Have a 8400 338WM with a case of excess headspace and very limited use. I am currently less than a minute away from being on hold for an hour. This is the third attempt at speaking to anyone, well over two hours without an answer on their phone line.

Why bother to have a phone system if this is the best you can do?

They have responded to emails exactly the same way.

Pretty much total bullshit at this point!

Just hung up after an hour and 50 minutes waiting for an answer...

I had good luck with them, but a bunch of people say they suck.

Not surprised with that from them.

Same worthless chits building the guns as answering the phone and running the company.
The only capable people with that company are the ones who runs the advertising.

Thanks for the chuckle! You have a very good point!

thanks for the heads up. won't be sending any of my hard earned money their way.

Thanks for sharing your Kimber customer service perils. The general public needs this kind of feedback!


DMc : l

I had really good luck with them. Hope it works out for you.

Finally got hold of someone... thought I had been trying to call NY and expected the lack of concern about my problem there... So I got the MT number and got hold oh someone pretty quick... He was unable to help so I asked to speak to a supervisor. She was equally uninterested in expediting a situation they should have some interest in rectifying (personal injury as a result of failure) and tried to use the "Why didn't you get with us right away?" excuse. So I said the owner was too busy trying to pay doctor bills working overtime...

Then pointed out how long I sat waiting... and realized the number I had called was exactly the same number! She said it was impossible because their longest wait today was 6 minutes. I called bullshit.

Long story short they cannot turn the rifle around in 5 weeks.

Not impressed in any positive way.

Cannot for the life of me figure out the customer service with all to many companies. It is just horrendous. I bend over backwards for customers to make sure I've done my job to the best of my ability and will often take money out of my own pocket if I have to, to make something right while I argue and wait on the phone on my end trying to make the company do the right thing. It pays huge dividends in customer loyalty, but that is just a benefit and not why I do it. I do it because it's the right thing to do, my good name is attached to it, and I don't want my customers dealing with the same garbage I do.

I've had good luck with them but the best customer service I've ever had is with Ruger.

1 hour 50 mins is unacceptable.

A FNG in my fishing club works for them, I'll pass this along! Did you know that they have 3 different shops in New York? He is the mold maker.

Busy bees.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/kimberamerica/community/?ref=page_internal

Love my Kimber.



Dave

Same here.. Ruger customer service is top notch and most of the time they'll send out small parts free of charge..

I'd have been gathering up fuel cans and fertilizer after 45 minutes...

Thanks for report Art. It'll definitely influence my future purchasing decisions.

I had to send back a pair of 1911s about 15yrs ago because they let a couple duds leave the factory. Their CS was prompt, but I shipped them back via Sportsmans which I assumed earned me better treatment.

They can't keep up with the shear number of firearms being sent back. I used to be a master dealer with them and always went through our Kimber rep for such matters. I couldn't understand how they couldn't get their 1911's to cycle HP without sending them back for extra chamber work. Accurate pistols but not as reliable as I'd require for a CCW.

I've owned a few of their rifles and they were acceptable but I sent more than a few back for customers. Their customer service has always sucked as well as their gunsmith Dennis. As I recall he got his just rewards awhile back.

Just get yourself a nice Browning A-bolt and be done with it. 😉

Choked on my shandy!!! That would fix it, yeah!

Actually, not my rifle, so I do not have to go that low again.

Yeah, I have had terrible service from Kimber. Would not own another of their rifles if you gave it to me.

Stick lives in Alaska and knows all things Kimber.

Maybe he could assist?



Travis

Have an 8400 Montana 30-06 which shot in excess of 3" out of the box with factory Gold Medal Match ammo. Called Kimber, asked about accuracy, told, "we don't guarantee accuracy" stop, end of conversation.

With a ton of lapping, and a recrown, got it to shoot barely an inch with only the best handloaded TTSX's. Not impressed for a $1300 rifle. Certainly not worth the original Colt 6920 AR I traded for it.

Sorry to hear this. Have two of the very best 1911s we own that are Kimbers. Lucky I guess, they have needed nothing.

A shame to hear this. Would have liked a Talkeetna just because... but not paying that and possibly having to drop another 500 or so into the gun..

Kimber roulette ... who needs it?

For that amount of money, they should have consistent quality control.

kd

That really sucks. Granted I"ve not seen that many, but likely close to 15 1911s, all in 45 and have not seen a bad example yet.

No issues with my 5 Kimber rifles.

However, I have called them on an offer open to SCI chapters. Their phone "system" could use an overhaul. Once though, I felt I was valued and they did provide the information required. In further contact via phone and email, I always received prompt replies.

Now a different rifle company, hard to get a hold of. Then when I got through to a live person, I was always passed off to another who "was in". After waiting a while, it was always,"he must have stepped out, we'll take a message and he'll call you back today". While my calls and emails to that person are still unanswered and this goes back to February this year.

I figure they must not want our repeat business. Kimber helped us get a steep discount on our current SCI Calgary raffle rifle. I like Kimber better anyways.

I don't know why companies don't have stringent quality control checks. Their reputation should be paramount. If a problem does sneak through, making it right shoul be their first priority.

they make real nice rifles, but for the money they charge you would think they would have more quality control. If they had customer service that a co like leupold has it would be a lot more user friendly.......

Terrible product and terrible company.

The only thing that keeps it alive is their marketing dept.

The massive profits from what the DO sell may be one contributing factor to why they still afloat...

Alaska is a mighty big place...driving distance is only 1,745 miles. Maybe I should just pop on over with it.

Borrow a plane.




Dave

The planes I could borrow lack that kind of range....

Why anyone would spend over 1000 on a Kimber rifle these days and then spend countless hours trying to get it to shoot when they could just buy a $500 Tikka and have a shooter out of the box is beyond me. I owned 1 Kimber and it was the worst shooting rifle I have ever owned.

thats bullschit it's not like you're asking them to give you your stock back or something.

I sold my Montana and bought a Sako. The Montana shot right around 1 moa but the Sako will do even better. I sure like the feel and weight of the Kimbers but getting an accurate one is hit and miss. I sent an 8400 back for a customer because the last inch or so of the bore was rough. The customer asked Kimber to install a stainless barrel (instead of the stock blued one it came with) which they did and that improved performance. He was getting under 1" 3 shot groups at a 100 which ain't bad for a lightweight hunting rifle. My Savage 116 FSAK in .338WM will consistently print 1/2" at 100 if I do my part, it just doesn't like Partitions. Weird that it'll shoot everything else with precision but not Partitions. If going cup and core (which is rare for me anymore) it'll put A-frames or TBBC into one hole. It loved the old original X bullets and the fail safes and seems to love the new TSX and TTSX so I'm okay with it not liking Partitions. I don't hunt with it as much anymore but when I do I know it'll do its job flawlessly. An accurate Savage isn't quite as earth shattering as an accurate Kimber nor is the Savage as refined or handsome as the Kimber but the animals don't seem to mind. 😉

I've never been impressed with Kimber's QC or customer service but as previously mentioned their marketing department s top notch.

Kimber struck again today. Purchased a muzzlebreak directly from them specifically for my model and caliber. [bleep]'ng treads are wrong. Goes one up to thread #3 then starts a new design - what a joke their quality has become. I don't even want to call them!

First world problems.

Few years ago I bought a Savage 110 LH that shot groups a little larger that a baseball, with several factory ammo, and reloads.
Called Savage, they said send it to them, I paid postage.
Rifle was returned free, and promptly shot a 9/16" group with mixed brass reloads.Some of the same ammo used before.
Don't recall exact price, but it was in the $300 and change range.

I have not seen accuracy issues with Kimbers.. and I have with Tikka.

Even the sloppy-chambered one in question shoots more than acceptably well. And I do not have to look at a Tikka.

They make fine hunting rifles.


I only own 3 so a small sample.


That said the next rifle I buy will probably not be a Kimber.

I've never owned a Kimber, probably won't after reading this thread, but have a hunting buddy who swears by them and has a couple of Kimber rifles he always takes. Never heard him cuss them or bi*ch about accuracy.

Sorry to hear another American company has sold out for profits over quality and service. It will be the death of American industry if we stop caring about the consumer.

Find richer friends.



Dave

Hahahaha!

Good one, Donny.



Clark

Yeah. Savage all the way. Great rifles...




Dave

It's heart wrenching.




Dave

There must be good reasons why guys spend $1,100+ - or even $800 - for "modern" rifle designs and then need responsive customer service because the things don't shoot straight, malfunction, lose head space (how does that happen?), etc.. But, it's difficult to identify those reasons, One has to wonder why such a mfr. is still in business. Maybe it has to do with aesthetics or keeping up with the Jones, or??

Realizing that I'm very old school not cool, cost-conscious, prone to nice wooden stocks, curmudgeonly, etc. - it still is a pleasure to pick up any one of these old Winchester, Mauser, Springfield, Enfield, Savage, Browning, Remington, etc. designs - some more than 100 years old (cartridge designs too) - and know that they will shoot good groups and kill animals - without breakdowns. Some of them have hundreds of rounds (maybe a thousand) through them but they don't seem to fail or need any customer service. Well, I do have a couple of modern design (35+ year-old) Ruger rifles - but they work just fine too.

I automatically feel bad when any gun guy has early trouble with an expensive firearm - could be anyone - and it's simply not the way this is supposed to work.

Kinda what I was thinking.

Ditto... Same with S&W...

Well, sounds like their caller ID is working just fine.

$500 Tikkas that shoot as good or better than rifles costing twice as much is no surprise and in fact, common knowledge. $650 binoculars (Tract Toric) that perform or out perform binoculars costing twice as much is no surprise anymore either. Companies with borderline products and service usually fade away from being taken seriously by the buying public (Legendary Arms Works rifles). Companies that take care of its customers prosper. Kimber appears to be taking cue from Leica USA in that regard.

Lemmee git some ice fer dat burn!

Ive owned 2, both 308 classics, both shot well and were not picky. The reason I currently dont have any is the feeding and ejection. If the mag spring is slightly out of sorts, or the cartridges werent perfectly lined up in the column then they hiccup. If the scope is mounted to close to the ejection port, the brass can bounce back into the port upon ejection. If I want a modern lightweight, there are other PF rifles that do it as good, some for less $. If I want a classic CRF rifle, I am prolly going to seek out a Pre-64, Mauser or Husky.

Someone should print out this thread and send it to the CEO of Kimber. CS might improve.

Feeding and ejection problems with a modern bolt action hunting rifle - and a fellow can pay over $1,000 for the privileged experience of fundamental malfunction - possibly when hot on game. What's wrong with that picture?

This^^^^^ in spades!

There's simply no excuse for a gun to be shipped out for sale that won't feed, eject, or otherwise function properly and safely. For what Kimbers cost, it goes double. I've never had a single issue with an FN, pre-64, or older Sako, not one. Never had an issue with an M77 or Howa product either, for that matter.

E-mail is an amazing thing.



Dave

I wouldn't call it "shooting just fine", if feeding, ejection, etc. don't work properly. One can push a bullet down a barrel with a stick (figuratively speaking), but that doesn't make it a "shooter".

I haven't bought but one rifle (that POS out of obligation to settle a deceased brothers pawn) in over 30 years. If I do buy another it will be a used, but reliable brand (as Art noted - hell- I'll even throw in Savage, even tho I don't like to work on their their trigger/safety mechanism) for $300 or so, throw in anouther $100 or so of materials plus a little time and effort and have a rifle I am happy with. I don't really care how pretty it is, if it reliably handles and shoots well.

One of my favorite rifles is a RU77 that I had to bob the barrel to 17 inches because of an unsightly bulge at the muzzle. I paid $85, for it, glass bedded/free-floated, bobbed stock for and aft, with forend slimmed down to make it look right, installed a Decelerator pad on it, and came out with a rifle that shoots darn near anything into 1.25 MOA, 3 shot or 10 shot groups. First thing I killed with it was a ram at @330 yds. Longest shot was on a caribou at @375. Works just fine without flaunting rights cost, which is often what it seems all about.

That's funny.

My Kimber customer service has been stellar, started with an email to Dave, said I was sending in my 84M, a Lilja barrel and 6.5x47 PTG reamer, two weeks later I have a new rifle and a bill.

Wow. Guess I won't bother them any more about making a left hand Montana.

I have 2 of their 1911's, both all steel, one of which is a main house gun. It shoots lights out. The other is a Commander size, but doesn't get shot as much.

From the sounds of this, doesn't look like any more Kimbers in my future. Kinda surprising, given the number of guns they produce. I would have thought their customer service should be equal to Ruger, at that level.

Guilty as charged! That is funny stuff!

Azzhats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can be, if they bother to respond...

So is sobriety. Give it a try.

On a Monday?

No thanks.




Dave

Good grief JG, what a cluster, I've only had two Montanas, one Super America in 338 WM, and an old Clackamas 338 Safari rifle, glad they all shot well. so I had no need to contact Kimber CS, still have a Montana in 280 AI and the SA 338 WM, fine rifles as far as I'm concerned.

Guy I know bought the Kimber tactical rifle some yrs back.
Said he tried all sorts of loads, and checked this and that.
He was pretty PO'd.
Was ready to send it in..........after doing the CS hassle..............

and he found out his scope base was loose.

Shot great after he tightened it to spec. Doh!

Dunno. The only times I've seen it is from setting the shoulder back too far when resizing the brass.