The few guns that I have that can not be 100% trusted are not put into a possible situation where they need to be trusted 100%.

 

If I can't trust it 100%, I fix it or get rid of it.

 

I think i may have that same gun in 45 and 9mm. This is the only pic of them i have handy. The 9mm ran fine, but the 45 had to go back to Kimber for feeding issues. It runs good now, but only 50 rnds thru it..soo..? I bought them from a friend that needed rent money..they just sit in the safe. If you really think a Grizzly attack is a real possibility.. Shouldnt u have a 44Mag in your tackle box...?

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• Lisa93
• Oct 27, 2022

 

I think i may have that same gun in 45 and 9mm. This is the only pic of them i have handy. The 9mm ran fine, but the 45 had to go back to Kimber for feeding issues. It runs good now, but only 50 rnds thru it..soo..? I bought them from a friend that needed rent money..they just sit in the safe. If you really think a Grizzly attack is a real possibility.. Shouldnt u have a 44Mag in your tackle box...?

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• Lisa93
• Oct 27, 2022

Ya, or a 10MM now that you mention it.. I fish the Green River in Wyo, and there are bears there, but chances of seeing them ar slim, but very possible.

 

Ok, this video is my exact gun in 45..

Wilson Combat has some information on their FAQ page about shooting .45 Auto out of compact guns. It may be helpful to you.

Handgun FAQ

Wilson Combat has been the innovator in custom pistols, long guns, and accessories since 1977. Home of the Wilson Combat 1911, EDC X9, WCP320, and more!

www.wilsoncombat.com

All the mechanical changes are important, but the biggest factor is ammunition selection because it affects both slide cycle speed and the magazine’s ability to lift the cartridge into position for proper feeding. Ammunition loaded with 230gr bullets generate more recoil impulse (especially +P loads) than 185gr loads, and 7 rounds of 185gr ammunition weighs 315gr less than 7 rounds of 230gr ammunition, making the column of ammunition easier for the magazine spring to lift. I hope you see where I’m going here?

 

My wife has a 9mm kimber ultra II for 4 or 5 years . It has almost 2000 rounds thru it and is 100% reliable at least with 124gr gold dots and 147gr hst and ranger t series along with my practice ammo ,125gr and 150gr coated swc .

So you mention nothing about your issues like ammo used or rounds you have fired so far start off by learning to trouble shoot your issues . Do not assume some hot loads or lite loads will run in a short barrel ether . Guess your trying maybe a +P load ?? I use 45 super that chambers in a 45acp barrel .

You may have the wrong gun for tour fishing trip . The difference in weight between the Ultra and the Pro or 4.25" mid size lite weight 1911 is only 3oz too . I carry a lw commander in 45 but I do not want to change recoil and main springs in it to test . The heavt dangerous game loads are also harder on a alloy frame 1911 . The handgun I have thats ready to run with 255gr 45 super flat nose hard cast underwood loads is my kahr ct45 running with 1911 mags . Notch the bottom front of the grip so the nose on 1911 colt kimber or wilson 8 and 10 round mags fits . Kahr CT45 has a 4" barrel , heavy recoil springs , nice ultra smooth DA style trigger pull and a 4" barrel that weights in at 26oz . That is what I took to alaska on a fishing trip .

Best advise have a buddy your trust on your trip and have bear spray too . If a grizzly attacks You may have no time to react and your buddy may be the only way you survive by spraying or shooting the bear !!

 

Ok, this video is my exact gun in 45.

I'm curious. Does your pistol have a ramped barrel or a standard barrel?

 

A 45ACP is not grisly medicine, 44 mag is a minimum and if there is a good chance of needing to deal with one a S&W 500 is the least I would want. A lever action 45-70 is better. A Kimber ultra-carry 45ACP is a CCU pistol and it's a damn good one. I have had 2 of them, I've owned 7 Kimber 1911s and I've never had a problem with any of them. Kimber is the most criticized make of 1911s and the most popular, go figure. A lot of the folks that hate Kimbers have never owned one.

A 45ACP is not grisly medicine, 44 mag is a minimum and if there is a good chance of needing to deal with one a S&W 500 is the least I would want. A lever action 45-70 is better. A Kimber ultra-carry 45ACP is a CCU pistol and it's a damn good one. I have had 2 of them, I've owned 7 Kimber 1911s and I've never had a problem with any of them. Kimber is the most criticized make of 1911s and the most popular, go figure. A lot of the folks that hate Kimbers have never owned one.

Every situation will be different if you face a grizzly, you may not even get to your gun before it's on top of you. One of the elk guides I knew in Wy, had a shotgun with bone breaking slugs, I don't want to pack mine.. I have very little experience with the 1911, that's why I'm here right? The path of he wise is to follow that of the wiser....

 

My .45 Ultra had some issues with the first round nose diving using Kimber mags. Once I switched to Wilson mags the problem disappeared and it ran 100 %.

 

You know I have spent hour reading and watching youtube, but my personal feelings are why should you have to start throwing money at a new gun. I have a colt AR-15 with an 18" barrel, they shipped it with a three round target out at 100yds. I can come very close to duplicating that target. I expect a new gun to perform. But it does say break in is needed, so I'll not give up...

 

Personally after viewing the video, I would say that either the chamber isn’t finished and/or the extractor needs to be properly tuned !

of all of my guns almost all needed the chambers finish reamed and the extractors fitted, all run 100% now. I don’t subscribe to the whole “break-in” or needing a heavier ammo thing. If the extractor is properly adjusted and the chamber is finished they just don’t seem to care about ammo or rounds run.

I should add that I also would not carry anything that I was not 100% confident in, particularly in bear country, but I also wouldn’t carry ANY gun fresh out of the box in that scenario, needs plenty of rounds through it to gain that confidence.

My .02

 

I don't know, I have six Kimber Ultra's mostly 45 but a couple 9's. They all have functioned 100% except for one Super Carry that they forgot to radius the chamber (the one on the right) and it was a jamb-o-matic. Kimber fixed it though and afterwards it worked fine. I have several other brands of ultra's that also are 100%.

 

That's good to hear. I just finished working my slide and did some oiling. It just makes me happy on a cold day...

 

I spent most of 30 years in western Montana hunting and roaming around the backcountry. I wouldn't carry any auto loader unless it was all I had, I always had a 44 Magnum strapped on. I finally got a S&W 329 lightweight as I carried a lot and shot only when I needed to. I carried a
Ruger SBH on horseback and some form of M29 the rest of the time. I never had to use it on a bear, but I killed a lot of coyotes and 1 cow Elk with one of them in the Big Hole.

 

I spent most of 30 years in western Montana hunting and roaming around the backcountry. I wouldn't carry any auto loader unless it was all I had, I always had a 44 Magnum strapped on. I finally got a S&W 329 lightweight as I carried a lot and shot only when I needed to. I carried a
Ruger SBH on horseback and some form of M29 the rest of the time. I never had to use it on a bear, but I killed a lot of coyotes and 1 cow Elk with one of them in the Big Hole.

ah, time spent in the Bob Marshall? I find a lot of people around those areas prefer a revolver, and it makes sense.. this coming summer I plan a trip to Freedom Wyo, maybe look at the Casul.

 

I packed into several wilderness' in Montana. The Bob. , Scapegoat, the Pintlers, Bitterroots, and the Swan range. I miss it a lot, and would go back in a hot minute if I was still ambulatory. Good times!
I carried a revolver for when things got western. Carry enough for when things go bad, not just when things are going well. Up there a rifle shot is a dinner bell for the Bears, Griz and Black bears will come right in while you are dressing out an animal and they can scent blood for several miles. I usually carried a 300wsm loaded with 180g Failsafes or 2 Accubonds with the rest Failsafes. When I had an Elk or Muley down, I loaded all failsafes. I used 230g Grand Slams in my .338 when I carried it.
My heeler hated bears and was a great early warning system as were my horses. Moose can get angry as well if bothered, I never drew a tag for a Moose but kept trying.

 

In the OP video, certainly the gun they have may be a piece of junk.

However, note at the 1:00 mark where he chamber loads a round, and then it appears as if the gun wasn't lubed prior to shooting, and while his lube technique may be perfectly fine, it isn't one I'd use. Note, he puts no lube on the chamber hood, on the barrel, or on the disconnector.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but the above observations make me think he has very little 1911 experience which could be contributing factors to the gun's problems.

 

In the OP video, certainly the gun they have may be a piece of junk.

However, note at the 1:00 mark where he chamber loads a round, and then it appears as if the gun wasn't lubed prior to shooting, and while his lube technique may be perfectly fine, it isn't one I'd use. Note, he puts no lube on the chamber hood, on the barrel, or on the disconnector.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but the above observations make me think he has very little 1911 experience which could be contributing factors to the gun's problems.

Either do I. My go to gun has been a glock for years.

 

A 45ACP is not grisly medicine, 44 mag is a minimum and if there is a good chance of needing to deal with one a S&W 500 is the least I would want. A lever action 45-70 is better. A Kimber ultra-carry 45ACP is a CCU pistol and it's a damn good one. I have had 2 of them, I've owned 7 Kimber 1911s and I've never had a problem with any of them. Kimber is the most criticized make of 1911s and the most popular, go figure. A lot of the folks that hate Kimbers have never owned one.

 

Ok, this video is my exact gun in 45.. it got 2.5m stars and right now I give it 3, because mine didn't perform quite this poorly.

My glock 23 in 40 caliber, may take it's place, unless this gun starts breaking in and performing better. I don't think a guy should have to spend more money on tweaking a gun, sorry the glock has had thousands of rounds fired through it, 2 jams, both were ammo, one round the primer hadn't been set in properly, I missed it.

Not all guns are the same. They may not need to be babied, but they may need different care.

For instance, if I was a new guy on a Glock forum, and said...

"Hey, I just bought this new G21, and lubed the gun up real well, paying particular attention to make sure I put some good lube (I even used a little of my favorite grease) on the striker and in the striker channel since there is a lot of movement in that channel, and then took 500 rounds of 200gr lead semi-wadcutters to the range to punch some holes through paper."

"But, dang, I didn't get 10 rounds into shooting that G21 when I started running into problems..."

You don't need to know what those problems were, but you knew I was going to have problems with that Glock simply by the way I treated it.

Guns are different, they all have their own needs.

 

I own an even dozen Kimber 1911's, all in .45ACP and of various barrel lengths, purchased since 2012. All but one of them were problematic out-of-the-box and all required re-tensioning of excessively tightly fitted extractors from the factory and slide stop issues. All initial feeding problems were due to the case rim not navigating the extractor due to it being set WAY too tight. After retensioning and polishing the extractors the next malfunction on all eleven Kimbers was the slide locking back when there were still rounds in the magazine. Filing and dimpling the slide stops cured this nonsense.

Two of my 3" ultra models I believe also had weak or out-of-spec recoil springs initially as evidenced by the ease in which the slides could be racked when new. Replacing these initially weak factory springs with Wolff replacements and a bit of throating where no throating at all was evident in these ramped Clark barrels, has produced 100% reliability in these 3" models through 500 and 700rds so far after also adjusting the extractors, fitting the slide stops and a few polishing tricks I've used for decades. I carry the latter of these Ultra's, I shoot it bi-weekly and I trust it completely using Checkmate and Ed Brown 7rd magazines.

Not a very good score for Kimber 11 out of 12 needed working on before achieving any semblance of reliability. Imagine my disgust if I had returned all these back to Kimber for work and hope that they would have found all the problems the first time. Instead I tuned these 1911's myself being a retired gunsmith with over 50 years experience and a lot of time on my hands lately.

It used to be that Kimbers were nice 1911's at this price point but not so anymore as other manufacturers have surpassed Kimber initial quality with a better product and value. Quality control over the past few years is simply non-existent from Kimber as is evidenced by other defects as well, including but not limited to, gritty/creepy trigger pulls, improperly fitted thumb and grip safeties, no tightening of rear sight set screws and sticky/gritty Swartz safety parts in the slide.

 

I own an even dozen Kimber 1911's, all in .45ACP and of various barrel lengths, purchased since 2012. All but one of them were problematic out-of-the-box and all required re-tensioning of excessively tightly fitted extractors from the factory and slide stop issues. All initial feeding problems were due to the case rim not navigating the extractor due to it being set WAY too tight. After retensioning and polishing the extractors the next malfunction on all eleven Kimbers was the slide locking back when there were still rounds in the magazine. Filing and dimpling the slide stops cured this nonsense.

Two of my 3" ultra models I believe also had weak or out-of-spec recoil springs initially as evidenced by the ease in which the slides could be racked when new. Replacing these initially weak factory springs with Wolff replacements and a bit of throating where no throating at all was evident in these ramped Clark barrels, has produced 100% reliability in these 3" models through 500 and 700rds so far after also adjusting the extractors, fitting the slide stops and a few polishing tricks I've used for decades. I carry the latter of these Ultra's, I shoot it bi-weekly and I trust it completely using Pyramid and Ed Brown 7rd magazines.

Not a very good score for Kimber 11 out of 12 needed working on before achieving any semblance of reliability. Imagine my disgust if I had returned all these back to Kimber for work and hope that they would have found all the problems the first time. Instead I tuned these 1911's myself being a retired gunsmith with over 50 years experience and a lot of time on my hands lately.

It used to be that Kimbers were nice 1911's at this price point but not so anymore as other manufacturers have surpassed Kimber initial quality with a better product and value. Quality control over the past few years is simply non-existent from Kimber as is evidenced by other defects as well, including but not limited to, gritty/creepy trigger pulls, improperly fitted thumb and grip safeties, no tightening of rear sight set screws and sticky/gritty Swartz safety parts in the slide.

I guess my expectations were set too high, but I'll get it running by fishing season, or buy a larger Glock

 

Winston60's comments brought to my mind Einstein's old saying about the definition of insanity: Doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.

 

I'm also of the school that a properly built/manufactured, fitted and adjusted 1911 of any price range should require NO break in period whatsoever. Examples: Staccato, Dan Wesson and even some current Springfields. Perhaps some additional smoothness will occur after extended shooting but initially they should function reliably out of the box with no malfunctions of any type. Kimber reps are quick to tell you not to send in a gun that hasn't yet reached their recommended 500rd break-in period, which IMHO is simply a wearing-in process of ill fitted, poorly made or out-of-spec parts. Perhaps some guns might wear in, even lose extractor tension over 500rds of use but I'm pretty sure that's just a stalling technique they use for various reasons.

It's a simple gun design really, fun to work on and fairly easy to reliability tune and repair unless bent/broken/cracked or severely out-of-spec. Without actually examining the actual Ultra in the OP's video I'd say it probably possessed an extractor with excessive tension, insufficient barrel throating and evidently was not cleaned and lubricated before firing it for the first time. That's where I would begin and knowing Kimbers I'd soon thereafter start looking for copper marks on the slide stop indicating premature slide lock back is going to be the next issue.

 

I'm also of the school that a properly built/manufactured, fitted and adjusted 1911 of any price range should require NO break in period whatsoever. Examples: ..., Dan Wesson ...

Have you read the Dan Wesson owner's manual break-in procedure?

 

So you don't have to look it up, here are the Dan Wesson break-in recommendations, from page #13 of the Owners Manual.

https://danwessonfirearms.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DW-1911-Manual.pdf

BEFORE FACTORY SERVICE
Break-in
1 . Your Dan Wesson Handgun is built to tight tolerances . Lubrication and cleaning is key in the break-in process .
2 . Only use generous amounts of the recommend lubricants on the rails of your Dan Wesson .
3 . We recommend that you felid strip, clean and re-oil every 50 rounds during break in .
4 . We recommend a break-in period of 300-500 rounds before the gun is competition/combat ready .
5 . Only use quality factory ball ammunition for the break-in process .
6 . Generally what you will see during this break- in process is failure to go into battery and or sluggish slide operation . This is normal for tight- ly fitted 1911’s and will begin to work itself out during the break-in process .
7 . If for some reason the handgun continues to have issues after this break-in process please contact Dan Wesson .
8 . Once your Dan Wesson pistol is properly broken in only then is it recommended to use hol- low points .
9 . We do not recommend the use of +P ammu- nition to speed up the break-in process . This will usually cause more problems .

 

wow, I hope this Kimber loosens up with break-in. It's hard to fathom that beak in period. My Colt Ar-15 came with a target and three holes almost dead center at 100 yds, in a .364 group. I can nearly duplicate.

 

I love Kimbers! This guy seems clueless.... Ill always oil my gun especially a 1911

 

every kimber ive ever owned did not like S&B ammo

 

Must be the OAL or something yours does not like. My TLEll is a tack driver with S&B 230's. And no issues. Then again, you said every one. Maybe I got lucky.

 

I have 5 Kimbers mostly in 10mm 2 in 45 auto....

 

This kind of thing is sofa king frustrating to me, irritating and infuriating, and everything else-ing. This is not a Kimber thing, it's an industry thing. Dear Gun Industry, revolutionary new idea for yas. MAKE GUNS THAT WORK. Almost everyone can make a gun that works out of your gun that doesn't work. Why can't you? Seriously, why can't you? Why not make them work and get a reputation on that instead of from advertising hype?

 

I can only add that I have two Kimber's. One is a Crimson Carry II in .45; the second a Custom II in 9mm. I've had the Crimson Carry II for about 15 years. The Custom II I bought last year. Both have functioned flawlessly. In fact, I will likely shoot my next steel plate match with the Custom II.

 

Correct, I will go somewhere else.

 

Thread has been inactive for two years, if more discussion is needed please start a new thread. Closed.