[ThatMontanaGuy]

Hey there y’all. I work in a sporting goods store and I’ve got an opportunity to interview for the handgun manager position. Obviously my job would be to sell guns, the problem is that I’ve become a real snob, especially about 1911’s and there isn’t really anything we stock that I would personally be interested in owning, except for maybe our limited selection of Dan Wesson’s or Wilson SFX 9’s, and those would be out of most people’s price range anyway. But we do stock a lot of Kimbers though. So I guess what I’m asking would be, is there anything positive I can say about Kimbers from a sales standpoint purely for the sake of moving product? I’m thinking about going with how the USMC briefly used a limited number of them until Colt was able to meet production requirements for the M45A1. Anything else? Thanks in advance.

 

[Slapshot]

You could tell them all about their Custom Shop 😝

 

[JM44]

Friends don’t let friends KimDerr

 

[The Dude]

You can tell them Kimbers have forged frames and slides, and are CNC machined same as Dan Wesson, come with a match grade barrel and bushing, and have a recommended 200 round break in. You also can tell them you know a Dude who swears by them. Probably had a dozen or more and all were everything you'd want in U.S. made 1911 for the cherry on top.

I've owned 6 or 8 Colts of which none would compare to the Kimbers. Lastly I had no idea before joining the addicts that the slide frame match up was a thing. All my Kimbers meld well and cannot say that about Colt. It took $1400 purchase of a TRP from Springfield to get a good meld on the slide and frame, and from the pics I've seen of recent offerings fitmit is something not done on most springers is still the case. Hope this helps your sales.

 

[Merton]

I would explain the history of the TLE II and The LAPD SWAT Team.

People talk plenty of smack and I'm a snob of sort myself. The fact is, I can swing a stock TLE II as well as anything else and I've not seen a "bad one".

The problem with Kimbers is that people just don't pay enough for those quality guns. Anyone can show evidence of a failure from any gun manufacturer and Kimber is no different. Photos of Kimber failures on the internet are as common as photos of Ruger or any other failure that fanboys of other companies use to strengthen their stance(s). The fact is that all of them make a good gun and every now and then with that sort of volume a lemon gets out. Kimber isn't exempt from that nor have they cornered the market.

It's easy to get caught up and root for what we like. I do the same. Still, I don't "dislike" Kimber. I just like others better,

 

[MisterB]

You could also mention that Kimber has been in the 1911 business for a few years now, their pistols are very popular, are made in USA and contain many features found on much more expensive firearms.

You have to admit that we’ve heard good and bad on just about everything from every manufacturer.

 

[1more1911]

@Merton a major mention should be made to former CEO Ron Cohen for terrible contributions to quality for Kimber as well as Sig. Early Kimbers were/are phenomenal however the early 2000s including the external extractor experiment. I think this put a sour taste in the mouth of consumers and retailers. It's comparable to a commonly forgot period of strike area Colts known for poor quality.
Slide/frame/barrel for Kimbers are well fit and blended. There is a better trigger out of the box and much more consistent than Springfields. Every Kimber trigger had been in the advertised 4-5lbs of various years. Springfields have ranged from 4 to 6 lbs with some crunch/creep in comparison.

 

[Slapshot]

I've only owned one Kimber, a 5" Blued Raptor, that was a really nice gun and shot nice. They make pretty guns and offered a lot of features standard that people were paying extra for. A lot of advertising and magazine covers drove sales. It would have been hard to walk into any gun store and not see a cabinet full of Kimbers. They had a rust problem which I think is the basis for a lot of the "hate" Kimber receives and they had a CEO that was not a gun guy and totally focused on profits. He is or was at Sig after he left Kimber. Their Custom Shop nonsense was revealed and people felt that they were selling more sizzle than steak.

 

[Merton]

It should also be noted that casting issues with small parts, like thumb safeties, were a real issue with Kimber. However, I believe that issue is a thing of the past.

The Colt comparisons are precisely why I brought up Ruger. The issues are from a generation or two ago, but the bitterness remains and is even in the mouths of those that have never tasted it in some cases.

If we held Remington, Colt and Winchester in their entirety to the bumps in the road along the way none of those companies would have the "classic" eras that they each have and deserve. The history isn't as long, but like the other companies Kimber should be lauded for the contributions that they forced their competition to keep up with and improve while being held accountable for the actual problems in their history.

I accept each side and that is why I try to stay away from strike-era Colt's and old Kimber's whose MIM looks nearly cartoonish.

 

[G26S239]

If you are not comfortable selling the guns your employer has in stock than get another job.

 

[Les White]

I think all manufacturers have pluses and minuses, all the way up the price line. Kimber, early on, pushed other manufacturers to offer more features for our dollar. Yes, they have had quality inconsistencies but so have others, especially Colt. Personally the main negative are the cast parts which is true with most mass produced 1911s. As far as performance for the dollar I think they are very competitive and in some cases, ahead of the competition. Encourage your employer to add other lines.

 

[Sevens]

If I were pressed to say nice things about Kimber 1911 pistols and be truthful, I would say that they certainly make gorgeous pistols with lots of curb appeal. They are very attractive looking handguns. I have also never danced with a Kimber that was not a decently accurate pistol right out of the box.

There's certainly a slight moral issue if you are going to be in SALES... if you don't truly believe what you are offering is a quality item. I would be in a tough spot if I were selling new guns in a big box store, because I don't believe in -MOST- of them, I think the bulk of the big handgun makers building guns under a thousand bucks are building shoddy products with no QC whatsoever.

 

[ZoidMeister]

They dress up really nicely.

Z


10mm & .38 Super

 

[Merton]

They dress up really nicely.

Z


10mm & .38 Super


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Cool! Is the checkering on the Eclipse factory??? That is nice! Do you find a preference for the shorter or longer trigger? I like the magwells and always keep a couple Chen SI's on hand.

Man, that Eclipse looks great!

 

[CharlieWH2O]

What negative experience(s) with Kimber have you personally had to taint you?

 

[psafety]

Keep in mind not all customers can afford a Wilson or a Brown, a Kimber is a reach for many people that walk thru the doors of your business.

 

[2sharp2]

I own several, never had any issues with them. A very good production line pistol. Now produced in Troy Alabama. Some models have more bells and whistles. “Custom Shop” means nothing more than a marketing ploy and not custom hand fitting some dream it to be. Raptors, SIS, Sapphire Ultra, just a few.

 

[OldCuz]

Not what I was expecting when I clicked on this thread. I thought you were having an issue (as many do) with a Kimber.

@The Dude post #4 says it best.

 

[Old Sea Dragon]

They also forced Colt and Springfield to modernize their offerings to include standard, many of the features we all expect on a 1911. That is huge. The two I owned are long gone. One was absolutely a great gun, good looking, reliable, and accurate. I sell guns in a farm store, in a lower income area. Plenty have deep pockets but I sell more Tauruses than anything else. A Kimber might be the best that they can afford. Learn their budget. If it’s close to a better gun encourage them to move a bit. Ultimately you need to put them with the best they can afford.

 

[JohnnyEgo]

As a former gun store flunky, you sell what you have to sell, because the lights have to stay on and your paycheck has to clear. You don't lie, you don't steer people to the wrong gun, but you don't assume your tastes apply to every price and budget. I used to have to sell Ruger P95s. I didn't want to own one; I had Sig X5 tastes. But they were the right gun for the right customer. Weighing as much as a brick meant low recoil. Ugly as sin, terrible ergonomics, but it was a reliable gun that was an excellent value for the price, if nothing else than in terms of price per pound.

The first few times I was allowed to order inventory for my store, I bought a bunch of guns I loved and then they sat on the shelf not moving for six months, while we sold Kimbers hand over fist and my paycheck kept clearing. And for the record, my first 1911 was a Kimber, and I still have a TLE with the dreaded external extractor, which I still hold dear despite having much nicer 1911s. And I suspect Kimber paid for my last year of college in the sense that their dealer terms were pretty generous in the early 2000s, which kept the lights on and the rent paid in our Mom & Pop shop. If you're serious about being in retail, you will need to learn the perspective of retail, not the perspective of the enthusiast. If you cannot reconcile the two and still be you, I'd suspect your retail career to be a short one. Not trying to be mean, just honest as a guy who has been where you are going.

Also, Kimber Eclipse in the light of the solar eclipse: