Kimber's reputation blinding us to an excellent choice?

[medmo]

You are such a nerd.
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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.

My best SWAG would be something like a 20 to 1 dry versus live. Will be picking up snap caps. With a non fixed floating fire pin with a spring I was thinking no need. I thought wrong. I’m requesting Kimber to replace the spring also.

[Totem Polar]

Tangential, but I use A-zoom .38s for all my wheelie dry firing, and y'all can safely bet that this thread has seen to that trend going forward with the K6.

[Trooper224]

Kimber's reputation blinding us to an excellent choice?

Judging the content of this thread, I'd so no.

[314159]

I totally get what you're saying.

Still, using snap caps, while a hassle, isn't necessarily a deal killer.

I will say the piece has two strikes against it.

[KPD]

I was on the fence about buying a K6 or a VP9SK. I chose the VP9SK because of the LE program from HK, I have holsters and mags for my VP9 I can use also.
That being said I still kind of regret not getting a K6. Even with this possible firing pin issue. I use A Zoom snap caps quite a bit in my WCGP100 mostly for reloading drills. Doing the same for a K6 isn’t a deal breaker for me.
Give it a little time and I bet the aftermarket steps up with an improved firing pin for the K6.

[Totem Polar]

*Sigh*

No sugar coating the fact that we've got two broken firing pin reports. Given that the numbers of K6 owners on this forum are barely into double digits, if even that, this is an entirely suboptimal track record.

That said, I am still loving this thing, myself. I had a chance to get back to the range today and run some more rounds through my gun. I was listening to Wayne Dobbs on the ballistic radio podcast while cooling my heels on the tarmac of the DFW airport yesterday evening (serious delays due to storms), so the idea of running 3 shots from low ready in 2 seconds was fresh in my mind.

Granted, I didn't have the transition to the head box that the drill calls for, and that circle is 6" instead of 5" at the 5 yard mark, but it wouldn't have mattered. This was my first cylinder of an old mid-range 158gr .357 magnum loading I have, made by a defunct company called pro-load. It's a hard cast LSWCHP at 1100fps, and it feels a lot like buffalo bore's hot FBI load. I put on some mechanix gloves that I've found help with airweights and +P ammo, and let rip 3 at the beep from low ready, then did it again with the other half of the cylinder. I am no Gabe White, so I was extremely pleased when I reeled the target back to check the first two runs. For my shooting, at that pace, I'll take it. The K6 is a runner, so long as the parts hold together.

Now that I know that mid-range .357 is surprisingly mild with gloves, I'll be back again when I have a chance to run more through her. I'm at 206 rounds right now.

[medmo]

Judging the content of this thread, I'd so no.

I could see how someone might come to that conclusion. I sure haven’t but I’m also coming into this unbiased and with “no dog in the hunt.” There are too many examples to list of firearm makes and models that have had a higher than norm specific part failure that are excellent firearms and are still popular today. If I only owned firearms that never had any such problems at any point in the manuactiring history I would be working with a very short list.

The successful manufacturers recognize the situation and make adjustments to correct it. That is exactly what I will be testing by returning my K6 to Kimber to correct the firing pin failure. Once it’s returned I’ll continue the evaluation and provide updates.

Standby to standby.

[Stephanie B]

I’m thinking of the number of first adopters who had issues with GP-100.44s and the not-rare comments about new S&W issues.

In some regard, these days, it seems as though the manufacturers have made QA the job of the end users. But broken firing pins sound a bit more serious.

[RevolverRob]

*Sigh*

No sugar coating the fact that we've got two broken firing pin reports. Given that the numbers of K6 owners on this forum are barely into double digits, if even that, this is an entirely suboptimal track record.

That said, I am still loving this thing, myself. I had a chance to get back to the range today and run some more rounds through my gun. I was listening to Wayne Dobbs on the ballistic radio podcast while cooling my heels on the tarmac of the DFW airport yesterday evening (serious delays due to storms), so the idea of running 3 shots from low ready in 2 seconds was fresh in my mind.

Granted, I didn't have the transition to the head box that the drill calls for, and that circle is 6" instead of 5" at the 5 yard mark, but it wouldn't have mattered. This was my first cylinder of an old mid-range 158gr .357 magnum loading I have, made by a defunct company called pro-load. It's a hard cast LSWCHP at 1100fps, and it feels a lot like buffalo bore's hot FBI load. I put on some mechanix gloves that I've found help with airweights and +P ammo, and let rip 3 at the beep from low ready, then did it again with the other half of the cylinder. I am no Gabe White, so I was extremely pleased when I reeled the target back to check the first two runs. For my shooting, at that pace, I'll take it. The K6 is a runner, so long as the parts hold together.

Now that I know that mid-range .357 is surprisingly mild with gloves, I'll be back again when I have a chance to run more through her. I'm at 206 rounds right now.

When you get tired of it and change guns again - just send me a PM.

[medmo]

I’m thinking of the number of first adopters who had issues with GP-100.44s and the not-rare comments about new S&W issues.

In some regard, these days, it seems as though the manufacturers have made QA the job of the end users. But broken firing pins sound a bit more serious.

I’m not sure about that idea and think the rates have probably reduced historically with this kind of thing. The perception could be that it happens more frequently because we all know so much more info and so much more sooner due to tech advances in communications, (like this forum).