Kimber Super Carry Pro - review - Page 3

Marquezj16 · June 24, 2011, 08:51 AM

One of the best reviews I have read here and great pics to go with it. You might have found your calling. Sorry about the gun not working out for you.

I almost bought a Kimber as my first 1911. They have a great feel in the hands and have the "bling effect" for their looks. I ended up with a SA Milspec. Not as pretty but feels good and rock solid.

shanzlik · June 24, 2011, 09:03 AM

Quote:

One of the best reviews I have read here and great pics to go with it. You might have found your calling. Sorry about the gun not working out for you.

Thanks, appreciate the comments.

I have made a few other handgun and long gun reviews (Springfield Range Officer and a few STIs, HK MP5 .22, LaRue OBR) and have some more in the works. I like to think I'm getting better at it over time, and I try to point out things you don't see, in the magazines.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/sear...archid=5358755

zombieslayer · June 24, 2011, 09:33 AM

Nice work. What's the street price on these? Are they really $1500?

Duckkkkk · June 24, 2011, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Thanks, appreciate the comments.

I have made a few other handgun and long gun reviews (Springfield Range Officer and a few STIs, HK MP5 .22, LaRue OBR) and have some more in the works. I like to think I'm getting better at it over time, and I try to point out things you don't see, in the magazines.

While not a current Kimber owner, somewhere down the road a 1911 style gun will be in my future, so of course I'm doing my due diligence, reading absorbing, enjoying, and formulating a plan while I narrow down my 1911 choices based on threads like these, cost, and looks.

I have gently pointed out at times on 1911 threads that from all of my reading Kimber has got to be the most controversial brand on the market. The fan boys then jump out of the wood work in attack mode attacking anyone even remotely taking a poke at their brand.

I can see why their so aggressive with their views. When one pays 1500 bucks for a gun, then has to "break it in"(lol) for 500 rounds to operate properly, then pick and choose ammo carefully to stop feeding problems.
IMHO, red flags go up and I file it away as a brand to stay away from.

There's no doubt in my mind that in the PAST, Kimber was a fine,fine brand, putting out quality stuff, but times have changed, and the fan boys better start realizing that fact. There's too many of these type of well written thought out threads out there written by reasonable people.

Then to send it in and receive that kind of service?, Kimber can go pack sand.

shanzlik · June 24, 2011, 12:09 PM

$1500 is MSRP. Mine was more like $1200 I think. In retrospect, I would have bought a Dan Wesson bobtail instead.

zombieslayer · June 24, 2011, 03:27 PM

If you'd bought the DW you wouldn't be disappointed. Fwiw- I went through a couple Kimbers till I arrived at the DW.

Backslider · July 1, 2011, 01:37 PM

I had to register after a search for 'refit the barrel' pulled up this post. I also came across your initial review reposted at Day At the Range recently.

I bought a Super Carry Pro shortly after they were released, and returned mine two weeks ago because I was having the same failure to feed issues as you. A Wolff spring made things better, but at best I had a 2-6% failure rate. My saga is here. I have also had similar issues with the finish flaking, but mainly under the slide stop so far.

I am with you in wishing I'd waited to find a CBOB - it's a shame that a pistol that feels so nice seems to have so many issues.

shanzlik · July 1, 2011, 02:22 PM

I haven't finished reading your whole thread on the other site yet, but those were nice pictures. Sorry to hear you had the same issues. I have to agree with your last comment...

Quote:

it's a shame that a pistol that feels so nice seems to have so many issues!

Carry_24/7 · July 1, 2011, 02:30 PM

My CDP has been a champ. The first picture of the inside of the slide is hard to figure out.... Is that after shooting and before cleaning? I've never seen that much surface damage on a pistol.

Backslider · July 1, 2011, 08:11 PM

I just realized our serial numbers are less than 25 apart. Someone must have had a bad day on the line.

shanzlik · July 1, 2011, 10:01 PM

Quote:

The first picture of the inside of the slide is hard to figure out.... Is that after shooting and before cleaning? I've never seen that much surface damage on a pistol.

No, the slide was cleaned before the picture so I could show the problem areas. That's all finish wearing through and/or flaking off. I've never seen that much, either. Kimber's repair sheet said it was "in spec."

Here's the inside of my STI Shadow with three times the round count and daily carry...

shanzlik · July 1, 2011, 10:08 PM

Quote:

I just realized our serial numbers are less than 25 apart. Someone must have had a bad day on the line.

Huh, that's interesting. I hadn't checked that.

RangerDoc · July 4, 2011, 04:47 PM

Thanks, Shanzlik! One of the best firearms reviews that I've ever read, anywhere.
You have just saved me a whole lotta dough: I loved the look and feel of this pistol and I was considering giving Kimber...a second chance. Yes, my only other Kimber was a Covert Pro. My experience with it was almost exactly like yours. I took it to my local gunsmith (a real master of the craft) AFTER sending it back to Kimber at about 600 rds. because it continued to malfunction; usually failures to go into full battery, requiring me to tap the slide forward. After 700-800 rounds this continued at a rate of about 2% of the round count.
I need a carry piece that is 99.999% reliable...and it clearly ain't gonna be a Kimber! Guess I'll stay with my tried and true Glock 23.
Thanks again for your superb effort at keeping us all informed

**Tom Servo** · July 4, 2011, 05:10 PM

Thanks for the review. The Super Carry series have garnered a great deal of attention, in no small part due to Kimber's insistence on saturating the media with advertisement then failing to provide supply. Still, the model appeared to be a lightweight bobtail gun at a lower price than Dan Wesson or Ed Brown offerings, and if it was any good, it could have been a hit.

I once had a CDP model, and while it was fairly reliable, the odd wear patterns that rapidly developed gave me some pause.

That gouge below the feed ramp happens to aluminum frames when magazines with flat followers are used. Still, mine was only a scratch, while yours is quite deep. Something's not right. Furthermore, the polish job looks like it was done clumsily with a metal file. I would not accept this on a gun costing half the price.

The barrel throat and exterior look as if they used a buffing wheel too aggressively. Also not a good sign. I'd consider the gun ruined, and I'd ask for a full replacement.

RangerDoc · July 29, 2011, 06:53 PM

OK- here's where I eat crow.
A friend of mine bought a Super Carry Pro and loved it. No malfunctions in his first 300 rounds. He has been one of my firearms instructors: former SWAT team commander, now a SWAT instructor. So I decided to take the risk (I just loved the way this gun felt and loved its features) and laid down the $1250 my local gunshop wanted.
Well, I am now in 1911 love again. This baby is an awesome shooter.

Range report:

1. more accurate than me
2. first 100 rounds: 2 malfunctions. a failure to go into full battery and a failure to lock back on an empty mag
3. the next 200 rounds: one malfunction- FTF

For a 1911A1, this is great. I've owned several, and this one is the easiest to shoot and carry.
I'll keep workin' it til I've had 200 rounds w/o a malfunction, before actually relying on it as a carry gun.
BTW: it has fed and shot well with just about every kind of ammo, from 185 gr- 230+P; hollow points, ball ammo, etc. The only issue w feeding is that it will not function w Chip McCormack 10 rd mags, altho it works well with the Wilson Combat 10 rounders

Hornady 185 gr XTP rounds seem to work the best for me in terms of manageable recoil and accuracy

claimbuster · August 7, 2011, 12:19 AM

I've had my Super Carry Pro for 10 months and have about 1000 rds. through it. Had a lot of FTF's early on with every type of ammo I fed it.

Adjusted the extractor and it still had problems. In looking at the extractor I noticed the hook was cut wrong so I installed a new Ed Brown extractor, properly tensioned it and haven't had a problem since. That's about 700 rds. w/o any problems at all.

Admittedly, mine with a much higher round count isn't showing wear anything like that in the posted photos.

About six months ago it became my non-hot weather full-time carry gun, as I trust it completely.

June 24, 2011, 08:51 AM	#51
Marquezj16 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 2,088	Well done review One of the best reviews I have read here and great pics to go with it. You might have found your calling. Sorry about the gun not working out for you. I almost bought a Kimber as my first 1911. They have a great feel in the hands and have the "bling effect" for their looks. I ended up with a SA Milspec. Not as pretty but feels good and rock solid.

June 24, 2011, 09:33 AM	#53
zombieslayer Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,198	Nice work. What's the street price on these? Are they really $1500? __________________ "An angry prophet, denouncing the hypocrisies of our time"

June 24, 2011, 12:09 PM	#55
shanzlik Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 547	$1500 is MSRP. Mine was more like $1200 I think. In retrospect, I would have bought a Dan Wesson bobtail instead. __________________ TSRA Life Member, NRA Endowment Life Member, SAF Life Member My EDC - STI Shadow My blog - firearm reviews, etc.

June 24, 2011, 03:27 PM	#56
zombieslayer Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,198	If you'd bought the DW you wouldn't be disappointed. Fwiw- I went through a couple Kimbers till I arrived at the DW. __________________ "An angry prophet, denouncing the hypocrisies of our time"

July 4, 2011, 05:10 PM	#64
Tom Servo Staff Join Date: September 27, 2008 Location: Foothills of the Appalachians Posts: 13,059	Thanks for the review. The Super Carry series have garnered a great deal of attention, in no small part due to Kimber's insistence on saturating the media with advertisement then failing to provide supply. Still, the model appeared to be a lightweight bobtail gun at a lower price than Dan Wesson or Ed Brown offerings, and if it was any good, it could have been a hit. I once had a CDP model, and while it was fairly reliable, the odd wear patterns that rapidly developed gave me some pause. That gouge below the feed ramp happens to aluminum frames when magazines with flat followers are used. Still, mine was only a scratch, while yours is quite deep. Something's not right. Furthermore, the polish job looks like it was done clumsily with a metal file. I would not accept this on a gun costing half the price. The barrel throat and exterior look as if they used a buffing wheel too aggressively. Also not a good sign. I'd consider the gun ruined, and I'd ask for a full replacement. __________________ Sometimes it’s nice not to destroy the world for a change. --Randall Munroe

July 1, 2011, 01:37 PM	#57
Backslider Junior Member Join Date: July 1, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 2	I had to register after a search for 'refit the barrel' pulled up this post. I also came across your initial review reposted at Day At the Range recently. I bought a Super Carry Pro shortly after they were released, and returned mine two weeks ago because I was having the same failure to feed issues as you. A Wolff spring made things better, but at best I had a 2-6% failure rate. My saga is here. I have also had similar issues with the finish flaking, but mainly under the slide stop so far. I am with you in wishing I'd waited to find a CBOB - it's a shame that a pistol that feels so nice seems to have so many issues.

July 1, 2011, 02:30 PM	#59
Carry_24/7 Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2011 Posts: 801	My CDP has been a champ. The first picture of the inside of the slide is hard to figure out.... Is that after shooting and before cleaning? I've never seen that much surface damage on a pistol.

July 1, 2011, 08:11 PM	#60
Backslider Junior Member Join Date: July 1, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 2	I just realized our serial numbers are less than 25 apart. Someone must have had a bad day on the line.

July 4, 2011, 04:47 PM	#63
RangerDoc Member Join Date: September 7, 2009 Location: The coastal plain of Georgia Posts: 25	Thanks, Shanzlik! One of the best firearms reviews that I've ever read, anywhere. You have just saved me a whole lotta dough: I loved the look and feel of this pistol and I was considering giving Kimber...a second chance. Yes, my only other Kimber was a Covert Pro. My experience with it was almost exactly like yours. I took it to my local gunsmith (a real master of the craft) AFTER sending it back to Kimber at about 600 rds. because it continued to malfunction; usually failures to go into full battery, requiring me to tap the slide forward. After 700-800 rounds this continued at a rate of about 2% of the round count. I need a carry piece that is 99.999% reliable...and it clearly ain't gonna be a Kimber! Guess I'll stay with my tried and true Glock 23. Thanks again for your superb effort at keeping us all informed

July 29, 2011, 06:53 PM	#65
RangerDoc Member Join Date: September 7, 2009 Location: The coastal plain of Georgia Posts: 25	OK- here's where I eat crow. A friend of mine bought a Super Carry Pro and loved it. No malfunctions in his first 300 rounds. He has been one of my firearms instructors: former SWAT team commander, now a SWAT instructor. So I decided to take the risk (I just loved the way this gun felt and loved its features) and laid down the $1250 my local gunshop wanted. Well, I am now in 1911 love again. This baby is an awesome shooter. Range report: 1. more accurate than me 2. first 100 rounds: 2 malfunctions. a failure to go into full battery and a failure to lock back on an empty mag 3. the next 200 rounds: one malfunction- FTF For a 1911A1, this is great. I've owned several, and this one is the easiest to shoot and carry. I'll keep workin' it til I've had 200 rounds w/o a malfunction, before actually relying on it as a carry gun. BTW: it has fed and shot well with just about every kind of ammo, from 185 gr- 230+P; hollow points, ball ammo, etc. The only issue w feeding is that it will not function w Chip McCormack 10 rd mags, altho it works well with the Wilson Combat 10 rounders Hornady 185 gr XTP rounds seem to work the best for me in terms of manageable recoil and accuracy

August 7, 2011, 12:19 AM	#66
claimbuster Member Join Date: April 5, 2005 Location: Rowlett, TX Posts: 40	I've had my Super Carry Pro for 10 months and have about 1000 rds. through it. Had a lot of FTF's early on with every type of ammo I fed it. Adjusted the extractor and it still had problems. In looking at the extractor I noticed the hook was cut wrong so I installed a new Ed Brown extractor, properly tensioned it and haven't had a problem since. That's about 700 rds. w/o any problems at all. Admittedly, mine with a much higher round count isn't showing wear anything like that in the posted photos. About six months ago it became my non-hot weather full-time carry gun, as I trust it completely.