I’ve been kicking around the idea of getting a 10mm 1911 recently and been trying to decide what I’d want if I get one. Springfield just has the Ronin now, RIA doesn’t interest me, Dan Wesson really does but not sure I want to drop 2-2.5k on one, and then there’s Kimber. They offer several 10mm but everywhere you look people say they are garbage now.

Are they really that bad now? I had one about 10 years ago and had friends that owned them and liked them but not any newer ones.

https://ruger.com/products/sr1911Target/specSheets/6739.html

https://www.colt.com/series/DELTA_ELITE_SERIES


You might also be able to find a Springfield Operator or TRP in like-new condition.

As to your original question, Kimber got cheap and had a lot of problems starting around 2002-2004 or so, but I feel like they got it sorted out. The thing that concerns me most is that their prices have stayed relatively flat since that time. Did they cut costs, increase production a ton, flood the market, or kill themselves with quality issues? I question 'cheap' guns these days.

The 84 bolt action I did a load development for did not impress me at all. Not a very tight shooting rifle.
I made it do the best it could, but I wasn't happy with the best it could do.

I believe inconsistency to be their biggest problem. I have one of their rifles and it is my favorite, I absolutely love it. That being said, I don't think I would buy one again, just because I hear so many horror stories.

My brother in law has a Kimber 45 acp. It jams too much for my taste so I've never considered buying Kimber. Regarding RIA , my son has a single stack 10mm. I was leery when he bought it but I am impressed by the build quality and accuracy.

I have NO personal experience with Kimber, but I know a very well-respected guy in East Texas who runs a well-known shooting/tactical training school who says Kimbers almost never make it through a pistol class unscathed. It's so bad he recommends against shooting them in class.

I have shot the Rock Island 10mm. It’s accurate, reliable, and has a good fit and finish. It’s a much better pistol than the Colt Delta.

I had a Kimber and loved it. After initial break in running ball ammo it ran hollow points flawlessly. I hated my Colt and old Springfield 1911’s, they both had terrible feed issues no matter what ammo I used or magazines.

I also love my RIA, it eats everything you put in it and it all business.

Maybe I need to look at a RIA, they do seem to all have great reviews.

I did find this though.

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/101344520

Which class?

I made Master in USPSA with a Kimber. It doesn’t like CMC mags, but runs great on Wilson’s. I know they get a lot of trash talk, but mine has been good to me.

Co-worker walked in Tuesday after Christmas. He'd bought a beautiful (BEAUTIFUL) Kimber Rapide Scorpius. He'd managed to dislodge the left side thumb safety. I got it back together, but the piece still doesn't fit flush.

The trigger felt like a 5lb brick wall.

And the rear sight was off-center by 1mm. I took it to the range. At 20 yards, it's 1 foot high and 11 inches left. The sights aren't adjustable.

Who really cares if you just shoot every few years at the range. Hell, you might not even notice. But a gun you trust will put a bullet where you point it.

The Ultra Carry II I bought for D.C. is the one gun I have, but wouldn't carry. It FTEs every 35-60 rounds. Gun has several thousand rounds through it, but with a new ejector, should be fine.

Your experiences may vary.

Combat Shooting and Tactics in Nac run by Paul Howe. He discussed it in one of his monthly newsletters.

I'm sure there are great Kimbers out there, and again, I have no personal experience. But from what I've read, I'd have a difficult time dropping the coin on one.

Both newer kimber 1911’s I’ve owned were garbage. Old stuff was pretty good but both new within the last 4-5 years were junk. Put it this way. Sent a micro 9 back so many times the shop I bought it from ended up giving me my money back and fought kimber about it. I took it showed them what it would do, shop could get it to duplicate the issue and kimber never could. I went as far as sending a video of it and nothing. I know all brands have a good and a bad one out there and maybe my luck sucks which anyone around me can confirm it does most days. After the last one I won’t own another.

If Kimbers were lower cost I dont think they’d get as many complaints. There’s a misconception, especially by newer 1911 owners, that Kimber is a premium brand based on the price and really they are just a middle of the road 1911 manufacturer.

I bought a Series 1 Kimber .45 right after they came out in like 1996.

Brutally accurate (8 rounds into 1 ragged hole at 25 yards off of sandbags and would almost do that standing offhand). It would put 8 rounds inside a sheet of typing paper, around 7 inch groups, at 100 yards. It had a 4.5 pound trigger out of the box that smoothed into a really nice 4 pound glass rod trigger that was almost too light. The rear site needed to be bumped about 1mm right to be perfect dead on at 25 yards with 230 Ball. I waylayed that rear sight with a punch and hammer and it never ever moved. I found out later the rear sights on Kimbers are CNC machined tight and they also use red loctite on them. A buddy of mine had night sights installed on his Kimber and the gunsmith had to use a milling machine (cut the rear sight in half almost down to the dovetail) to get the rear sight out.

One day the plunger tube came off while shooting. I took it to a gunsmith and he charged me 50 DOLLARS to take 5 minutes to install a 7 dollar new plunger tube. I told him I would never darken his door ever again.

Right after that I switched to Glocks.

I have a Raptor my wife bought for me when we got engaged its about 8 years old. I had a old kimber before they had the Swartz safety and it was pretty perfection back when yonkers ny series 1 high polished blue.. sold it to pay a bill back when. The Raptor I have is a custom shop gun, its tight and shoots excellent never had a jam or hang up but I used their break in oil and ran the 500 rounds of Winchester white box through it.

I don’t believe they are quite the turd they were in the early 2,000’s especially the custom shop guns are very nice fit and finish wise. I would not be afraid of a new one at all.

Looks to me like, if you bought a Kimber, put a Vortex optic on top, and loaded it with Lee loading equipment you'd be the ultimate booger eater.

What if I don’t reload so can only do two of those?

I actually have red dot in the mail right now for my 365xl but I went with a holoson eps carry.

The more I think about it the more Dan Wesson tempts me. If I go that route I have to decide if I want to go 5” or a long slide.

10-4; mine was a gift and I don’t know that I’d recommend one. If I bought one I’d do a lot of checking on fitment.

I have experience with exactly 1 Kimber, so I can’t speak about ALL kimbers. I may have just gotten lucky.

Mine doesn’t have an optic… but it does get fed a lot of lead bullets casted in Lee molds and shoved through Lee dies…

My rock island double stack 10 mm shoots better groups at 25 yards open sights than my kimber super jagare with a red dot. Dont know if its the delta point or the gun. Not getting the groups others have posted oon different forums with this gun. My stainless target 10 shoots good with reloads. So one good and one so so on accuracy and both function fine.

Dan Wesson if you want to be bougie. Rock Island if you want to spend wisely. Good friend of mine, THF member, Ranger Battalion gives high praise to Rock Island 1911 in 10mm, for what it's worth.

Sorry for your loss.

Nah, feel sorry for the people that get beat at a match by a hillbilly shooting a Kimber.

I have a RIA in .45 and it's a very well made gun. GI parts fit fine. A friend has a few Kimber .45's. One of them shot itself apart like above. I didn't charge him $57 to fix it though. All manufacturers go through waves of issues. Automobiles are the same way.