My New Kimber (with apologies to USA1)

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I was talking to a Gunsmith about the Kimbers failing to return to battery and he said this is almost always cured by replacing the recoil spring with a Wolff Improved XP Recoil Spring .45ACP. The Wolff spring is rated for the same poundage as the Kimber stock spring but a side by side comparison shows that the Wolff spring is longer which translates into more travel therefore completely returning the slide back to battery after a shot.

It costs $7.89+shipping.

Although I've had no problems with mine, I replaced the stock spring with the Wolff spring and I can tell the difference.
When you release the slide, it snaps shut with a bit more authority than it did before. I took it to the range and ran another 100 rounds through it and it just seems to operate more solidly now.

Thanks for the suggestion. I am probably going to order one today.

[tetralaw]

beautiful Kimber. I saw one of the new super carrys at Market Hall this past weekend. Not too shabby.

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I ordered the recoil spring and also remembered my desire for a 10lb USP hammer spring as well. Big shopping day.

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A bit too long since my last update, but I now have 800 rounds through the pistol with the last few hundred using a Wolff spring, and I'm still getting a 2-6% FTF rate.



I have my RMA in hand and the pistol goes back tomorrow. I have about a month left in my 1 year warranty and I want to be sure to have the problem reported before that runs out. Hopefully I'll be back with good news in a couple of months.

[chuckybrown]

I'm curious....the picture looks more like a Failure To Extract (FTE) vs. an FTF. And if I can respectfully share a thought.....that gun is dirty man! Give that baby a bath! Maybe that will help with some of the issues?

Keep us posted!

[Excaliber]

I'm curious....the picture looks more like a Failure To Extract (FTE) vs. an FTF. And if I can respectfully share a thought.....that gun is dirty man! Give that baby a bath! Maybe that will help with some of the issues?

Keep us posted!

A really dirty feed ramp and really dirty slide rails combined with insufficient lubrication can easily produce the type of feed failure shown in the photo.

You won't be able to diagnose the issue any further until you follow Chucky's advice above and do a detailed thorough clean and lube job on the gun.

[Backslider]

I'm curious....the picture looks more like a Failure To Extract (FTE) vs. an FTF. And if I can respectfully share a thought.....that gun is dirty man! Give that baby a bath! Maybe that will help with some of the issues?

Keep us posted!

Despite what it looks like, that is a round that has failed to chamber. I have had zero FTE problems, and I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference.

And also despite what it looks like, that was a thoroughly clean pistol when I started my range session, and I've cleaned it every 100 rounds. I have tried various levels of lubrication, and this was on the 'wet' side. This was only 25-30 rounds in. Maybe I should have posted this picture instead.



I meant to post this thread I found last night - I wish I'd had the benefit of it when I was shopping.

Kimber Super Carry Pro – Review

[Excaliber]

I'm curious....the picture looks more like a Failure To Extract (FTE) vs. an FTF. And if I can respectfully share a thought.....that gun is dirty man! Give that baby a bath! Maybe that will help with some of the issues?

Keep us posted!

Despite what it looks like, that is a round that has failed to chamber. I have had zero FTE problems, and I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference.

And also despite what it looks like, that was a thoroughly clean pistol when I started my range session, and I've cleaned it every 100 rounds. I have tried various levels of lubrication, and this was on the 'wet' side. This was only 25-30 rounds in. Maybe I should have posted this picture instead.



I meant to post this thread I found last night - I wish I'd had the benefit of it when I was shopping.

Kimber Super Carry Pro – Review

Okay, we're narrowing things down.

When the gun is in the condition pictured, if you apply pressure to the back of the slide, does it go into battery easily and smoothly or is it jammed in some way?

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The slide can be closed, but I'd say it requires force rather than pressure. A pretty solid rap on the back of the slide will place it back into battery.

[Excaliber]

The slide can be closed, but I'd say it requires force rather than pressure. A pretty solid rap on the back of the slide will place it back into battery.

What type of ammo are you using - FMJ, hollowpoints, etc.?

Factory or reload?

[chuckybrown]

I'm with Excaliber....have you tried a different ammo? Also, if you have a dremel tool and some rouge, you can easily polish the feed ramp yourself and see if that fixes the problem before having to ship it back.....

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The slide can be closed, but I'd say it requires force rather than pressure. A pretty solid rap on the back of the slide will place it back into battery.

What type of ammo are you using - FMJ, hollowpoints, etc.?

Factory or reload?

It's all been WWB FMJ, with the exception of one box of PDX1 that fed fine. I bought a box of Federal with the intention of mixing it up, but never got it into the rotation.

[USA1]

This isn't the first time I've heard of feeding trouble with WWB.
Place a round of WWB and Federal next to each other and look closely at the subtle difference. I'm betting you'd have better performance with Federal.

FWIW, I only shoot Federal or Speer Gold Dot in my Kimber and never have feeding problems. I also did light fluff and buff on the feed ramp and around the edges of the chamber as well as the inside of the chamber.

[Excaliber]

The slide can be closed, but I'd say it requires force rather than pressure. A pretty solid rap on the back of the slide will place it back into battery.

What type of ammo are you using - FMJ, hollowpoints, etc.?

Factory or reload?

It's all been WWB FMJ, with the exception of one box of PDX1 that fed fine. I bought a box of Federal with the intention of mixing it up, but never got it into the rotation.

In view of the large number of serious problem reports lately with WWB, I'd suggest trying another good brand (e.g. Remington) to see if the problem persists.

If not, all you may need to do is change ammo brands.

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In view of the large number of serious problem reports lately with WWB, I'd suggest trying another good brand (e.g. Remington) to see if the problem persists.

If not, all you may need to do is change ammo brands.

I guess I'm a bit out of the loop. I haven't seen the reports of issues, but I'll go searching.

If an ammo change resolves the problem I will be happier, but given the initial cost of the pistol and the added expense of breaking it in, I'm choosing to stay frustrated for the moment. I thought I knew what I was getting into having read about the problems some other people have experienced, but it's quite different to fight it myself.

As things stand, the pistol is in NY and 'out for delivery'. I'll report back once the service is done and hope to be a satisfied customer sooner rather than later.