[Marshall]

Thanks Chuck. I already admitted to F-ing up shooting mine out of the box, so I'm absolved of my sins.....I think. No more flogging. But I don't plan on shooting any cheap ammo and I always clean after shooting. If I shoot 50 I clean it. Since all I do is shoot targets, all I have shot is FMJs. I suppose I'll get hollow points when I am ready to carry.

I did learn one new thing reading the manual....that is how much oil to use. "Don't over oil" which is what I figured. I don't like the thought of the gun being too wet with oil.

I did learn that the first spring change is at 800 rounds. Learned that here on this forum. After 800 rounds.

I'm a year into buying my first Kimber and 3 more later I wish I would have found this forum sooner.Sure we bust each others cajones once a minute,but if you really need help or advise about anything,the guys on here will help you with all sincerity.Enjoy your new gun and start saving for the next one because their very additive.

 

[PorscheVille]

You would be surprised at how many experienced Kimber owners don't realize the importance of changing the springs or know how often they should be changed. I feel that keeping a shot book makes it easier to track spring life especially when you own two or more guns.

Good point. I started keeping track after a couple hundred rounds just because everybody seemed to know exactly how many they had shot. Then when I heard about the first spring change being 800 rounds (for Pro) I was glad I did. I know I'll be really glad after I get my 20th Kimber.

 

[Insta-Gator]

At the moment it does seem to be a 'boys club' but GiGi could change that.

 

[Marshall]

At the moment it does seem to be a 'boys club' but GiGi could change that.

She is just a forum reader and she thinks you guys are hilarious..She does have an account just in case and it's not hard to figure out her name...{hint...her fave# is 13}

 

[PorscheVille]

I would love to know actual statistics of the number of handgun buyers who purchased because (1) they were afraid the government was going to outlaw them, or (2) saw a bunch of criminal activity reported on the news and thought it prudent to own a gun

Well, I was certainly "inspired" by El Presidente Gun Grabber...then my son wanted a gun. He is a Public Defender. So I started surfing desperately prior to Christmas 2012, trying to find the model my son really wanted....a CZ75b. (Found the last one that would EVER be made, or so it seemed) And, with all that gun-looking I got the itch. So I did a lot of research and decided to get a Kimber 1911. (Got bug bit)

My son asked me why I got a Kimber. I just handed it to him and let him shoot 7 rounds. All he said was "hmmmm. I shot a tighter group than with my gun." I just nodded and smiled.

As for the criminals, I'm hoping they won't get re-elected!

 

[Chuck43]

She is just a forum reader and she thinks you guys are hilarious..She does have an account just in case and it's not hard to figure out her name...{hint...her fave# is 13}

If this was the NASCAR thread #13 would be Casey Mears.

 

[Insta-Gator]

She is just a forum reader and she thinks you guys are hilarious..She does have an account just in case and it's not hard to figure out her name...{hint...her fave# is 13}

Mine too.

 

[TamarahSavannah]

My UltraCarry is not my favorite gun. Unless it is perfectly clean, it tends to stove pipe, the last rounds tend to tumble at the top of $45 magazines. I do get a lot of practice on it clearing misfires.

But maybe it is that I never properly broke it in. It has been through one repair already, years ago, when the spring was extended out after firing. So what is the breaking in for it, in rounds fired?

 

[nikonnut]

I just finished 500 rounds on my Ultra Carry and never cleaned or lubed it (I missed that part in the instructions :facepalm: ) but never had a hick-up excepting 2 failure to feeds late in the game and it has definately gotten better as the rounds fly down range...

 

[Bigdog]

I have 3 1911s in 45 acp. 2 are Kimbers. One is from 1999, and has never had a malfunction. I doubt I have more than 500 rounds through it total, not because it isn't fun and accurate, but because I shoot guns that I carry more. My Ultra has been the same. It has seen more shooting because is is one of my carry guns. My 3d is a Ruger lightweight commander in 45 and it has also has never had a hiccup and is a really nice pistol. It is my range officer pistol and a very cold weather carry piece, so it also has around 1000 rounds through it.

Now my Micro 9, which is now my warm weather, every day, any clothing pistol took its 500 rounds to get perfect. It is a tight little thing, and has a trigger I'm not crazy about, but it shoots lights out with everything except the red-tipped critical defense stuff. So while I'd rather have 45 than 9, and while I'd rather have a 1911 trigger pull on it, I like it a lot (and it's pretty)!

The manual is the key to everything ... cleaning, disassembly, reassembly, break in, safety, etc., but people don't read them enough. You can't fix the combination of stupid and arrogant in a know-it-all "I don't need no stinking manual" type. We all know them...and they vote!

 

[motormac]

When I was in the Army Reserve, prior to six years active in the Navy, I carried '03, '03-A3, and an M-1 Garand. The sergeants (all 'Nam vets) kept telling us not to over grease the action. We, rarely, got out to shoot these pieces, so when I was out in the mountains in April, with the snow falling about 0200 hrs, that I had the rifle in the sleeping bag with me, laying on top of my boots, that I realized what the sergeants were telling me. The first round locked the bolt closed. Good thing that the ground was frozen, because it took a ton of pressure standing on the bolt handle to open the bolt, to eject the casing, and to feed the next round. Many of us had the issue. My Father taught me to clean the weapon regularly, meaning each time that I used it. He hunted for food for the table on the farm, with a single shot .410. He was a Navy Radioman, who was in sea battles, against Japanese air attacks, and also, he fought as an infantryman in the jungles of Samar, in the Philippines. He carried an M-1 carbine, and hated it, as he said that the one he carried was inaccurate. I lube sparingly, when I clean. I like the Kimber, so I must get back to the range to put more rounds through it.

 

[Chuck43]

Great pictures motormac.

 

[Scottmiller340]

I'm still relatively new to the forum but have noticed a trend. I have recently purchased my first two Kimbers. A Warrior SOC (with 200 flawless rounds of Remington UMC 230 grain MC so far) and an Eclipse Custom II 10mm (which I haven't shot yet). I did a significant amount of due diligence before jumping in to my first purchase. Now I'm just flat hooked!

Anyway, I've notice so many questions and concerns from people who haven't gone through the basic break in process. Now don't get me wrong, I never ask for directions when I'm lost, but I do read the owners manual of every gun I purchase (I have a modestl gathering if guns).

Many of the Kimber criticisms I read about are from people with "friends" that have less than 500 rounds down range. With my limited experience I believe Kimber's tolerances are so tight they need the break in period. I've read many threads on this forum asking questions before the break in period.

To digress even more, when I picked up my Eclipse last week my local FFL told me they don't sell Kimber because he has too many problems. He told me too many people have FTE or FTF after just 150 or 200 rounds. I asked if he ever read the owners manual. He looked at me like I had three heads. At that point I wasn't going to argue with ignorance.

So.... I'd be curious to hear the seasoned Kimber owner's thoughts from this forum. Is it just me or is it a common problem? Do peiople assume they don't have to read the manual? Does Kimber need to do a better job of educating people? Does Kimber need to do a better job of educating their dealers? Does Kimber need to put a big red sticker (got that from a thread on this forum) that makes sure people know to "break in" their new machine?

Please give me your thoughts. The break in period seems to be more critical to Kimber than other manufacturers. If so, they need to market accordingly.

I'm not doing anything to my Kimbers before I run 500 rounds of MC through them. I've enjoyed learning from all of you and will continue to absorb your knowledge and experience. Kimber needs to spread Break In word in my opinion!

I'm still relatively new to the forum but have noticed a trend. I have recently purchased my first two Kimbers. A Warrior SOC (with 200 flawless rounds of Remington UMC 230 grain MC so far) and an Eclipse Custom II 10mm (which I haven't shot yet). I did a significant amount of due diligence before jumping in to my first purchase. Now I'm just flat hooked!

Anyway, I've notice so many questions and concerns from people who haven't gone through the basic break in process. Now don't get me wrong, I never ask for directions when I'm lost, but I do read the owners manual of every gun I purchase (I have a modestl gathering if guns).

Many of the Kimber criticisms I read about are from people with "friends" that have less than 500 rounds down range. With my limited experience I believe Kimber's tolerances are so tight they need the break in period. I've read many threads on this forum asking questions before the break in period.

To digress even more, when I picked up my Eclipse last week my local FFL told me they don't sell Kimber because he has too many problems. He told me too many people have FTE or FTF after just 150 or 200 rounds. I asked if he ever read the owners manual. He looked at me like I had three heads. At that point I wasn't going to argue with ignorance.

So.... I'd be curious to hear the seasoned Kimber owner's thoughts from this forum. Is it just me or is it a common problem? Do peiople assume they don't have to read the manual? Does Kimber need to do a better job of educating people? Does Kimber need to do a better job of educating their dealers? Does Kimber need to put a big red sticker (got that from a thread on this forum) that makes sure people know to "break in" their new machine?

Please give me your thoughts. The break in period seems to be more critical to Kimber than other manufacturers. If so, they need to market accordingly.

I'm not doing anything to my Kimbers before I run 500 rounds of MC through them. I've enjoyed learning from all of you and will continue to absorb your knowledge and experience. Kimber needs to spread Break In word in my opinion!

I own 3 Kimbers and each one required a significant break in period. I only sent my Camp Guard 10mm back after 700 rounds and 80% failure to go into battery. The turn around time was one week! Runs great now! Kimber folks were more than happy to help, the process was easy. My Pro Carry II is my favorite carry gun. Just need to be patient, break them in right and their golden.

 

[2sharp2]

Scottmiller340, welcome to the site from Tennessee.

 

[Argee]

Just need to be patient, break them in right and their golden.

Welcome Scottmiller340!

I couldn't agree more with that assessment.

 

[Oklahomabound]

...welcome Scottmiller340 to the forum from north Alabama just shy of the Tennessee line...

 

[Ecowper]

Read the whole thing through, top to bottom …. I find this topic fascinating. I’ve had many personal guns, as well as army issued, over 40 years (or so) of shooting, including a career in the military. Hell, I had a brand new M1A1 issued to me and the first thing we had to do was recoil the main gun to ensure that the recoil mechanism was functioning properly.

There’s sort of two different topics woven together in here.

What do you do with a new gun? Doesn’t matter if it is a rifle, pistol, shotgun, what have you? What are the very first things you should do? Over that 40 odd years, what I’ve learned (whether it be military or civilian) is that when you first get that gun, you should field strip it, clean it, lube it, function check it, and dry fire it. Several times, actually. Then go to the range and shoot quality ammo through it. While doing that, pay close attention to the action, trigger, and chamber. You may need to perform some maintenance right then.

Essentially all new guns, including Kimber’s, were shot at the factory as part of quality control. Then they were lubed up with factory level greases to protect them. Cause they are going to a warehouse until they get sent to a FFL. And they need to stand up to that warehouse environment. So, when you get that “new“ gun, you need to clean it to 1. Get that preservative level grease off it and 2. Get the remnants of the factory crap off it.

Plus, how do you know if your pretty new Kimber works if you don’t field strip, clean, lube, function check and dry fire? The barrel is not perfectly clean yet, either. This is the minimum you should be doing before taking it to the range.

The other topic is ammunition. I personally don’t shoot cheap ammo. Not because I’m snobby but because cheap ammo results in cheap outcomes. I want to train on the range, not deal with fail to feeds from some cheap ass Wolf or whatever. Norma, Winchester, Speer Lawman, Federal, PMC, Blazer all make great training ammo. Don’t buy $1000 gun and then run cheap steel cased shit through it.

My 22 cents worth after inflation.

 

[Argee]

Read the whole thing through, top to bottom …. I find this topic fascinating. I’ve had many personal guns, as well as army issued, over 40 years (or so) of shooting, including a career in the military. Hell, I had a brand new M1A1 issued to me and the first thing we had to do was recoil the main gun to ensure that the recoil mechanism was functioning properly.

There’s sort of two different topics woven together in here.

What do you do with a new gun? Doesn’t matter if it is a rifle, pistol, shotgun, what have you? What are the very first things you should do? Over that 40 odd years, what I’ve learned (whether it be military or civilian) is that when you first get that gun, you should field strip it, clean it, lube it, function check it, and dry fire it. Several times, actually. Then go to the range and shoot quality ammo through it. While doing that, pay close attention to the action, trigger, and chamber. You may need to perform some maintenance right then.

Essentially all new guns, including Kimber’s, were shot at the factory as part of quality control. Then they were lubed up with factory level greases to protect them. Cause they are going to a warehouse until they get sent to a FFL. And they need to stand up to that warehouse environment. So, when you get that “new“ gun, you need to clean it to 1. Get that preservative level grease off it and 2. Get the remnants of the factory crap off it.

Plus, how do you know if your pretty new Kimber works if you don’t field strip, clean, lube, function check and dry fire? The barrel is not perfectly clean yet, either. This is the minimum you should be doing before taking it to the range.

The other topic is ammunition. I personally don’t shoot cheap ammo. Not because I’m snobby but because cheap ammo results in cheap outcomes. I want to train on the range, not deal with fail to feeds from some cheap ass Wolf or whatever. Norma, Winchester, Speer Lawman, Federal, PMC, Blazer all make great training ammo. Don’t buy $1000 gun and then run cheap steel cased shit through it.

My 22 cents worth after inflation.

Some very good points! A thorough cleaning with any new gun is a must for the reasons you stated...it also helps you become familiar with the operating idiosyncrasies of the new arm. I have found that specifically with new pistols that working the slide helps in meshing the parts together. I take it a step further by removing the barrel and recoil spring then assembling the slide and frame together and work the action several hundred times mates the parts pretty well. I truly believe by doing this it eliminates a lot of the jamming problems that many experience with a new pistol. Now when I work the slide on any of my pistols the action is glass smooth and trouble free. Just my few cents worth.

 

[Ecowper]

Some very good points! A thorough cleaning with any new gun is a must for the reasons you stated...it also helps you become familiar with the operating idiosyncrasies of the new arm. I have found that specifically with new pistols that working the slide helps in meshing the parts together. I take it a step further by removing the barrel and recoil spring then assembling the slide and frame together and work the action several hundred times mates the parts pretty well. I truly believe by doing this it eliminates a lot of the jamming problems that many experience with a new pistol. Now when I work the slide on any of my pistols the action is glass smooth and trouble free. Just my few cents worth.

Yes …. field stripping and cleaning a gun is how you get to know it! And no matter the reason you bought the gun, you should want to know it and be able to use it well for it’s intended purpose. Plus, you get a chance to inspect all the critical parts of the piece, make sure they are still in good working order.

The first hundred or so times the slide is operated, it’s removing the burrs and shavings that were left behind In the manufacturing process. Whether you do it the way you are talking about, or by shooting it, that’s part of the “break in”. Same thing in the barrel. It is not perfect inside when it leaves the factory.

 

[Deepwoods]

I used to build custom rifles, would break them in by shooting it once clean the copper out and so on until you got to 10 shots. The purpose for that was so the barrel wouldn't collect copper in the barrel. But if a new gun don't shoot a good group out of the box, it isn't going to shoot good groups after a few 100 rounds, rifles or pistol's.