Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles A Kimber Bolt Head's-Up... Preventative Measure

Probably amazing that mine still works given it spends almost as many days a field a year as you do on here typing about how horrid Kimbers are....nah I don't carry it quite that much...never mind

I thought you'd orphaned the Kimber for a Browning?

Actually... The firing pin protrusion on Kimbers is not SUPPOSED to be adjusted with the two screws. However MANY of them ARE. The firing pin should come to rest against the front collar inside the bolt sleeve. The protrusion should not be set by the cocking piece slapping the [bleep] out of the cocking notch in the bolt sleeve. Turn the screw into bolt until you feel it come flush against the collar in the bolt, then go at least a half turn more (any more at this point won't make the protrusion increase any) Now, check the protrusion with the back end of a set of calipers. If it's .040 to .060, run it... If it's more, contact Kimber, or take it to a gunsmith. It's definitely not going to be short if you set it the way it's supposed to be set..... Also, if you have to remove the firing pin for machine work, put the new +p mainspring in it. Kimber beefed them up around the time that the Roberts showed up in the lineup...

Also, this is uncommon to ever see on an 84L. They pretty well had the issue ironed out by then.

Just about every Kimber 84 out there has that problem... It's a long story

Yep...it didn't see much use as my brother had it most of the season....but its back now and got 4 more hunts to go one atleast yet before the year is out...:D

Just went and checked my 243 and 257 Roberts.

Roberts was okay but the 243 was backing out.

Removed, degreased, loctited and noticed their was a lot of slop in the tiny allen head. Sure enough the bastard stripped right out with very little pressure.

Backed it out and will have to look for a better replacement.

Both screws have sloppy machining, didn't even bother to try tightening the other one.

Allen wrench had never been used so it's not like the corners were rounded on it.



Brad, kinda looks like the screw in your pic is also rounded?

Guys,
Dan Adair jogged my memory on the three times I adjusted the length of my firing pin. The first time my local gunsmith did
it by just turning the screw IN, thus pushing the firing pin outward and checked the length by releasing the firing pin by turning the safety to the FIRE position. This protruded the firing pin and allowed him to
assure himself it was sticking out far enough. He "cocked" the firing pin by hand, holding a piece of rag over the mechanism.

Now I don't doubt what Brad did. I'm wondering if that set screw was something new to Kimber. I don't recall one being there but I'm pretty old too and don't remember everything. Also I'm wondering Brad, if you saw when you disassembled the bolt, that the set screw was visible inside the bolt sleeve. Further, the position of the set screw looks too far forward from the position of the firing pin set screw to have any contact or relevance.

I posted a lengthy description of how to do this - maybe two years and beyond the ability to use the search function. I'll have to check.

Joe, here it is:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/4486293/1

Sam, it is... cycling the bolt with it protruding and dragging across the tang/screw rounded it a bit.

10-4 Brad.

I just found the link you posted and was reading it, yahoo works way faster than the search here!

Definitely google-foo is faster!

Here's bigwhoop's excellent directions:

1. Verify an empty chamber and put on safe.
2. Move the safety to position #2.
3. Remove bolt. The firing pin is cocked and NOT protruding from the bolt.
4. Hold the bolt in your left hand (so you can see the 3 digit s/n looking up at you on the handle) and rotate the cocking piece with your right hand COUNTERCLOCKWISE. It will lock into the next position. Now push the safety into the "fire" position. The firing pin will snap forward and now the pin will be protruding from the bolt hole. You can measure it, photo it or make a mental pic of it. It should be barely protruding based on your earlier primer photos.
5. Now is when you can loosen the locking set screw with a 1/16th hexhead - just a couple of turns. Now, using a properly fitting slotted screwdriver you can turn the screw CLOCKWISE and watch the pin protrude further. I think 1/2-3/4 will do it. You can photo it or measure it although I don't know what you would use to measure it.
Re-tighten set screw.
6. Now you have to manually cock the firing pin. Hold the bolt again in the left hand and turn the cocking piece CLOCKWISE til it snaps into the small cutout on the rear of the bolt. It'll take a some force.
7. Put the bolt back in the action and check your function and safety positions.
8. The next range session or primed empties will check your work.

I have no dog in this fight, but, found the above riposte by "lanche" kinda funny, NO offence to anyone.

Anyway, as to rifle "quality" in recent years and in some rather costly and "renowned" makes:

In the spring of 1994, IIRC, after saving for FOUR years to do so, I finally bought a lovely Dakota 76 Classic, excellent Q-sawn English wood, in my favourite .338WM, from the best gunstore I have ever seen, "Kesselring's" of Alger,WA. This, was shortly before Klinton and our former vile Liberal government conspired to make it impossible for we Canadians, to buy guns, ammo, etc, in the USA and bring them home into our once-proud, now declining nation.

I was super thrilled to get this and add it to my growing collection with my original, still fine shape P-64 Alaskan, .338WM and a second one of those,re-blued and my "truck gun". The .338WM is about the BEST all-around cartridge for serious hunting and wilderness work in BC and is very popular here, so, I had my "Dream Gun" at age 47.

I found it would NOT SHOOT and in those days, I was shooting 2000- 6000 big bore rounds per year and was a pretty fair shot with .338s, ,375s and so on. Then, it would NOT cycle the 2nd and 3rd rounds from the mag correctly......for use in BC's mountains with our large and growing Grizzly population????? I was PIZZED OFF and it went back, TWICE, for adjustment and some custom work.

When, I finally began to seriously workup loads and "tune" this rifle, I was NOT impressed with the groups and that feeding issue was STILL evident. One evening, in my gun room, doing the neverending maintenance that a large and fairly valuable collection requires, I suddenly thought that the "W" spring in this gorgeous piece seemed a bit "weak" as contrasted with my various P-64-70s. So, just for giggles, I swapped an original, mint, spare P-64 spring into the Dakota and THAT did it.

The rifle began to feed like one wants all his favourite rifles to and ejected all four rounds to the same spot some five feet to my right. I was REALLY happy as I was considering selling this and trying to find and buy another P-64, did so, twice more, but, that's another tale. By, this time, I had managed to develop loads with RE-22 and H-4350 using the 250 NP and Horn.IL bullets that shot VERY, VERY well and had also found that the Federal "HE" ammo, with the 225 TB slug was sub-moa in my now "keeper" Dakota.

In 2010, having found a fine Micky "Hill Country" stock on that other site, and with some custom parts, Ralf Martini, customized this piece for me and it is 8lbs.7oz. of simply superb "mountain rifle". So, even these costly limited production rifles CAN and seemingly DO have various "glitches" when we buy them and it just requires patience,some gun knowledge and testing to get them to where we need them to be, I expect the Kimbers, to be much the same.

It WOULD be nice if every rifle came to each buyer, fully "tuned" and shooting .35" at 100, Buutttttttt, we all know that such ideals are seldom attained in the "real world". The advice given freely and as friends here can be a huge help in getting all of our gear into the most dependable condition possible.

BUT, then, the "problem" arises, now, I NEED a Kimber 84L,.25-06 because my .270s and .280s are too "big" for hunting Wolves and Coyotes....or, so, I tell my "CEO", with my best innocent grin...........

Thanks Brad! I couldn't find it on the Search method here.
So, I guess there was a need to loosen the hexhead all along!
Its been so long and I don't have a Kimber to reference anymore. Well, this should help those when they check their firing pins. Thanks again.

Do not use an undersized (RCBS) allen wrench when messing with the little screw.


I went and bought a brand new 1/16th $.34 allen wrench today and it is slighty bigger that the chitty RCBS.
.002" wider on all sides.


Good luck finding a set screw, special threads...


Guessing I'm the only idiot who stripped one out....grin

Another reason why I love the campfire, the wealth of knowledge here and member's eagerness to share is unmatched.

Matt, the screw was actually backed out flush on my 243, it was loose.


Gonna take that rifle hunting in a day or two and like Brad said, suck to have it be an issue.

Thanks to Brad and Bigwhoop for this. I have a 243 Montana that was suffering from light primer hits, and this did the trick. Now I have to deal with the inconsistent feeding and accuracy. The gun is accurate enough for my hunting, and will be used tomorrow for it's first hunt. The accuracy may be me, but I am able to fairly easily shoot 1" groups with my L61 Sako in 30-06.

It would be great if there were a sticky on how to get your Montana in shape!

Sam,

Can't you just use a gob of Loctite on the buggered screw and it will fill up the threads enough to hold anyway. I don't expect that screw has much load on it during use.

Kimber will sell the screw as well...

Hey, that really doesn't sound quite right.

Well, FWIW, here's my ritual:

First:

I buy one that has the barrel centered in the barrel channel, is fully floated, and has a good grind on the recoil pad. If both bolt lugs are making contact in the recesses, so much the better. Not looking for perfection, just close enough on all counts. Frankly, this generally precludes buying sight un-seen.

All of this is my method for any new rifle:

a). Bed entire receiver and under barrel shank. This may or may not help but it will never hurt.

b). De-Grease bolt and trigger. Re-Oil.

c). Adjust trigger to 2.5 - 2.75 lbs (a good trigger is critical, especially on a rifle as light as the MT).

d). With fine rat-tail file, break top of feedramp.

e). 600-grit emery underside of feed rails and feedramp.

f). Snug, Loctite and nail-polish bolt shroud/firing pin set-screw

g). Remove Sling Swivel Studs, dab JB Weld on each Stud Swivel Shank, and re-set in stock.

g). Eesox all metal below stock surface.

Also:

I JB Weld scope bases to the receiver top. I generally lap/de-burr rings, but the Kimber is essentiall straight/flat enough it's something that can be skipped.

Mount the scope in rubber cement.

Blue-Loctite Scope Ring Screws.


Additional thoughts:

It's important to know a rifle as light as the Kimber MT is finicky when it comes to loads. Not only does it require nearly perfect bench technique, but its light barrel (and light overall weight) preclude it from shooting everything with boring regularity.

Since 2004 I've loaded and shot for 13 Montana's (have owned 14)... every one would shoot sub moa with something, but if you're determined/set on one bullet weight or particular bullet or powder, you'll likely be disappointed.

BUT, if you're more flexible and are willing to experiment (fore-going a lot of per-determined expectations/conditions), you'll find something that will shoot in the 3/4" range (or less)... if you can shoot.

The light Kimber MT will humble one at the bench...

What ever you do, don't machine the firing pin in any way. I made the mistake of letting a "gunsmith" shave off a few thousandths of the firing pin shoulder stop, thinking it would allow the firing pin to protrude more. It did, but it also screwed up the entire trigger mechanism. Gun would drop fire upon hitting the stock, slam fire upon closing the bolt etc. sent it back to kimber and it cost me $130 to replace the trigger and get new firing pin. Lesson learned! Just glad I tried firing some primed, empty brass before going to the range with it.