Kimber Rimfire Target Stainless

[TMan]

I have the Silver version, and I bought it quite awhile ago after a disagreement with my dealer. She had another customer that had bought one and sent it back to Kimber 3 times to get it fixed. She was afraid I'd have problems, but it was a gun she had in stock and sold it to me at her cost to get it out of inventory.

I don't know who her customer was that had a problem, but the Kimber web-site says something important: "Rimfire pistols chambered for .22 LR are designed for high velocity ammo only." I read this to mean CCI Mini-mag's.

After buying the pistol, I noticed that the silver color was very inconsistent, it looked like paint that wasn't sprayed on very well. Not too impressive for a $782 MSRP pistol.

It fits in your hand just like a 1911, but it doesn't have the weight of a 1911. It is 23oz, which is quite light for a 1911 (around 38oz standard). Another quirky thing is that the slide doesn't lock open after the last round. This isn't a bug - there aren't any parts in there to lock the slide open after the last round. With a 10 round magazine, if you don't count correctly you can end up with a "click". I don't like "clicks" on a rimfire gun.

After shooting it the first time, it went into storage. I got it out this weekend and took it to the range today for my dealer to shoot. She has this mental block about shooting 1911's having shot her husband's 45ACP Kimber.

Well, she started flinching with the Rimfire too, but then settled down. She did just okay with it. I then switched her to the Neos Deluxe, but she didn't like it near as well as she did the Kimber.

We then shot the M&P, which she didn't like (it was her first striker-fired), and then the BHP, followed by the Springfield 1911 in 9mm (my latest 1911). She was back into the flinching mode. I slipped in a snap-cap, and whoops - she could see what she was doing. She then really improved - too much. I hate it when people shoot my guns and do better with them than I do.

While having lunch, she mentioned how much she really liked the Kimber Rimfire Target. When shooting it before, I was using the same ammo and I had the sights adjusted dead-on for the distance we were shooting. The thing that impressed her the most was the feel of the 1911. Perhaps I need to shoot it alongside one of my "target" 22's and see if it lives up to its "Target" name.

It would be interesting if I had a Ruger 22/45 that she could compare to the Kimber.

Summary: the Kimber Rimfire is a good pistol, but I wouldn't pay MSRP for one.

[MLB]

Is that a standard 1911 frame that you could drop a standard .45 slide and barrel on, or is it specific to the .22 version?

[TMan]

No, it is specific for the Rimfire. You could probably put the standard slide and shoot a 45ACP through it, but you would do it only once. It is made of a light weight Aluminum.

Since she was so happy with it, I took it to the range this morning. I was not at all pleased with the accuracy. They specify use of HV ammo, and there weren't any failures, but my groups were all over the place. Me? No, my buddy got the same dismal results. I'm going to clean it and try it with some different ammo because it is no where close to the accuracy of the Rugers or Buckmarks. I'd rank it with the P22 from what I saw today.

I was going to do a little trigger work on it, but that is going to the back burner until I find ammo that works well in it, or it is going to take a trip back to Kimber. Perhaps they call it a "Target" gun because it has Target Sights on it? I can shoot better than that with my PPK/s (22lr version). The only thing worse is the you know what (and it is pretty because it is engraved).