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Kimber Ultra Carry II

19K views 65 replies 35 participants last post by  TonyDTrigger 
#1 ·
I placed a deposit on the above mentioned .45 and am now second guessing my choice after reading a number of posts on the internet re problems with this model.

It comes with the Crimson Trace grips for a total cost of $999 new. I was looking at a couple of other brands of 1911 but by the time I purchase the grips I am as much or more in cost than the Kimber. I was not able to warm up to the Glock but almost everything I read about them is positive. This would be for concealed carry.

Given the pros and cons should I keep looking or chance that I get a good Kimber? I love the 1911 but my 1944 military version is just to large and heavy to carry around under a shirt.

Thanks in advance from a new member. :wave:
 
#2 ·
Lot's of Kimbers get purchased and they run like the wind with no problems at all. Some Kimbers get purchased and people have issues with them. My personal opinion is that their quality control is a bit lacking for how much you pay for their guns. My main issue with them is their customer service. If you have issues Kimber basically wont even look at the gun unless you have 500 rounds through it to break it in. FIVE HUNDRED ROUNDS. Around here the cheapest .45 I can buy is 15.00 per 50 so you have to dump 150.00 in ammo through the gun before Kimber will look at it. No thanks! I understand 200 rounds for break in but 500 is outrageous unless they are giving away a free 300 rounds with every one of their guns.
 
#3 ·
Mine is just fine. What you find on the internet doesn't necessarily pertain to your selection. Like Rollo said; there plenty of um out there running all day everyday, and then there's a few that don't, but then again that holds true to many other makes and models too. If you're unsure, just follow your gut, but IMO, there's nothing wrong at all with the Kimber brand and more to the point the Ultra Carry 2.

:bier:
 
#4 ·
I had one, liked it alot. Never had a problem with it, concealed great (for my method of carry). I also had the CT grips..the laser was right on out of the box. 7-10yards I could perform surgery with it.

Never once did I have a problem with it...even with factory mags. Though my defense rounds were packed in three Wilson 7 rounders.

Didn't like the take down, or the cost of a spring assembly kit.

If you do get it, I have an extra recoil spring assembly kit for it I could sell ya.

Since sold it and got two 1911's out of the money I sold mine for. Do I miss it? kinda...will I buy one again? Maybe.

It was a good gun.
 
#6 ·
thanks to all

Funny thing, I had that same feeling re the break-in period. The cheapest I can find decent FMJ around here is $30 per 100. I do clean my handguns after use.

Frogbones I was thinking of having that spring assembly on hand since that appears to be the weak point of the 3" barrel on those models. Not sure what they cost but I would be interested if it is the same one.

What I did notice on both the display model and on the one I actually purchased is that the slide release is almost impossible to operate with your finger unless you unload the tension on it a bit by pulling back on the slide with the other hand. It appeared to me that the notch was a bit sharp and digging into the release. Not certain if this is something that will wear in.
 
#7 ·
I own a couple of Ultra Carries, and two Ultra Aegis guns converted to 9x23, which I often carry. They all work flawlessly. I've had a bunch of students with UCs, and all their guns have worked, except for a fellow who let his go too many rounds before replacing recoil springs. Replace your recoil springs no less frequently than every 1000 rounds, and I recommend 500-750. His had gone 1500 when it started to malf due to excessive slide velocity. If you want to extend the life of your recoil springs, while further guaranteeing reliability, find a good smith to install an EGW flat-bottom firing pin stop, and put Wolff extra-power springs in your magazines. If you do that, your recoil spring life may extend to 1500-2000 rounds.
 
#8 ·
It's the Internet so beware. I have two Kimbers and Customer service has been great for both. My Ultra has about 1000 rounds through it and never had a malfunction with Kimber mag. I had 2 malfunction during a 100 round test of Remingtion Golden Sabres 185gr, which Kimber doesn't recommend. Sent my pistol in to Kimber and they would only test it with my Kimber mags but they ran 47 rounds of 185gr Golden Sabres through the pistol and polished the feed ramp and adjusted the frame where the ramped barrel touched without issue. Mine works fine with Ranger T 230gr. and is laser accurate under 12 yards. I recommend Kimpro Tac mags. no need to run 500 rounds if the pistols malfuntions every mag...lol. Kimber will make it right if that occurs without going to 500 rounds. If there's issue call them and speak to Dennis.
 
#10 ·
Kimber will make it right...
HA HA HA HA...

That would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

If Kimber ever has the stomach to hear about the way they treated me, I can give them the serial number over the phone so they can check the records of which half trained ape in the repair department was the moron who set a customer back a gun with a broken part...

But it will never happen.

Put it this way...if you chambered a round in you Kimber, then racked the slide and the round fell out...I wouldn't pick it up to shoot in my gun for fear of my weapon catching a gun related STD.

That's how I feel about Kimber because of their customer service.
 
#9 ·
My Ultra Carry was a nightmare...don't trust it, or the company. Kimber has a very "lax" attitude toward was is and is not acceptable function and customer support.

Sending a pistol back to me with a broken recoil assembly, then telling me "Don't worry, it will still work..." then taking a month to get me a new assembly is not a confidence booster in a pistol I might have to trust with my life. (That was the end of it, not the whole tale...)

Hey Kimber Manufacturing Inc...if you are reading this, and have the stones to want to hear about it, why don't you PM me so I can tell you in person about my experience with your products & company's customer service.

Yeah...silence...

Look. I'll tell you what Wilson Combat told me when I asked them to work on the gun..."Sorry, we don't do Kimber 3 inch 1911's because we can't make them work to our standards. You seem like a guy who wants a lot of gun on a budget. Go look at a Springfield 1911."

If Springfield is good enough for Wilson to recomend...

I'll let you figure it out.
 
#11 ·
Three out of four of mine needed work, and not just fluf and buff work. The one that didn't I only had for about two months and shot very little. I'll pass.

Don't like what I have to say, ask Hilton Yam and 10-8

They exhibited the following symptoms during the first training class:
-Feedway malfunctions with OEM Kimber TacPro mags - rounds would nose down into the frame below the feedramp
-Feedway malfunctions with quality aftermarket magazines. The feedramps were improperly dimensioned and all the guns came with the Kimpro finish on the feedramp so they became sticky with extended firing.
-Extractor tension failures - some of the extractors fell right out of the slides upon disassembly
-Slide stop problems - premature lockbacks, failure to lock back, or improper lockback such that seating a magazine caused the slide to drop. Most of the guns had .38/9mm slide stops with lobes so long that they struck the top round in the magazine. These guns were .45's.
-Rear sights falling out

When I got to the pistols at around 5-6000 rounds, we had some more problems:
-at least 2/3 of the pistols had loose plunger tubes that were held in primarily by the grips. The factory plunger tubes were MIM units which did not hold a stake very well.
-grip screws had come out with the bushings, as they were not staked or Loctited at the factory
-several had their barrel bushings break. These bushings were machined, and I have no idea why they went south.
I bought into the "Don't believe the negative hype" lines and it cost me dearly. With what I spent on guns, ammo, different types of magazines, range time, etc. I could have bought a Wilson Supergrade for a little more.
 
#17 ·
I went through the same thing a few months back when I got my new Ultra and pretty much the same folks saying the same things. Seriously, take the thing to the range and run a couple hundred rounds through it and if it runs like it should awesome, then you can chalk the negative stuff up to "yours might have been pooh, but mines a keeper". The only problem I have had with mine was due to a cheap "O" mag and that was it. I haven't taken it out to the range for a while, but only due to me changing what I want to carry as my CC choice. If you can get the pistol to launch a couple hundred rounds down range and no malfunctions IMO, you are good to go. If not, send it to Kimber and let them honor their end of the bargain.

Here's something that might to help put it into perspective for ya.... I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee years ago. I loved that thing. Then one day I started having problems with it after only a couple of years. I got no help from the dealer, or the manufacture and from that day on I swore I'd never own another Chrysler product and haven't yet to this day. Point being, that was years ago and the problems have most likely been addressed never to show up in other Jeeps again, but to this day I'll tell any of my family and friends to stay away for the brand, just because of my bad experience. Like always YMMV.


:bier:
 
#13 ·
Like many, I have read lots of Kimber horror stories on the net. I can't speak to their credibility or lack thereof. Here are my direct Kimber experiences: I have owned Kimbers since the first year they came out. I currently own 2 5" Custom .45s, 2 Ultra Carry .45s, 3 different versions of Custom Shop Compact .45s, a 5" Aegis converted to 9x23 and 2 Ultra Aegises (Aegi? Aegii?) converted to 9x23. All of them work flawlessly. I carry the 9x23s regularly, and each of my sons carries a Compact .45, one an alloy frame, the other an all-steel gun. I have owned one other Kimber 5" .45, and sold it. It also worked great, but someone came along who wanted it enough to pay more than it was worth. The first one I ever owned had a forging flaw on one frame rail, resulting in a big, protruding steel splinter, and Kimber replaced the frame very quickly. I have worked on several Kimbers with functional issues of various kinds. Most just needed a trigger job or an extractor tune, but a few needed the recoil spring replaced due to the wrong spring being installed at the factory (all of them 4" guns), one or two needed a new extractor, a couple needed the firing pin safety retimed, a couple needed the grip safety tuned so that it released sooner, and most needed to have the magazines replaced. I prefer Wilson mags, Nighthawks, or McCormick Pro-Mags. I MUCH prefer the original guns, without the firing pin safety, but if the fp safety is timed right, it is fine.

The story about Bill Wilson amuses me, with him recommending a Springfield Armory. It is especially amusing, considering that for many years, Wilson bought his frames and slides from the same manufacturer as Kimber did, Jericho Manufacturing. The relative frequency of metallurgical problems with SA guns has been substantially higher than with Kimbers or Wilsons, in my experience. Bill's recommendations mean about as much to me as would one from Rahm Emmanuel, even though his shop turns out some very nice pistols and I even own one of them.:wink:
 
#14 ·
While there are many happy Kimber owners out there, I think it just shows the level of hit/miss with their QC. A Kimber that runs, runs very well. One that doesn't run will make you want to slit your wrists. For what Kimber charges I'm not willing to risk purchasing from them anymore.

Rust prone barrels, improperly cut feed ramps, some questionable MIM parts history, varying reports on customer service etc...no thanks, for the money give me a Springfield or Colt.
 
#16 ·
You all bring valid points to this discussion and as new member here I am really impressed with how much you all put into this for me. I need to think this out now. As it stands I can still change my mind and purchase a different model. The two things that drew me to the Kimber were 1. light frame 2. barrel length but if there are better options for about the same money I should at least look at them. My wife is going with me, I placed a deposit on a 380 but may change that to a Glock 26 for her. Both were on a good sale so I more or less reserved them.
 
#18 ·
Thanks for the thoughts, I am going to stew on this until Sunday. Wife and I are heading to an auction that morning in hopes of nailing some excess builders cabinets for the kitchen and it so happens that we will be passing the gun store on the way home. At that point her and I will both be finalizing our new CC weapons.
 
#19 ·
I have a Kimber UC2 with 815 failure free rounds through it (which is for sale on this forum currently because i want to get a C&S version PM45) now i know iam selling this pistol (maybe) BUT ITS NOT BECAUSE OF ANY PROBLEMS. This is the smoothest/most accurate 3 inch pistol i have ever fired. I liked it so much in fact shortly after i bought it i bought a Kimber Eclipse Target 2 as well. Kimber makes excellant pistols from what i have seen. I own 2 & i have friends/family that own them as well. Iam only considering this to put the money towards a Cyclinder&Slide Kahr PM45 (really miss my PM45, great edc pistol).....If u want to carry a 1911 u cant beat a Kimber in my opinion......Good luck
 
#20 ·
I have had a Kimber for about 3 years. I love it.

When reviewing anything on the internet I keep one thing in mind. Out of 100 guns, if just one owner had trouble with it, he will most likely get on the internet and slam that company. I have absolutely no problem with the guy doing that.

BUT, just remember that there might be 999 other owners that are perfectly happy with their guns but they probably will never get on the net and tell everybody that.

I read these same reviews and had people warn me about Kimber before I bought mine. Then I went to a large gun store that has 6 different salesmen behind the counter. They sell approximately 15 different brands of 1911's. The salesmen can buy any brand they please, just like us. The day I was there, 4 out of the six salesmen were wearing Kimbers on their belts.

Kev
<><
 
#21 ·
I've had three Kimbers...still have two of them. I've never had a problem with any of them. Any gun can have problems..I'd get it and never look back.OMO
 
#22 ·
I've put four hundred rounds threw my Compact CDP II and so far so good, it's one of the smoothest shooting weapons I've shot. And like most say their factory mags are junk, Take your time see if you can rent one and take it for a spin.
 
#23 ·
Thanks again and I am leaning to giving her a whirl. Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, there aren't any places around here where I could actually get my hands on one to try. The one large shop that had a range and let you try the weapons closed years ago. This is a rural area within a state who's economy is in the tank due to...well, I won't go there.
 
#24 ·
Just because you try someone else's gun and it works doesn't mean YOUR gun will be as good.

I had a terrible weapon from Kimber. Someone else's might be flawless.

You won't know till you are into it for the cost of the gun, mags & at least 1K or so of ammo. (Don't worry, you will figure it out before you hit the $2,500 mark...)

You might want to look at one of the SIG's or a nice M&P compact if you don't like Glock...
 
#25 ·
Its not just their pistols that can have issues. On another large shooting site I'm a member at,there are numerous guys that have had issues with Kimber rifles. I wanted a Kimber Montana for a long time. I just couldn't justify a thousand dollar rifle that may have quality issues right out of the box.

IMO if you drop $1000 on a gun,it better run flawlessly. Of course you could get a lemon from any manufacturer. Unfortunately, it seems like lemons are all too common with Kimbers.
 
#26 ·
I have one of the first Ultra Aegis II 9mm. Runs flawless. A newer Rcp that is my EDC and an older Ultra Carry II with 2000 rounds thru her and is at CustomizedCreationz getting a melt job, round butt and refinish, yup putting more money into one of those darned ole Kimbers,
I reckon they work for me...

J.W.
 
#27 ·
I love my Ultra Carry II. It's my EDC and has been flawless. On the other hand I hate Kimber customer service with a passion. Every time without fail that I have ever talked to them they have pretty much sucked. I'm talking just simple kinda need some advice questions. One was needing to know about a bobbed left safety on an ambi safety (I'm left handed) the other was about a feed problem with a CDP pro that I bought used that had the feed ramp butchered by a shade tree gunsmith. They were zero help and actually quite rude to boot. I own three Kimbers and probably would not buy another just for the customer service aspect.

Ok end rant. Here's my thoughts on Kimber 1911's in specifics. Two of mine have external extractors. I know they get a bad rap, but mine have worked fine without fail. On the other hand Kimber seems to be realhit or miss with their internal extractor tuning. Pull one from the factory out and take a look at the hard sharp corners on them. To me it looks like theydo absolutely no smoothing or shaping on them and just slap them in. My brother bought a $1200 CDP Pro awhile back and it was a jamo-matic from day one. I talked him through cleaning up and tuning the extractor from 1400 miles away over the phone and guess what it now shoots. I would think a gun that supposedly comes from a "custom" shop should not need this kind of work. I think like most people here that Kimber is a hit or miss kind of proposition. If you get a good one they can be great. Get a bad one and it can be many trips back to them to maybe fix it or maybe not. Or you can learn to fix it yourself and save the aggravation of dealing with their CS.
 
#28 ·
I have a Kimber Pro Carry (4in) II and love it. I had two failuar to feeds that I blame on myself, I run both the factor magazine and Kimpro magazine in it. Fires great, carries well and conceals great. I love it so much that I am looking to do some upgrades to it once money becomes open to use. Right now I am having to consider selling some things due to being off work (waiting on BWC to start with my payments) but my Kimber is staying put.
 
#29 ·
I have a Kimber CDP Pro (basically, a lightweight Commander with a melt job) and it's been flawless. As have my two Springers.

That said, I can't discount all I hear, and for the same kind of money I think you'd have a greater likelihood of avoiding a strugglebunny with a Springfield Loaded or Champion for the same level of investment.
 
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