Originally Posted by Tangle

I can just hear the M&Pers saying the Glock design 25 years old, I'll take a more modern design.

Plus, in all fairness, how old is the combustion engine in our cars? We have the same engine design (internal combustion) that has been around for 100 years. The only difference is refinements.

Isn't the same true of the 1911 design - newer metals, more optimized frame hole locations, tighter tolerances, new features, etc.

How many 'modern' guns are based on some variation of the Browning tilt barrels?

I now have four Kimbers. All have been flawless through thousands of rounds.

Apparently your definition of flawless and mine differ:

Just bought a new Super Carry Custom HD - problems, but Kimber CS is tops!

While your guns are at least making it trough multiple firing sequences, I would not consider them without flaw...

I also seem to recall some trigger issues with the first gun? If my memory serves me correctly you found some foreign debris in the trigger works.

Wasn't that a Custom Shop gun as well or was that just the regular Pro Carry?

Originally Posted by VAMarine

Apparently your definition of flawless and mine differ:

Just bought a new Super Carry Custom HD - problems, but Kimber CS is tops!

While your guns are at least making it trough multiple firing sequences, I would not consider them without flaw...

I also seem to recall some trigger issues with the first gun? If my memory serves me correctly you found some foreign debris in the trigger works.

Wasn't that a Custom Shop gun as well or was that just the regular Pro Carry?

I only have the one Custom Shop gun - the Super Carry, and I've only had it for about a week, so no, it wouldn't have been a Custom Shop gun. Refresh me on the debris problem. It's been so long ago and I've shot so much since then without a problem, I don't remember what or if this occured on a Kimber, SA, or S&W.

Probably true about the different definition. I don't consider debris a design or necessarily a manufacturing flaw. For all I know, I could have caused that - I had disassembled the gun completely to compare the Kimber parts and fit to a new SA and S&W. What I consider design and/or manufacturing flaw(s) is what Lima went through with her G19.

The Kimber parts were visibly more precisely finished, and fitted than the other two. Just an example or two: The corners of the disconnector on the Kimber were visibly rounded - not a lot, but noticable. The faces of the disconnector were polished. The edges and fingers on the flat spring were broken, rounded, and polished on the Kimber. The slide had the break on the edge of the breech face that it's supposed to have. Neither the S&W or SA were finished this way and expecially the TRP cost far more than the Kimber.

The trigger issues I've had were on a Springfield Armory TRP and a S&W 1911. The TRP and the S&W both had incorrectly manufactured disconnectors. They were so rough that they were scratching the trigger bar and as one would expect, producing a rough, heavier trigger. My TRP extractor broke within 60 rounds.

By flawless, I meant thousands of rounds with zero stoppages of any kind. Even with the Super Custom that shoots 2" high there were no stoppages of any kind, but I've only shot 100 rounds through the Super. Nor have any of them ever failed to lock back on the last round.

I just bought a Super Carry Ultra HD last Saturday. So far I have only put 50+ rounds through it. I bought my son-in-law an Ultra CDP II and he put 50 through it. We'll see, but so far we love them. I'm partial to 1911s and SA pistols though.

We looked at Glocks, but they were blocky looking, which I thought would print easier. There was just something about the loose tooth trigger and heavier trigger pull that I didn't like.

I think the Kimber has a pull that's slightly heavier than my Colt rail gun. Maybe I need it worked on, but I will play with it first.

I have a new Kimber Ultra CDP-II in 9mm and I love it. I had one FTF within the first 30 rounds....none after that. I have tried four different types of HP ammo, and three different types of new ammo and two types of reman....no problems.
It is my first 1911 and I am learning to keep my thumb out of the way or it knocks the safety on, but other than that....VERY happy with the accuracy, recoil, trigger, and design....not to mention it is a beautiful gun to look at. It is now my carry gun. I holster it with a Comp-Tac competition OWB holster unless I need deep concealment and then I use the Comp-Tac Minotaur IWB holster. I also bought three 10-round Wilson Magazines, which I use in IDPA competition. (Yes, it sticks out a bit but it fits the box!!!)

No problems here on my new Ultra. Glad I didn't read into the hype before I bought my 3" Kimber because I would have missed out on a wonderful little concealed carry piece. There needs to be more positive feedback out there on 3" Kimbers.

I bought a very early Kimber UCII .45acp it had the external extractor, it had no ejecting problems and after around 400 rds no feeding problems. This Kimber did have a strange ejector with a long nose. This ejector kept snapping off at first I thought it was choice of Mags pushing rounds against the ejector nose. I kept shooting it after having the same type ejector replaced. Then while cleaning after the last time I shot it. I found it again had snapped off again. Called Kimber parts Dept. was told a new design now was offered and they sent one free.
Well I got to thinking maybe it's time to do some trading. Since Kimbers are in such demand I made a very good Kimber and cash trade on a nice new Colt SXE 5" blue steel .45acp. I liked it so much when I noticed another Colt at my local dealers shop, a 1991 blue steel .45 the plain Jane Colt 1911. I had another Kimber a Custom TLE II .45 never a problem with it, but thought lets trade all the Kimbers off. Happy I did it love my new Colts. Also glad the Kimbers are in such high demand it really helped with keeping my cash included low.

I have a Colt XSE rail gun and love it! My friend has the exact same gun and gets FTFs all the time. It has been to a gunsmith, but no luck. He reached out to Colt, but no luck. At least Kimber offered to make you good. We tease him for being limp wrested, but we know better. He probably wishes he had a Kimber.

Originally Posted by SemoShooter

Regardless of what forum you read many of the threads about most brands will be about some type of problem. A happy owner tells one or two people, an unhappy owner tells everyone. Other times folks are just looking for a little help to solve a small function problem. Quite often the problem seems to be related to inexperience with firearms, particularly 1911's.

A Glock group is probably about the only one that you can read where all is positive. Glocks are all perfect and not one has ever failed. They all shoot x-ring even at super long distances and you can drop them out of airplanes and they will still work. Just ask them.

For handguns, I have a Glock 19, Remington R1 Enhanced, LCP and have a Kimber UC II SS (9mm) on the way. The same day I first fired the 1911, the Glock was resigned to the night stand! I have a very slight tremor (a little parting gift from Mr. Lyme tick) and the weight and trigger action of a 1911 style weapon nicely compensates for it. I bought the Kimber to replace the Glock as my 'go-to' CCW. The LCP, well, is what it is but great for those times when 'absolute' concealment is required.

I have owned a 3" Kimber Ultra Crimson Carry for a couple of years and put 3500+ rounds through it some factory some reloads! I am happy to report that it has worked flawlessly! I also own a Super Cary Custom HD and 2 Solo's. No problem with them

I personally get tired of all the Kimber Bashing that goes on. The vast majority of it comes from people who have never owned a Kimber. I am not sure why! I own many different guns by different manufacturers. They all have there good and not so good points.

My Kimber Ultra CDP-II in 9mm is a sweet gun .Do some of you that own one find that one particular type of ammo runs the best ?

Pawpaul,

Nice gun! I personally shoot just about anything including my reloads in all my kimbers without any problems. I have shot Winchester, Remington, Federal, Tul, CCI Blazer, and my reloads with both jacketed and solid lead bullets my Super Carry, Ultra Carry, and Solo have not had a problem with any of them.

Hope this help!

Tom

I too own and fire a Kimbe older Ultra Carry .45 nice but, expensive to shoot for fun.. I'd say I'm proficient with it at the range but, ammo to costly to really play on my part!

Originally Posted by TMN

I personally get tired of all the Kimber Bashing that goes on. The vast majority of it comes from people who have never owned a Kimber. I am not sure why! I own many different guns by different manufacturers. They all have there good and not so good points.

Anybody that is familiar with Kimber from the start will tell you they had alot of problems at the end of the first generation or it started in the second.For quite some years now top name pistolsmiths would not want to do a full house build on one.I see a little more work being done on them but I don't ever recall seeing a full build on one in many years.Most of the problems were substandard parts,but a few were major screwups like miscut feedramps in the frame.It appears they've gotten better recently but I gave up keeping track,I have reserve about paying what they want and only get a year warranty when others think enough of their product to go a lifetime warranty.If yours is fine great,it will serve you well.

Kimber spent a lot of time and money reengineering their three-inch 1911 style pistols. There is a well-known problem associated with the short travel and the ejection timing associated with all autos with a barrel this short. Kimber, by far, has the best solution so far for this. The trigger apparatus that they came up with to solve this, while less-than-perfect is fantastic! This has been well published by several authoritative handgun publications, so you don't have to take my word for it. Look it up, I think you'll be pleased.

What is this trigger apparatus?Do you mean the firing pin block safety?If that's it,it is a modified Swartz design and is a poorer design than Colt's 80 series levers.Also in their infinate wisdom they opted to use the 80 series firing pin stop.Because of that pushrods have been ruined and some have even jambed up the gun on reassembly.Try cleaning the plunger,you have to remove the rear sight to get it out and Kimber sights can be a real bear to remove.Colt got it right but I think they should pay a little more attention to the timing.I do give Kimber that,they seem to have a little less of an issue on timing.

The problem with short 1911s is the gun was never designed for it,but they do work because Colt shrunk them down long before Kimber existed.All you need to do is control the slide speed and get the case out of the gun sooner so there's time for the next round to pop up.I personally have no use for micro pistols,I see it as a silly fad unless your buisness dictates very deep cover for certain missions.I'm sure others disagree but that's the way I see it.

Originally Posted by Shithot

Kimber spent a lot of time and money reengineering their three-inch 1911 style pistols. There is a well-known problem associated with the short travel and the ejection timing associated with all autos with a barrel this short. Kimber, by far, has the best solution so far for this. The trigger apparatus that they came up with to solve this, while less-than-perfect is fantastic! This has been well published by several authoritative handgun publications, so you don't have to take my word for it. Look it up, I think you'll be pleased.

It's been thrown.

I have a .45acp Ultra TLE III. I have significant loading issues with FIOCCHI JHP rounds in Tripp magazines. The same rounds load just fine in Wilson Combat magazines. I also have some loading issues when I tried PMC FMJ rounds. Tripp is supposed to be the best mag on the market and I bought ten 8 round magazines before trying one - big mistake. Before I sell these on ebay, I tried putting Wilson Combat follower and springs in the Tripp magazines and they still won't load. I moved the Tripp follower and spring over to the Wilson Combat magazines and the same round loads just fine. So I'm convinced that the problem is related to the Tripp mag lips. I have similar loading issues with my Bushmaster 6.8mm SPC and I fixed the problem by bending the mag lips a little to allow the bullet to ride higher in the mag. The only difference I can see between the Tripp and Wilson Combat is that there seems to be some nose diving with the Tripp magazines. The FIOCCHI JHP load just fine in my Glock 21 Gen 4. My Kimber loading ramp is not polished but the transition looks really smooth. I wonder is I'm the only one with this problem. Aside from this one issue, I have a conceal carry permit and carry my Kimber everywhere.

Nosedives are a common problem in 1911s on the top 2 rounds of a full mag.If you look at the top round there's a gap between it and the other round,that's what causes it.The more rounds that come out of the mag,the more that gap goes away.HP is the worst about it but if the feedramp is cut properly they will normally run.Your feedramp may be shallow,which is nothing new for Kimber.The bottom of the ramp should be at the bottom of the slidestop window,any higher and the rounds can catch.

Another problem is mag catch or the mag's catch hole out of spec,EGW makes a mag catch that holds the mag .020"higher to help with the issue.Personally I think your issue is an out of spec mag tube.

Originally Posted by rex

Nosedives are a common problem in 1911s on the top 2 rounds of a full mag.If you look at the top round there's a gap between it and the other round,that's what causes it.The more rounds that come out of the mag,the more that gap goes away.HP is the worst about it but if the feedramp is cut properly they will normally run.Your feedramp may be shallow,which is nothing new for Kimber.The bottom of the ramp should be at the bottom of the slidestop window,any higher and the rounds can catch.

Another problem is mag catch or the mag's catch hole out of spec,EGW makes a mag catch that holds the mag .020"higher to help with the issue.Personally I think your issue is an out of spec mag tube.

Although it didn't help guide me to a modification to my Tripp mags, I thought this was a good read.

1911 Magazine Analysis: Feeding Time

I haven't had a chance to read all that yet,but did you try just 7 rounds?8 rounds stuffed in a 7rd mag tube can be finnicky but most modern mags have a longer tube to prevent cramming the spring in such a small area.

If you aren't going to return them (if you can?),compare them to the Wilson and a factory mag.First measure them to see if the mag catch hole is located right.Don't worry so much about highth off the base,but distance from the top of the hole to the feed lips to make sure the rounds aren't sitting lower in the gun.

Then start looking at the lips.First make sure the inside edge is smooth and not sharp or rough,a few swipes of 600 sandpaper will polish it up if needed.Then start comparing the lip geometry because I don't have any of the Tripps and don't know what their lip design is.Wilsons are an uncontrolled feed because the early release actually pops the round up into the breechface,that's how they cured the hangups with the original taper lip design.

1911s can be tempramental with mags,it may just not like them.I've had Wilsons not work in 2 guns but factory,the old Pachmayers and McCormics worked just fine.If all else fails,you'll have to return them or sell them to buy more Wilsons.