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Depends. Does barrel splitting qualify as dogdom?

Dan,

What a great write-up and comments. Most of the "Kimber doesn't work" threads (including mine) just conclude they don't work - yours explains why, and very well, too.

It also indirectly addresses one of my pet gripes - the tendency of people who have been lucky enough to get one that both works and shoots to blame the shooter who reports that his doesn't. You've laid out some real QC or engineering problems that aren't linked problems created by the trigger actuator.

I'd also congratulate you on having the sense not to return your rifle to Kimber for service. Yes, it would be cheaper, but in my experience, all that does is raise your hopes. It comes back with the same problem, along with a clean bill of health from Kimber stating the rifle has been repaired to virgin status. Can anyone really expect that Kimber Customer Service would really have tracked down these problems?

I read the best advice here recently from a Kimber advocate - buy three Kimbers, see which one works, and sell the other two.

Thanks.

Does 3 stocks splitting near your face qualify? Try working with Beretta service & you will think arguing with a fence post is entertainment. After threatening legal action I finally was furnished a synthetic stock. This was a 7RUM. Sako's shoot great but I will never purchase a new one again.

Subjective I guess

I have had great service from both Beretta and Kimber, I would not hesitate to buy their products again. Customer service treated me well and fixed both problems lickety split.

Seems like any bolt gun should be able to feed the likes of a 308 Winchester with ease.

you'd think.......

Having nothing to do with Kimber, or anyone else ... I don't expect anyone (in an instance like this one) to try to track down the issues and 'fix' them ... When you purchase a NIB product from someone, and it is dysfunctional from the word 'go', what I expect is for it to be replaced immediately with a working unit, as advertised, and as purchased.

That accomplishes two things ..

1. The customer doesn't have to wait for someone in the repair shop to track down issues and try to resolve them. They (should) get a brand new, fully functional, well operating item as they expected in the first place - without a significant time delay.

2. It allows the business to be more efficient (in this case, Kimber) and allows them to operate with less expenses, all be it a slight decrease. They should toss the 'broken' rifle into the repair shop to be worked on when it's convenient for them - which will keep repair shop costs down because they're hardly ever having to expedite anything. Or, they could simply break down the entire rifle into it's individual components and run them back thru the assembly line - assuming they are all still in "new" condition, and approved for such use.

Now, this entire MO only applies to assembly line type, mass produced things. You obviously can't take this approach with a unique item, (as the company or as the purchaser) or one with some sort of sentimental value ... because some things are not replaceable ... but again, in an instance like this ... The company should take the firearm back, send you a new one, and then deal with the defective product.

just my $0.02 though ...

+1

I had one, it shot acceptable groups however, but I did have to send it on the usual Kimber trip to the smith to get the feed ramp worked over so it would feed smoother (I hated having to ram the round into it to get it to cycle). Then I found the safety was faulty and when you flicked it off the gun would fire if you had pulled the trigger before hand. I call Kimber on it and they said too bad you live in Canada, we don't offer warranty on our product there.

I think Kimber "could" be an outstanding rifle but the problems a person can expect to deal with when buying one is too much. I don't have a problem with having to alter/fix somethings but when the company tells you they don't stand behind their product...that says it all to me, very loudly in fact. Customer service makes or breaks a company and the way Kimbers is I would love to see them go out of business.


My hunting partner has a Montana and he loves it, he was a lucky one.

as are most........

Huntsman, you mean most are good, I presume. How do you know that?

Kimber makes a great 1911, seems like they would have the ability to make a good rifle too.

I really don't know fer sure. But, look at it this way....Kimber has sold a whole bunch of them, and it's the same bunch of vocal whiners slamming them on the innernet(that statement will really bring 'em out )........Not sayin' that they wasn't happy with theirs for no good reason, but I know of over a dozen that you couldn't pry outta their owners hands with a John Deere tractor........

Make it a bakers dozen, love my 84M in 7mm-08 and would not hesitate to buy another.

Ditto my 325 and 308 Montana rifles and my 22LR Kimber.

Jay, You see where I am coming from? These are board guys that I don't even know..........

Count me in the love my Kimber crowd. Both of them- pistol and rifle.

Dan ,a excellent post.It explains the why.Even with the extra cost,you have ended up with a one of the few choices.The others ones are the M-7 and ULA.If a Kimber works,it might be the best.

Hace 3 that shoot great and one going thru barrel break in now. I'll report how it does.

I seem to wind up with the occasional "basketcase" or "lemon" and not just with guns. I work in a manufacturing business, I understand how assembly line labor can cause defects. Hell, we even target (or rather expect) a certain percentage of defects in the process. However, most of defects (around 99% of them) never make it out the back door (at least not to grade, they're called blows or shop wood) So maybe 1% of our product winds up sneaking by, thats a defect of some sort. Most of those get caught by the customer before it goes into their product, and we gladly give them enough wood to make returning it worth their while. It is impossible to manufacture ANYTHING without having some defects getting to your customers. I understand that my rifle was a lemon, and I understand how it could happen. I'm just dissapointed in how big of a lemon it was, and how something mechanical could be so screwed up and leave the factory that way. If they test fire their rifles before shipping, this should have been caught and remedied. Either the QC guy; A. didn't give a [bleep]. B. was ignorant in the workings of the bolt action rifle. or C. sees so many screwed up that he thinks thats normal.

I've talked to many others, both here and out in the real world that have had nothing but good things to say about Kimber. Really, its the best production mountain rifle on the market right now. I give them credit for having good intentions when they engineered the whole 84M concept. Their advertising campaign wasn't a real stretch either "So much less than you'd expect" lightweight, good clean trigger, good lines on the stock, and a bolt and action the right size for a 308 based case (not the same action other companies use for everything up to 416 Rigby, just shorter...) I had wanted an 84 Montana since they first hit the market. I couldn't think of a better mountain rifle, and for a grand less than you could build one on another action. I knew I'd wind up with one some day. Now I have one, and it's going to fill an important role in my gun safe.

All the Kimber sales reps work here in the valley, and there's allegedly a gunsmith in the valley that does a large volume of their warranty work on just the rifles. I've known quite a few of the sales reps over the years (Scotty Gibbs, Kyle Brown, and the dude with the flat-top, and the new Norwegian guy.) For me, going to a gunshow is like a big family re-union. The local consensus was that Kimber builds a damn fine rifle, even though they had a rocky start. The local consensus is also to stay away from the early 2 position safety guns unless you want to take it to a gunsmith.

Oh well, its all better now. Thanks to all of you for the compliments, and moral support. Especially the one who don't think I'm a whack job for putting a fixed 4 on top of it...

WHAT! I missed that! Why I can't believe you would do something so..... Seriously, whatever works for ya.