the business credit markets have been the last 3 years and the overall state of the economy.

Kimber of America is a relatively low margin manufacturing business.. Do you think banks or other sources of capital are JUMPING at the chance to loan them money to expand?..

Even if such credit were cheap and easy to obtain, do you think Kimber's management is going to sign off on such loan commitment with an effective 15%+ unemployment rate in the country? Their 6 month to a year backlog could vanish in a few months if the economy gets any worse..

Part of Kimber's pistol backlog was/is due to the residual effects of Obama's election, which the overall economy is rapidly eating away at..

For their own long terms financial health, I'd say they are right about where they need to be at this time.

To the best of my remembrance, Kimber Of Ameirca never announced a LH rifle and never made any.

Kimber's past Chief Design Engineer is a friend and a Lefty and he never got the go ahead to make any Lefties.

Except for the fact they seem to be misleading their customers and providing marginal customer service. At least that's what I seem to hear, I have no personal experience with them.

I recall reading an announcement that Kimber was going to make a LH version back several years ago.
There is also a picture of one on page 316 of the 4th edition of Bolt Action Rifles by Frank deHaas and Wayne Van Zwoll.

I'd say you're probably correct Jim.

If you mean "misleading" customer's in terms of actual availability of guns- how so?

I do not recall ANY guarantees in ANY Kimber advertisements or announcements guaranteeing availability of any guns at your local dealer's at a set time frame..

I think folks these days (particularity the types that complain on internet forums) have a "drive through window" mentality - they want everything RIGHT NOW..

Kimber's lead times on new guns from the time they are announced is about the same as any other companes.Including Ruger and Winchester..

The flip side of the coin is if the marketplace were awash in Kimber rifles, folks would be whinning about the poor resale value to to the hear number of them on the market.

Also, their dealer's could not make any profit on them ,because every Tom, Dick and Harry FFL holder would have them in there rack for sale..




As to the customer service issues- that is old news.. And it appears to be getting a bit better. Because I think the rifles themselves are gradually getting better in terms of overall QC before they leave the plant..

So, if Red Lobster advertises a special on lobster tails, I go there with the intention of having that for supper, and when I get there they tell me that they have not received them yet and don't know when they will, I shouldn't be displeased,right?

A better analogy would be if you went to the Ferrari dealer looking for a 599 GTO and Ferrari told you it'd be 3 years before you could get one as their entire production had been spoken for.

Unlike a large gunmaking firm, a Restaurant is time sensitive a ON DEMAND service industry. And guess what? even THEY run out of food to serve certain advertised specials from time to time.

I suppose you break down in tears when that happens?

Name ONE large Factory gun maker that GUARANTEES the avialabilyt of ANY of their models of guns at ANY specific dealer or distributor a SPECIFIC TIME FRAME..

They don't.

Even semi custom outfits like Cooper etc don't make dead certain delivery guarantees.. You get it when you get it.

Maybe.

Because guess what? Even companies like Dakota Arms have been known to take advertise and deposits for guns they NEVER MADE and never WILL make... I have seen it happen..

I have not heard of Kimber doing that.. but I am sure some dickweasle will be along shortly to accuse them of it..

Why wait for a Kimber? Plenty of good options out there.

And that is kind of what Kimber is doing through back channels letting folks know their backlog situation..

You know it's funny. Half the folks on this forum seem to think Kimber rifles are a bad joke for a $1,000+ rifle , and the other half is chomping at the bit so hard to buy one they whine about lead times on new models..

I'm chomping at the bit for them to produce a LH Model 84!

Not likely to happen but one can hope.

Well, despite my defense of Kimber's predicament..

I DO SINCERELY wish that EVERYONE get the rifle they want this year..

Even you ,Nsaqam...LOL

Thank you for your thoughtful and courteous reply. In answer to your question, no, I would not break down in tears. I would most probably order something else from their menu that appealed to me. Whether I did further business with them would depend a great deal on how they handled the current situation. An explanation of why they were unable to supply what was advertised along with a sincere apology for being unable to fill my order would be appreciated. If I expressed my disappointment to the manager either at that time or later by phone and was YELLED AT by him or by someone representing the business and was told that I was unreasonable or was called a something along the lines of a dickweasle (sic), I believe that I would seek out another restaurant that, even if they couldn't provide what I requested would at least treat me with respect.

You seem to be a very overly sensitive individual...

Nobody called you a "dickweasle"..

If you go back a READ my post again you can see that was not directed at you specifically.

You know it is a darn shame that Oprah's show is off the air.

Your "victim" mentality would play well there.

I guess the fact that your post was in response to mine and asked me a direct question caused me to misinterpret it as being directed at me. I appreciate your help with analysis and while I was not a viewer of your show, I sympathize with you for missing it.

Whatever, Francis..

Whine on..

Jim,

That was exactly my point. I have no beef with you. In fact, I think you spoke of their production difficulties quite eloquently.

My thoughts are they seem to get as much negative publicity as positive. Just makes me a bet skeptical if I am about to drop 1K.

I agree with the perception and PR issues..

If they publicly acknowledged the fact that they are backlogged in announcements and ads it would smooth over any ruffled feathers amongst the buying public and given human nature, make the guns even more desirable to folks.

A good example is Shiloh Sharps. They have had anywhere from a 10 month to 4 year plus backlog of orders since 1989 .

It is a fluid situation, but they have always been consistent on communicating and updating folks as to just what the wait times are..

On thing is for sure, the fact that there is a wait time to get one of their rifle sure has not hurt the demand.

As to Kimber, I would rather them be behind in production and build the guns correctly, so that their customer service dept was much less of an issue down the road..

It will be interesting to see what Kimber does during he next few years.

I wish them and all their perspective customers well.I hope it all works out.

I wonder if Kimber knows what they are doing!

I didn't realize the demand for their 1911's was high enough that they couldn't produce rifles. Good problem to have...but it should be a problem they work to solve.

I thought I'd heard previously (a good while back) that there was a problem with production of the 84L Montana's stock that they were having to work out then they would be in production?

It does seem like they've been building the 84L Montana up for a LONG time. A reference was made to others doing this but it seems like Ruger and Winchester came out with models they advertise very quickly....but they weren't as much of a focus for me as Kimber's 84L...

I'd wager that building handguns is a more profitable venture than building rifles.

Given that, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if Kimber followed the lead of Ed Brown and just stop making rifles so as to concentrate on handgun production.

Which is why I (reluctantly) bought a Browning Centori 12 guage about 30 years ago. I could get the Centori, but not the (already announced) Ruger.

To use food vendors as an analogy, one might better suggest a custom pizzaria/brew-pub type of place where you know you're going to wait, sometimes a rather lengthy time, for a table. They don't run out; they just don't have the capacity to keep up with demand. Obviously some folks don't want to wait and will settle for Pizza Hut.