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WildBill wrote:

Stupid wrote:
I really don't understand this mentality at all.

I have worked in the quality assurance field for many years and I wouldn't have the audacity to think that my company was doing a great job just because our customer service department arranged quick shipping three times to repair a defective product that we sold to a customer. And then, to top it off, the product still doesn't work!

Tell me about. I have been in the QA for a very long time (long for me) too. I know exactly how the feeling.

I just came back from another range trip. This time I fired about 100 rd of lead round nose handloads with my Kimber. I had 1 failure due to the slide stopper was pushed slightly up for some reason - I didn't think that was my thumbs hitting it but it's a very likely cause.

I want to say that I knew what I was getting into before I bought my Kimber. Through my extensive research, I read both good and bad reviews and fully anticipated multiple trips back to Kimber as many CDP II owners indicated - however, some owners claimed there's absolutely no problem.

Kimber's service has been great - paid for all three trips without a gltch and did their part of work. I am now happy that the pistol can last 100 rounds. It is still spitting brass though

I personally wouldn't do that again. In between the ammo that I had to go through to get it work "right" or "break-in" and the trips back to Kimber for which I had to take time off from work to wait at home, its high price certainly does not justify. The total cost to me is probably more than $1300 now.

I am also not so enthusiastic about Colt due to my absolute nightmare with my 1991A1 commander which cannot even last through 2 magazines without a failure to feed. It's now sitting in my safe as dead weight.

I think Sig, Glock and Beretta are doing their job much better than the 1911 manufacturers. Also the HK even though I boycott all HKs but their reputation for reliability is quite good.

Ironically, I still carry the CDP II.

WildBill wrote:

Stupid wrote:It's not really the design of 1911. I did some research on this, back in the 1930s (cannot remember the time, but around the time when the army adopted 1911), the requirement was 5000 rounds without malfunction - this was documented in the army's specification. Today's pistols typically can last through 10,000 rounds or higher.

My Kimber wouldn't last more than 50 rounds.

FYI, Mil-Spec 1911's were designed to be fired with Mil-Spec ball ammo.

I know that. My Kimber couldn't last more than 50 rounds for any ball ammo.

It's not really the design of 1911. I did some research on this, back in the 1930s (cannot remember the time, but around the time when the army adopted 1911), the requirement was 5000 rounds without malfunction - this was documented in the army's specification. Today's pistols typically can last through 10,000 rounds or higher.

My Kimber wouldn't last more than 50 rounds.

The Ultra CDP II is a good carry gun, well if it doesn't malfunction.

I have problem conceal my G19 and I have problem with G19 lacking a manual safety.

sar wrote: This is just plain nonsense. The default behavior of a 1000 dollar gun is that it work correctly. A properly functioning, premium handgun purchased at that price should be an expected unremarkable event.

The reason you see so many complaints about Kimber is that there are so many poorly functioning Kimbers out there. Period.
I have had 3, I still own one. The first, an eclipse pro, scarred my forehead. I sent it back to the factory and it returned not only scarring my forehead, but also with multiple FTFs. The second kimber, an ultra raptor, was unreliable with hollowpoint ammo. After multiple trips back to Kimber (and them "fixing" it by showing they could make it feed FMJs!) it finally would accept federals and hornadies if I recall, but no other HPs... Moreover, the kimber service folks were rude. My grand raptor functions flawlessly.

I have other friends who've purchased Kimbers recently (last few years) and have had issues. My impression is that kimber is a once excellent company who's suffering recent quality control issues.

To say that Kimber is just the butt of some hatred for no good reason and that people complain for no good reason is ridiculous. Kimber is the subject of countless critical threads simply because they cannot reliably produce a 1000 dollar gun that can be trusted to fire every time you pull the trigger.

Hear hear.

My kimber Ultra CDP II went back to factory twice and still doesn't work 100%. For a $1000 gun, it's crap, to say the least. It used to spit back brass on every shot on top of jamming (FTF, mostly) on every 10 shot. The first time, it hit my head so hard and I started to bleed profusely. After that, I started to fire a shot and dodge the brass. Triple the fun at range (malfuncation practice, dodging brass and wondering if next round would fire or not)!

After the two trips, it seems to work OK, but still has occasional FTF and failure to chamber a round, meaning the slide returns but there's no round inside the chamber even though the mag is full. I have put more than 1000 rounds of FMJ through it but haven't really shot enough Hollow Point.

Has anybody heard that Glock needs to go back to factory to have some adjustment done?

It's the shame that it's a beautiful design, but, for $1000? Not worth it. So many guns have far better quality.