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Thread: Kimber's reputation blinding us to an excellent choice?

  1. #61
    Site Supporter HeavyDuty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fatdog View Post
    I am just over 500 rounds into the test for my 3", all full power .357 loads so far, and my only complaint is the grips. I tried spray grit on the slick factory grips, not much help, I am getting ready to try a set of the factory rubber grips. Compared to other currently manufactured revolvers there is a scarcity of grip options for this bird.
    I never even tried shooting my 3” with the larger wood grips. I stuck a set of the factory synthetics on it right away, they offer much better purchase. I’m thinking VZs, too.
    Last edited by HeavyDuty; 08-09-2018 at 07:01 AM.

  2. #62
    Site Supporter mb94's Avatar
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    I'm around 500 rounds (all .38 so far) into a 2" K6S and like it a lot. The trigger is exceptional. The smoothness is on par with my PPC guns from years ago. Obviously, the pull weight is not quite as light as those PPC guns, but then again it's a little carry gun. The trigger pull weight is lighter than the half dozen J frames and some L frames I've had. The fit and finish is really nice and well done.

    I found it used during a "just getting out of the house" visit to the LGS and couldn't pass it up after handling it. Accuracy is also very good. My only complaint is the sights, while centered in the dovetail, have the POI about 5" right at 15 yards. I tried gently/firmly/cautiously/while swearing to move the rear sight with a hammer and punch with no luck. I called Kimber customer service to inquire as to whether they used thread locker in the dovetail and not just on the set screw. Thought if so maybe a little heat would help. Nope, no thread locker, just excessively tight fit....the rep. said the sight is machine pressed into the dovetail. Guess I'll have to eventually send it in as I can't find any sight tools to fit a revolver and don't trust myself or anybody else to hit it with a hammer/punch any harder than I did.

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  3. #63
    Site Supporter Totem Polar's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fatdog View Post
    I am just over 500 rounds into the test for my 3", all full power .357 loads so far, and my only complaint is the grips. I tried spray grit on the slick factory grips, not much help, I am getting ready to try a set of the factory rubber grips. Compared to other currently manufactured revolvers there is a scarcity of grip options for this bird.
    Quote Originally Posted by HeavyDuty View Post
    I never even tried shooting my 3” with the larger wood grips. I stuck a set of the factory synthetics on it right away, they offer much better purchase. I’m thinking VZs, too.
    Quote Originally Posted by mb94 View Post
    I called Kimber customer service to inquire as to whether they used thread locker in the dovetail and not just on the set screw. Thought if so maybe a little heat would help. Nope, no thread locker, just excessively tight fit....the rep. said the sight is machine pressed into the dovetail. Guess I'll have to eventually send it in as I can't find any sight tools to fit a revolver and don't trust myself or anybody else to hit it with a hammer/punch any harder than I did.
    Man, fatdog, you’re my hero. I won’t have a chance to try .357 in this thing until I get back from st louis in a week, but when I do it will be with either a different grip, or shooting gloves. My only question to myself is which VZ: cyclone or stipple?

    mb94, I have a universal sight pusher tool of some sort—I’m catching a plane in a few hours, so it may be a week, but I’ll see if there’s enough room on the kimber to run the screw vice on it. Might be an option.
    ”But in the end all of these ideas just manufacture new criminals when the problem isn't a lack of criminals.” -JRB

  4. #64
    Site Supporter HeavyDuty's Avatar
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    My rear sight was *very* tight, but it surrendered to Kroil and a taped up brass drift.

  5. #65
    Site Supporter mb94's Avatar
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    I'm thinking my orange front sight is a previous owner addition. Thankfully he did a good job on it. Just installed the VZs but haven't shot with them yet.




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  6. #66
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    Well, not the best news to report on my “1k Round Good to Go” run with my K6.

    I finally had the time last Sunday to hit the 1k mark. Showed up at the range with 370 rounds to finish it up but never got a round off. I first wanted to group 20 rounds of FED 38 SPEC 130gr HST but only got “clicks” instead of “bangs.” Zero indentation on primers indicated firing pin. Packed up, went home and disassembled the revolver and found the firing pin sheared off, (see below).

    Phoned Kimber first thing Monday morning, spoke to a nice guy named Mark and explained the situation to him. They would not provide or sell a replacement firing pin and spring to me as I requested and can only offer a factory warranty return trip to remedy the problem. He emailed me everything I need to return ship and I’m hoping to get to UPS this week. I asked that they replace the spring with the new firing pin. Mark said that anything found to be not factory spec will be returned to original condition. Since I performed a trigger rebound smooth/tune bringing the pull to 7.5 - 8.0 lbs I’m real curious as to how it will be returned.

    I have dry fired the snot out of my K6. Dry firing is a big part of my training regimen with all of my firearms. It goes back to Grass Week at Parris Island and Range Coach MOS training at Quantico. I have no intention of not dry firing the revolver once returned and maybe another trigger rebound smooth/tune.

    This failure isn’t a cause for dismay or rejection of the revolver. It does re-enforce the need of a “shake down” run for any firearm to be a trusted partner for defensive purposes.

    Will update the thread as things progress with Kimber and I get back to the “1k Round Good to Go” run.
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  7. #67
    The R in F.A.R.T RevolverRob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sidheshooter View Post
    So, one of the 3" ones came home with me today.

    Yeah, I am the guy who called it fugly in another thread. But that was before I held one.

    I have said, at least a half-dozen times here before, how much I'd love it if S&W would do a new K-frame .38/.357 3" round butt; with a bead blast or matte stainless finish; DAO with sweet trigger; real, 21st-c. sights; lighter weight, and no damn lock.

    So I'm holding the 3" K6, and I've got that same inside-the-brain view that Arnold had at the opening of the first Terminator: when his android vision brackets the tall hippie biker and goes MATCHMATCHMATCH on the leather jacket, pants and boots.

    I'm looking at this Kimber, and the wheelie spec sheet in my mind is flashing the same match code.

    Plus, the price was right. There are times in life when one must know how to take "yes" for an answer, and this was one of those times.
    You are such a nerd.
    ___

    So just to be clear we've now seen two firing pin failures in <1000 rounds of live fire, correct? One from @medmo and one from @314159 (aka π) and reports of firing pin breakage of other guns on the Kimber Forum?

    Can you guys give us a ballpark estimate to the number of dry-fires through the gun? If you're anything like me it's probably a 5:1-10:1 ratio of dryfire to live fire.

    ____

    Anecdotally, seems like those of you out there should probably roll snap caps for dryfire purposes (which generally seems like a good idea for revolvers anyways). A-Zooms tend to be the most durable for repeated revolver dryfiring in my experience. If any of you trade your Kimbers in for Colts or also acquire Colts. I've never met a Colt revolver where it was not advised to use snap caps in dryfiring - Always use snap caps. You can get away with the plastic ones (Safe-T-Trainers) with the Colts, because you just need something to cushion the firing pin hit. Do not use ST Action Pro-type trainers with Colts, because they don't cushion the firing pin (basically you want the firing pin to hit -something-). You can even get away with reusing spent casings (where the primers are present) a couple of times, but once they stop getting further indented when struck, they're done.
    Last edited by RevolverRob; 08-14-2018 at 11:12 AM.

  8. #68
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    Quote Originally Posted by RevolverRob View Post
    You are such a nerd.
    ___

    So just to be clear we've now seen two firing pin failures in <1000 rounds of live fire, correct? One from @medmo and one from @314159 (aka π) and reports of firing pin breakage of other guns on the Kimber Forum?

    Can you guys give us a ballpark estimate to the number of dry-fires through the gun? If you're anything like me it's probably a 5:1-10:1 ratio of dryfire to live fire.

    ____

    Anecdotally, seems like those of you out there should probably roll snap caps for dryfire purposes (which generally seems like a good idea for revolvers anyways). A-Zooms tend to be the most durable for repeated revolver dryfiring in my experience. If any of you trade your Kimbers in for Colts or also acquire Colts. I've never met a Colt revolver where it was not advised to use snap caps in dryfiring - Always use snap caps. You can get away with the plastic ones (Safe-T-Trainers) with the Colts, because you just need something to cushion the firing pin hit. Do not use ST Action Pro-type trainers with Colts, because they don't cushion the firing pin (basically you want the firing pin to hit -something-). You can even get away with reusing spent casings (where the primers are present) a couple of times, but once they stop getting further indented when struck, they're done.
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    Guess I need some snap caps as well to prevent a recurrence of what is pictured.
    M60 hammer nose broke last week at the range.
    Will check out the A-Zoom ones.

  9. #69
    The R in F.A.R.T RevolverRob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by deputyG23 View Post
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    Guess I need some snap caps as well to prevent a recurrence of what is pictured.
    M60 hammer nose broke last week at the range.
    Will check out the A-Zoom ones.
    Snap caps should help prolong the life of the replacement.

    That said hammer nose firing pins on Smiths are a "wear item". Keep a couple in your spare parts stash, because they inevitably break.

  10. #70
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    My live fire count was approximately 200 rounds, maybe a little more. Ammo was a mix of .38 Magtech 158 FMJ, .38 +p Speer, Winchester, and Remington in 135,130, and 158 weights. Remington .357 125gr was tried as well.

    Ratio was at least 10:1 dry fire. Took a while to return to the range from the first session and I mistakenly (?) believed the lockwork had MIM parts that could be smoothed up with use.

    The pin undoubtedly broke during dry firing as I put the revolver away working fine but the first "click" came with the first attempted shot at the next range session.

    The return to Kimber via UPS turned into a comedy of errors. They sent 2nd day air return paperwork. UPS insisted on overnight air. Called Kimber and they sent new authorization to me on my phone, UPS couldn't print it out at their large regional center I drove over an hour to get to (UPS stores can't accept firearms). Even I'm bored telling this story now. Finally got it on its way after much confusion and a pretty helpful UPS guy (who also, rightly, insisted on the correct way to ship).

    The bottom line will have to be that I must use snap caps in the future.

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