Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Kimber 89 BGR

Tell me about 'em. Any experience? Accuracy? Likes and don't likes. They have been on my radar. I did a suarch for 24 hour and didn't come up with anything.
Thanks for the help!
Rick

YRMV

IMO, it's a kickass classic CRF rifle design... IME, don't expect stellar accuracy, more than one maybe less than two moa... There's fantastic examples and some turds regarding fit, finish, function, stock etc. The stock production is something I have first hand experience with....

There was some heavy hate posted by a popular poster here regarding KofO. May have been "some" truth to it, some was inaccurate regarding actual production timelines and some was bullchit, yet totally understandable aka a bit spiteful, that's my opinion. I don't GAF - others might. Also a popular gunwriter was given a bit of a turd BGR 89 prototype, LOL, never a good idea.

What I can say is that they're a model from a very dynamic period of expansion for Kimber of Oregon. Prototyped in '88, in production '89-'91. From about '87-'90 KofO went from under ten to over 100 rifles per day... Mid 1990 barrel stamp changed from Clackamas Oregon to Colton Oregon. Initial batch of about 75 had retarded fat stocks, many were later reworked. Earlier examples have shorter grips, later ones taller grips with more inside radius. Many stocks were made by talented prideful craftsmen. Some by new-hires and talentless twits. Blanks were rough machine-shaped on an automated duplicator called a Zuckerman, then inlet on a CNC... Then hatdware and machine sander (me), shapers with files and finish sanders. Checkering is freehand cut with Foredom tool iirc. Spray finish clearcoat like a car. Test targets were at a 50-yard underground tunnel.


Practicality for modern hunting usage. The Super Americas have integral scope bases, Classics use a base. I am not going to try to 'splain it all now, but it can take a long scope tube to fit, think Leupold longtube 4X or 6x42. Talley was still recently making 1" and 30mm rings, fixed and QD that fit. Old Warne Premier bases have the same dovetail width. Original KofO rigs are in high demand, most are excellently crafted... Check stocks for checks, fit, twist. Some went through too wet. Some ebony was too wet and shrank differently than the claro walnut. There's French too. They were fitted to dummy actions, not individual as shipped, ala production not custom operation. I've seen it bitched about, the recoil lug bedding and buttpad securement were an excellent 3M 15-minute epoxy still doing the trick 3 decades later. The bigger bore Africans, 416 Rigby, 505 Gibbs are generally likely to be of excellent stock work...

Can't tell me mine pictured below, is not sexy! Its a SA 270Win.

Smooth feeding, great open trigger design, like a pre-64 Win. 70. At 1 1/2 moa usually, doesn't like 130s, and it fouls quickly. Damned straight made in the USA by Americans, well and a few Mexicans in the polishing room, LOL.

Happy to discuss.






Here.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...0667628/1/Kimber_of_Oregon_-_photo_and_l

It’s gorgeous boomer.

Mine has a crack, running back and downward from the front of the bolt release cut. Sigh. It is what it is. Some crazy grain and it likely had a bit too high water content when shaped. Enough good Claro became a constant challenge. They had payroll above their means and shipped what they shouldn't have at times to make it... Sigh.

MtnBoomer;
Good afternoon to you sir, I hope that the day has been good to you and you're well.

Thanks so much for both the photos and the inside scoop on those rifles.

Having worked in production for companies that were attempting to grow exponentially, I can relate to some of the headaches. The bean counters and investors never seemed to care about production issues or sadly sometimes the resulting variable quality. We made kitchen cabinets, furniture and cabinet doors though, not firearms.

We honestly don't see a lot of Kimbers up here other than the occasional newer rifle.

Thanks again, all the best and good hunting.

Dwayne

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Thanks for the kind words. There's a awful lot of information linked, and surprisingly, still pics hosted via the old Google Picasa! Enjoy.