Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Kimber Hunter question

Does the Kimber Hunter use the same action and trigger as the Kimber Montana? I know the stocks are different and Hunter has a detachable magazine. I’ve owned a couple Montana’s but never owned a Hunter.

I would assume so, I heard many say the barreled actions fit in either stock.

Yes.

Yep

Yes it does. I asked Kimber if my hunter could be fitted to a Montana stock and they said no. Whether that means they just won't do it or it isn't compatible I don't know..would be interesting to know

It can. You need the stock and the internals, which they may/may not sell you. I swapped a 6.5 c hunter barreled action into an extra montana I had laying around rather than wait for the montana version to come out when they first introduced it. Zero issues and it shoots very well.

You'll need the following parts to convert a Hunter barreled action into a Montana without muzzle threads.

Stock with trigger guard and sling swivel studs
Magazine well
Magazine follower
Magazine spring
Front and rear action screws

Procuring the stock is the hard part, and given the cost you're better off just buying a Montana.

I don't see too many Kimber Montana stocks for sale

Thanks for the replies. The reason I ask is because I took one of my 84M Montana’s and had a new barrel installed. I also put on an Rick Stienhour modified MPI thumbhole stock. That rifle is my favorite and most accurate rifle. The original Montana stock was easy to sell. I was wondering if I did it again maybe I could pick up a used Hunter and have the same action and trigger. But if I wanted to go with blind magazine, it looks like I would also have to buy mag box, follower, spring, trigger guard and action screws.

https://imgur.com/a/O5aTwC8

So the Kimber hunter mag box feeds out of the rails in the action? I thought most drop mags feed off feed lips in the plastic mag box itself.

No, the Hunter magazine has a stainless steel box with feedlips that "replace" the ones in the receiver. It becomes a center feed CRF with the Hunter magazine which presents way more case head to the bolt face for reliable and consistent feeding but gives up one round of capacity over the blind box magazine models.

So how would one use a blind mag Montana stock as there is no slot for the hunter mag. Not sure how to say it I guess. Folks above make it seem like can put a hunter action in a Montana stock. Your stating what I thought was the case. So maybe they are milling the Montana stock to accept the plastic hunter mag?

The barreled actions are the same with the exception of threads on the Montana muzzle. Read my earlier post in which I list all the parts necessary to put a Hunter barreled action in a Montana stock.

Has anyone done this? I’m under the understanding that Kimber machined away the feed lips from the receiver on the hunter actions. Which would be why the hunter mag has the feed lips. am I thinking about this wrong?

Yes ... and, yes.

You don’t use the hunter mag. This appears to be where you are getting hung up.

No, the feedlips are still there although they're not used with the Hunter stock and magazine. If you look at the photo below of a Hunter rifle and magazine, you'll see that the magazine feedlips sit inside the receiver feedlips. The magazine converts the staggered feed to a center feed but the standard feedlips are still there so that the barreled action can be installed into a Montana stock.

Thanks for attaching the pics. Makes perfect sense now. Appreciate you taking the time to do that.