Anyone dealt with Kimber Customer Service?

[DAVE RICHARDS]

As I've posted a couple of times I purchased a Kimber Ultra Carry II S.S.. I love the gun itself but after 600 rounds (past the break-in period) I was still having failures to extract. It averaged 2-3 every hundred or so rounds. I used Wilson and Kimber mags, Winchester, PMC, and Blazer ammo. A carry guns got to be 100%. Called Kimber and talked to Dennis. He said to send it in that it sounded like an extractor problem. Sounded reasonable since the round was not extracted from the chamber and the next round was trying to feed. Classic extractor problem. I sent them my mags, and even one of the rounds that had failed to extract. I called them today and checked on the status of the gun. They said they were sending it back that they ahd fired 100 rounds through it and found no problems. They tried to blame all the standard things. Limp wristing. I've been shooting since I was 12. I know what limp wristing is I'm not doing that. Cleaning. I clean my guns after every range session including the magazines. A even take a pipe cleaner to get well into the hook of the extactor. Anyways they said they would pull it and put a couple hundred more rounds through it to
see if they could find anything wrong. When I first talked to Dennis on the phone he was polite and said he would send me two free mags to offset the cost of shipping. I had to pay $39.00 out of my own pocket to ship a gun back that was a little over a week old. When I called him today I reminded him to ship the two mags. He became agitated and said "who told you that"? To which I responded "you did"! He asked if I had included that in the letter, I said yes. He asked a young lady if she would be sure to include the magazines. Over at the 1911 forum I have read that Kimber has a bad habit of blaming probems with their Series II guns on,
a.) Not enough rounds to break it in. I'm past the 500 round brake in point. In fact the gun has become much smoother but It was still failing to extract.
b.) Limp wristing. I don't limp wrist! I've owned/do owned dozens of guns over the years and never had a problem with limp wristing. Now understand I love the gun. I talked to the gunsmith that sold me the gun and he said "let me guess, they said you were limp wristing". Anyways he said when it got back he would put it in a ransom rest to see if that was the problem. He said he would give me a new gun if we couldn't get that one to work. His name is Phil and he runs Goodletsville gunshop. If he stands behind what he sells like that he's go my business for life! Anyways if your a die hard Kimber fan that doesn't believe they ever make a faulty product don't bother to reply. I want some unbiased opinions. I now own two 1911's. Each is very accurate, feels great in the hand, and neither one has worked straight from the box. My Springfield needed a new extractor from the box to get it going.
I thought the Kimber having an external extractor would solve that problem. It's been a bad couple of 1911 weeks! I guess until I get this straightened around I'll just carry my Sigs, S&W's, Berettas, or my G-30 since I know they work.

[DAVE RICHARDS]

Did a search on Kimber customer service. Damn! Lots of unhappy people! Some positive, most very negative responses. Be afraid, be very afraid!

[gudel]

Originally posted by DAVE RICHARDS
Did a search on Kimber customer service. Damn! Lots of unhappy people! Some positive, most very negative responses. Be afraid, be very afraid!

man... when someone has to say that about something, it's very sad. i hope you get a better luck than those posters.

[D2G19]

A gunsmith I know told me recently he is seeing Kimber's quality is starting to slide from when they started out.

[Screaming .357G]

Bottom line is Dont talk to Dennis and I have heard that over and over...ALWAYS ask to speak to John in the custom shop.
BTW they have two style extractors out for the external models you may want to see if they will send you the newer style.

[akapennypincher]

Originally posted by D2G19
A gunsmith I know told me recently he is seeing Kimber's quality is starting to slide from when they started out.



Think the SLIDE started 4 or 5 years ago...:soap:

[DBR]

My experience: be very insistent esp if you are talking to Dennis. I got my CDP Pro rebarreled. It shot 3" left and 6" low at 15yds and Dennis said it was me. I told him to either send me a witnessed test target or I would keep sending it back. He didn't say anything, in fact he hung up on me, but a couple of days later I got the gun back with a work order showing it had been rebarreled and it was right on the money.

[gudel]

Originally posted by DBR
My experience: be very insistent esp if you are talking to Dennis. I got my CDP Pro rebarreled. It shot 3" left and 6" low at 15yds and Dennis said it was me. I told him to either send me a witnessed test target or I would keep sending it back. He didn't say anything, in fact he hung up on me, but a couple of days later I got the gun back with a work order showing it had been rebarreled and it was right on the money.

that doesn't sound like a good experience. i had great experience with springfield.
what have kimbers owners done to get better service?
it could be because they're in NY, not exactly the place for CS.

[Yo]

Very interesting. I had a Gold Match that shot 6" low at 12 yards even with the adjustable sights maxed out. After three trips to the factory for this and other problems, they finally replaced the gun.

They much have had a batch of bad bbls or bushings.

I spoke to Dennis a couple of times. While he never hung up on me I can't say it was a pleasant experience.

I also agree that the quality started to slide about 4 years ago--that's when I bought my gun. Coincidentally it was just about then (late 2000) when Kimber brought its frame production in house.

[DAVE RICHARDS]

Thank you to all those who responded. My gun will never go back to Kimber again. As I said earlier I didn't know the gunshop I deal with will take care of any gun they sell. Great deal. Just wish I knew it before it went back to Kimber. Anyways the gun came back today and their are scratches all over the slide the the front and rear sight. The sights were easy to fix with some gun blue. I don't reallycare about them because I'm going to replace them with nightsights anyways. The scratches I used Flitz on and cleaned them up as best as I could.
The gun was returned in one of those cheap mail pouches with the bubble wrap and sent loose in the box to bang around!
The bill said their was no extraction problem, but the extractor has been replaced. The way the scratches are on the rear sight and the area in front of it, it also looks like they removed the rear sight. Probably did some work on the Series II safety. Now the good news.
The gun went through 150 rounds of PMC ball and 30 rounds of Winchester Ranger ammo and never missed a lick! Evidently whatever they did (or according to them didn't do) fixed the problem. They also sent me two new magazines, as promised, which I will trade for a Wilson mag. I love the gun itself. It is a very good looking weapon and very, very accurate. It shoots better than some of my full sized guns. I obviously don't think much of their service. Most of the major companies (hell even Taurus) will pay shipping both ways on new guns with problems. Also not happy with the dings and scratches. But it will get lumps and bumps from carrying. If not for the bad service I would have no complaints. Now I'm just going to enjoy shooting the gun and try to forget about the rest. It's one sweet looking, tight shooting gun. Guess I said that a couple of times.

[gudel]

thank god i got myself a colt :) i guess the extra money paid off not getting aggravated and ticked off.

if i got my gun back with scratches, i'd be really pissed off and am going to send it back for them to fix their idiotic mistakes. actually i'd send it back until i get it the way i bought it NIB, with the problems corrected.

but since you like the gun, i guess that's okay.

[SamColtFan]

Sent back with scratches from Kimber? It can happen. Sent a Colt Combat Elite back to Hartford. Came back with scratches on the blue slide. Sent it back to Colt, the Custom shop fixed the cosmetics and gave it some extra TLC. Kimber CS has not been a good experience for me and I won't buy Kimbers based on my previous CS. Likewise,my poor DW customer service is not a confidence builder.

Regards,
Sam

[DAVE RICHARDS]

I would normally be raising the roof of the place at Kimber. I just really think the situation would get worse and worse. I obviously won't buy another one. And I am going to call them on it. But I just think it would get worse and worse. Not giving them any further business and warning other people is the best thing i feel I can do. And in the long run that is what will hurt them the most. Enen if you get a good one right from the box I wouldn't reccomend them to anyone because of the customer service. To add insult to injury the return notice said the gun would not be accepted back for service without an RMA! I can't send it back to them without their permission! I'll use that French word, FOOK ZEM!

[SamColtFan]

Good CS can either make or break a company's reputation right along with other issues. I like firearms that work out of the box. I don't like buying "projects" because the factory didn't do the job right. Kimber's long standing CS "attitude" is well known by many it would seem.

Regards,
Sam

[DAVE RICHARDS]

Last post on it I promise. I called Kimber about the scratches. They told me they recieved the gun with the scratches! That is a bold faced lie! I sent the gun UPS overnight in a box. The gun wa covered in layers after layer of bubble wrap and I had foam over that. You could have dropped it from a second story window and it wouldn't have hurt it! On top of everythng else they are liars! Of course some of the other stories in this post show that! End of story, I'm done!

[SamColtFan]

Ahh the case of the "mysterious" scratches. Sounds like Kimber has the answer to all of our questions and concerns.

At least Colt stands up for their customers and in my experience, does them right and offers great customer service.

Regards,
Sam

[WYO.Kid]

DAVE RICHARDS:

You just talked me out of buying a Kimber Custom CDP II!

Thanks (I think?) ;P

[gudel]

file a complaint to better business bureau, it might help.
it did help me, i got a rapid response from sigarms after filing with bbb. ;f

[10hasteeth]

This reminds me when I bought a Kimber Heritage. I already had a Kimber I SS and loved it. When I shot the Heritage,after 5 rounds, the emblem came off the grip, and when I checked it, the grip was cracked. Not a big deal,but for a new gun, I called Kimber on it.They basically said tough! I asked them what they would do about it, and they said not much. I asked if I could get new grips, and they said probably not, and if I could, the cost of sending my grips to them, and then their charge to send a new set back(if they would) would be more than the cost of the grips.I know this is small stuff, compared to functionong problems,but if they won't fix the small problems, they probably won't fix the big ones.I'd kind of forgotten about this until I saw this post. Darn, I'm in the process of buying a Kimber Eclipse. What was I thinking?

[DAVE RICHARDS]

Basically it seems like this, if you get a good one you have a great gun. If you have problems and want them to do anything about it God help you! I know more people that have gotten good Kimbers as opposed to bad. But I also know lots that have gotten junk. Probably in the minority. But they have similar horror stories to mine. Just don't expect much help if you have a problem. I guess unless you reach the right person in service. Sounds like a crap shoot. I want a fullsized 1911. I have a 3" model, a 4" model, and I think the S&W 1911 is looking real good for my fullsized gun. Yes they had a recall early on. But they did fix them, advertised the problem to get them fixed, and paid for shipping. Maybe another Springer. They sometimes don't come 100 % from the box but they also try to make it right. The better business folks is an excellent idea. Thanks!

[dougmc]

I had terrible experiences with Kimber with my Ultra Carry. The people at Kimber we're worse than the folks down at the DMV. My Ultra Carry broke. I sent it back annd got treated like a terd on the table at Thanksgiving. Eventually I got it back and it promptly broke again. Then I did the smartest thing I have ever done since I quit sleeping with Joy Blanchard - I sold it and got a Glock 30 with night sights.

[eljay45]

My dealings with Kimber customer service have always been great. The work has always been done properly and on time.

[Ginny]

I have dealt with Kimber's customer service. I sent my Custom CDP back after 1150 rounds while having 20-30 failures to return to battery. The day after I sent it, I spoke with Dennis and he told me they fired 160 rounds through my gun and nothing was wrong with it. Before I could even plead my case or tell him that I was not imagining the failures, he told me that it had already been shipped back to me with a sheet on how to properly lube a handgun. I told him that I was a cop and had been firing all kinds of handguns for 10-years. For a $1200 dollar gun from their "Custom Shop", I didn't think it was a lubricating problem.

They were quick, but they didn't help me any. A local gunsmith told me the inside of the slide stop was a hair too long and was occationally touching rounds as they were being fed into the chamber. I replaced the slide stop with a Wilson stop and the problem was fixed. For factory gunsmiths, I was not impressed.

[10hasteeth]

Ginny,it sounds like Kimber is just going to stand there and BLEED! After going through these posts, I decided not to get the Pro Eclipse II.

[DAVE RICHARDS]

Ginny,
I had to laugh. Obviously not at our shared misery with Kimber Customer Service. Guess what they sent back with my gun? A slip on how to properly lubricate a gun! I'm 46. I've been shooting guns since I was 12. I know how to properly lubricate a firearm! From what I'm seeing they have a standard pattern of b.s. they seem to follow. It goes like this:
a.) Gun hasn't had enough rounds through it. Sorry in the couple of weeks I've had it I've gone through 850 rounds (I've been on vacation so I've had some extra time on my hands).
b.) Your limp wristing the gun. Sorry no way. I have even had other people fire it. I guess we must all be a bunch of limp wristing s.o.b.'s according to Kimber. LOL!
c.) We've looked at the gun their is nothing wrong with it. So learn how to lube it dummy!
d.) Give them a hard enough time and maybe they won't expect us to fix the gun.
e.) I don't know yet. I guess I'll find out because the gun started jamming again today and I called Kimber and talked to John. He was nice until he looked up the serial number on the gun. He was still civil but got a cold tone. I guess they must have quite a file on me. He asked me if anyone else had shot this gun. When I told him yes his heart seemed to sink. No single person limp wristing here! Damn! Anyways he said they would send me an RMA after I told him I had spent almost $200.00 in ammo, almost $40.00 in shipping costs, and it's still not working right. I even offered to have the folks call him that had witnessed the jamming. Anyways he said they would pick the gun up Thursday or Friday. I'm worried everyone else that they have paid the shipping on it was picked-up the next day. It was interesting. One of the guys at the range came over and said he had bought a rifle from Kimber awhile back and you can't hit the broad side of a barn with it. He said he called Kimber and their attitude was more or less tough S&^(! Another guy named Vinny at the range bought a CDP II (3" model) and had it back to Kimber three times. It wouldn't feed one single mag. They finally did give him a new gun. He paid well over a grand for his gun. Not to mention all the folks with thumb safties breaking on them.

[10hasteeth]

I have 2 Kimber 1's, a SS and a Heritage. Both have been great guns except for the grip on the Heritage breaking after 5 rounds.
I don't think I'll be buying any more Kimbers.
Dang, I wanted the 10 mm very badly!

[SamColtFan]

Kimber's IMHO, are very much overpriced when one considers that there are 1911s out there for less, that will function right out of the box and they don't come with the NY attitide. Had a Series 1 CDP, and I did the Kimber warranty dance. Much to their credit, they did fix the gun after some arm twisting.....but got rid of it after it came back. No more Kimbers for me.

Regards,
Sam

[gudel]

anyone has any beef with Colt's?

about the kimber, you should ask this guy, what's his secret sauce:

They have great turn around and customer service. Dennis isi great, but he cannot work on all of the guns. (http://1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87977)

[SamColtFan]

Originally posted by gudel
anyone has any beef with Colt's?




Nope, I've owned over 30 Colts in the past 18 years and I've not had any negative experience with Colt's customer service department. Their attitude toward a positive customer service experience is excellent. They've always given me the impression that they want to make things right if there is an issue. I can't say enough positive words about my history with Colt products and Colt's customer service.

Regards,
Sam

[Kruzr]

I never had a problem with Kimber customer service. Dennis was polite and helpful and fixed a problem overnight. I sent the gun on Monday and got it back on Wednesday. They turned around our range gun in a week. (The sear rounded off after 80K rounds). Gun maker customer service is a hit or miss with all companies. I had an awful CS experience with Springfield. They lied, didn't call back, took 6 weeks for a simple fix and then didn't fix the problem. Other people swear by their customer service. If you go through the postings on the 1911 forum, you'll find as many people thanking Dennis as you will those trashing him. You can find the same thing about Les Baer, Ed Brown, and even the touted Wilson CS.

FWIW, I've never seen a new out of the box basic Colt that could outshoot an out of the box basic Kimber. I think Colts are the best platform to start with if you are going to customize a gun but if you want a shooter from the get go, it's tough to beat a Kimber.

And yes, there are people who have had problems with Colt customer service's turnaround time but they usually fix the problem. But from what I've seen going over our counter new the "much improved Colt quality" still has a long way to go.

[SamColtFan]

The confusion comes when you buy a new Colt 1991 at $535, and it works out of the box and then you buy a new Kimber Custom CDP at $1006, and it has issues, not to mention a trigger that is not as good as the Colt's at $535. In a gunfight, I'd take the pistol that works out of the box.

Regards,
Sam

[Kruzr]

Experience differs I guess. I've never come across a NIB basic Colt that had a trigger anywhere as smooth and crisp as a new Kimber's. But with both being "production" guns, anything can happen. That CDP has quite a few other options adding to the price difference. Compare a $650 Custom to the 1991.

We had both a NRM Colt and a Kimber Custom as our 1911 rentals. It wasn't rare for someone to come in and want to shoot a 1911. They would rent the Colt, shoot some and come back and try the Kimber. I simply can't recall anyone who didn't prefer the Custom to the 1991. On the other hand, I've got a good friend who has a Jim Clark (Sr.) customized Series 70 Colt (bullseye gun) that may be the best shooter I've ever handled....including my Baers and Brown.

[auto45]

I shoot Colts(modified), but the fact is they basically come in the "mil-spec" form with sharp edges, poor sights, etc, etc.

It would take at least $300 and time to get the Colt into Kimber "specs". I think Colt is a better "quality" gun overall, but they just don't offer them in the proper formats. It's easier to "improve" a Kimber, if needed, than to build up a Colt IMHO.

Kimber does have the correct specs and they are number one, at least until their series II and external extractors put them into second or third spot. ;)

[Robert McLeod]

I think the best "Kimber" available right now starts here:

http://www.brownells.com/Images/Products/207300045.jpg

McCormick Frame and Slide (http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=5516)

A good pistolsmith can make one from these parts that will look exactly like a Kimber but will outperform one any day of the week.

[Ginny]

Kruzr,
Unfortunately, Dennis is the person I dealt with at Kimber. He dismissed my problem as 'Operator Error'

For an update on my CDP problem, I dropped my gun off at a local gunsmith in SoCal and asked for their "reliability package" to be done on it. I got a call the next morning and the gunsmith told me that the inside of the Kimber slidestop was a bit too long and was hitting hardball ammo every so often, causing the round to slow and diagonally jam on the ramp or just inside the chamber. They took a file to it and ran 500 rounds through it without one problem. They did not do any "reliability package", just fixed the problem. I replaced the Kimber slide stop with a stainless Wilson Combat bullet-proof slide stop and have run through 850 rounds in two sessions without a problem. Dennis needs to drop a little bit of the attitude and SEARCH for the problem.

[DAVE RICHARDS]

Mines also back at the gunshop I bought it from. He said he would have his gunsmith look at it. Said if he couldn't get it 100% that he would give me a new gun. That's how customer service should be! I still want a full sized 1911. It won't be a Kimber. The guns are very accurate I'll give them that. But what use is a company you have to fight to warrant a new gun they made that won't shoot right from day one? Which one? Colt, Springfield, S&W,.....?

[DAVE RICHARDS]

Just to say had the gun worked right from the box or had I been treated decent I would be very happy. The gun is one accurate little sucker. Nice looking also. As far as Colt goes the only experience I've had woth the new ones has been a friends plain jane Commander. It wasn't fancy but it did have a great trigger right from the box and shot very well indeed. First time, every time. The local gunsmiths still tell me they don't have the build quality of the Kimbers. I don't know though. Everyone posting seems to be having pretty good luck with the new Colts. I really hope Colt makes it. Their AR-15's still look pretty good also.

[gudel]

The guns are very accurate I'll give them that. But what use is a company you have to fight to warrant a new gun they made that won't shoot right from day one? Which one? Colt, Springfield, S&W,.....?

my colt's pretty accurate, so was the SA loaded. i did have a problem with my SA, but they fix it within two weeks, both ways shipping paid. they use their ups number to ship it back.
i don't know about colt warranty, that's because i never had problems with mine.