Whenever a manufacturer releases a new firearm, I wait for a year or two before purchasing one. This is to ensure that any problems with the firearm have been resolved.
I had the same problem with my K6XS. Literally just brought it home today and discovered the same gap issue with the side plate. Kimber was great over the phone and I'll be shipping it back to them this week. The point of this is, however, that without your video I wouldn't have thought to even look for the issue. A hearty thanks to you for putting it on my radar.
My K6xs does not have those issues. It did have an extractor star alignment issue. However, Kimber was excellent in getting that fixed. It took only 10 business days and they had it back to me properly functioning. Aside from that, this revolver is awesome to shoot.
This gun has the second biggest trigger guard I have found on a stubby ( colt Cobra biggest) - I'm looking for a chest carry on my motorcycle and have gloves.
Sorry to hear that. I have been researching the K6XS and believe you were just unlucky along with a few others. I picked one up today and it and the counter/display revolvers were what you wanted to buy in the first place. Trigger is very good along with fit and finish. Companies just seem to have a few problems post covid. Some nickel plated defensive ammo is being shipped with brass and no nickel. Seems there are supplier problems for nickel. Also, seen where some of the K6s have titanium firing pins and a few are breaking. Kimber is replacing with steel. I hope they ran out of the titanium ones and all are steel. TK Customs makes a steel firing pin replacement for competition etc. or call Kimber?? I have seen glowing reviews. Go for it and get another one. Its the only J-frame size 6 shot 38+P special tahts American Made. Its so light and fits nicely in the pocket with a pocket holster. Completely hidden. No different then walking around with a cell phone in the pocket. On a belt most any carry revolver works. Edit: I sent Kimber an Email about the firing pins and breakage. The titanium firing pins were replaced with SS during the first year of production on the K6s models. The K6XS has SS firing pins. If you are using your revolver for self-defense, Check after cleaning or dry firing with snap caps that the firing pin is in good shape and not broken. This applies to all handguns.
I made the mistake or ordering one of these. I wanted a light weight snub revolver to everyday carry. I liked it's 6 shot capacity and the grip it comes with. Mine ended up being junk. The cylinder would shift/cant when the cylinder release button was pushed. The ejector rod was sloppy, the ejector rod star was loose fitting. Sometimes the trigger would bind up when being dry fired and sometimes a strange (crunchy) sound could be heard when the revolver was being dry fired. The revolver had machine/tool marks on the blast shield and the side plate was poorly fitted. The fit and finish was rough. Definitely poor quality control on Kimber's part. I had high hopes for it but ended up getting rid of it.
I forgot a couple other items. I seen another youtuber who demonstrated how to completely disassemble and put back together. Thank you. The internals look just like a S&W. Also, Kimber just didn't copy the K6 frame, cylinder, etc, The K6XS has its own spec smaller cylinder (shorter) and frame. This cost them to make new molds and engineering. Also, the price is competitive with the other manufacture's.
I'm assuming Kimber sent you a pre-paid return label to return for repair or replacement? I have an older K6S and the cylinder screw backed out under recoil, probably could have fixed with Loctite but they paid shipping and sorted it out without question. Granted that was when they were in NY, things may have changed. It took them 2 years to finally release the K6xs and the Nightfall models vaporware advertised for 2 years have now disappeared from their 24 online catalog. May indicate problems on the home front.
I don’t think I have the issues you mentioned with mine. I did notice a white substance where the barrel meets the frame - glue? - and wiped it away. I haven’t seen anything else but still need to test fire. Thanks for the video. Update: After some research, I think the white substance I encountered was likely white gun grease, as that is what they use for the internal mechanism as well.
So this is my first revolver and I didn’t notice the gap until I saw this video. I also have a tiny amount of the play on the cylinder, again I never owned a revolver so idk if it’s normal or not. One frustrating thing I have had is the plunger or whatever it’s called to push the rounds out sometimes twists and it gets stuck and misaligned and I have to pop it out once or twice to get it to line up again to reload. Even after cleaning and lubing the cylinder and plunger it still does it. Should I contact Kimber? Are they fixing these issues? As you know this wasn’t a cheap revolver. I love the feel and look and it shoots very nice, I just pop it in my pocket when I’m walking the dog. Also, is there a speed loader for it? When I search all I find is speed loaders for the k6s. Thanks for the video!
Yeah I really wanted to like this one, in fact I do like this one. For the price tag though that kind of slammed together quality just shouldn’t be. I may try to track down a good one down the road, but others have mentioned the the same fitment issues so I don’t know.
Mine has same issues,and more , chattering marks in the lands and groves in the barrels rifling and loose tollarance with the ejector rod causing it to not extract shells with barrel pionted down . called kimber and they emailed me a shipping label fedex and its off to them this am . Will update when i get it back , they said approximately 2 weeks .i will update here when its returned
I purchased one a couple of months ago, and upon further inspection, thanks to your video, mine appears to have the same issue. Just sent an email off to Kimber. We’ll see what happens. Thanks for your video and due diligence.
I'll stick with j frame. I get they have QC issues as well, but smith can and will correct it for free which while inconvienent usually only happens 1 time then good for life
Post Script, researched K6S issues on Goggle, there are reddit users who advised that the side plate was not correctly installed by the OM and to remove and reisntall it yourself by viewing how to videos here on youtube.. Will inspect my own to verify.
May I ask what was the outcome of the conversation with kimber? Are they willing to help resolve your concerns and issues. Sorry you are haven’t issues with her, they are premium firearms and hopefully they can do something to make you whole
QUESTION: When Kimber confirmed to you that your K6XS was out of spec, did they offer to replace it ?? If not, why not? If yes, was the replacement any better?
They offered to have it sent in for repair, I did some research and decided to cut my losses and returned to to were I had got it from. I was lucky enough to have got it from one of the few places that took returns.
Even 'Gucci' companies like Kimber can have hiccups in manufacturing and quality control...stuff happens. I find what separates the true hi-end companies from the rest of the pack is how their customer service deals with these situations as they arise. So my question to you is, once you pointed your concerns out to them and they acknowledged that your product was "out of spec," what did they do about it?...what attempt did they make to make things right and keep you as a happy customer?
Not really I believe there’s a website, called handgun hero that shows you a side-by-side comparison, but holding in my hand, it’s only slightly bigger than a J frame
I worked in 3 Gunshops over several years and was able to see alot of firearms. I really think that Kimber is overrated. It's sad when companies like S&W, Colt, Kimber, etc, let their QC slip and guns like this example get through to the customer
It is sad, I’ve slowly been realizing that a lot of long standing American firearm companies have really let themselves go and it’s really a gamble on what you are gonna get from one of them.
There;s a internet rumor that you are one year older as of yesterday. Congrats on finding a woman that is worth more that most people know. Your a lucky man Mr Eric,
WARNING! Many years ago, I purchased a Kimber K6s and it was one of those that ended up with a broken firing-pin. I returned it to Kimber and they replaced the pin. Recently I bought a Kimber K6xs and loved it until after 120 rounds of +p (and only dry-firing it using snap-caps) you guessed it, the firing-pin broke. Now, I was worried about using my original K6s with that pin Kimber replaced. I found a website (TK Custom) that makes upgraded replacement firing-pins for the Kimber K6s and purchased a replacement pin and had it installed by a gunsmith. I now have that gun working fine and stopped worrying on the reliability factor. Because of the broken pin in the K6xs, I will be returning to purchase another pin (I will not be returning the gun to Kimber) for the K6xs. I am not the only person with a broken firing-pin on my new K6xs, there is another firing-pin break with a K6xs talked about at Buds Guns in the “community” section. I feel safer buying a new well-made pin and paying a gunsmith to put it in.
OK...but u described the Kimber as a premium model, so an equivalent premium J frame model with upgraded sights would be a better comparison. A DAO like the 640 Pro or the Smith & Wesson Ultimate Carry would be 2 examples
Whenever a manufacturer releases a new firearm, I wait for a year or two before purchasing one. This is to ensure that any problems with the firearm have been resolved.
Same goes with automobiles !
I had the same problem with my K6XS. Literally just brought it home today and discovered the same gap issue with the side plate. Kimber was great over the phone and I'll be shipping it back to them this week. The point of this is, however, that without your video I wouldn't have thought to even look for the issue. A hearty thanks to you for putting it on my radar.
Glad my video was able to help and also glad to hear that Kimber is going to fix it for you.
You bring up good points. Thanks for the content.
Glad you enjoyed it.
My K6xs does not have those issues. It did have an extractor star alignment issue. However, Kimber was excellent in getting that fixed. It took only 10 business days and they had it back to me properly functioning. Aside from that, this revolver is awesome to shoot.
I currently own a K6s. I’m planning on purchasing a K6sx. I’ll certainly give it a thorough peruse first. Thanks for the heads up. Cheers!
Don’t do it lol trust me 😢sold mine already
Depth of the gutter matters as some are way to shallow and some are deep enough to be very useful.
I have one, low serial number. I dont have that wheel play issue. Mine has been great.
They all have the slight ridge, Your gap is a little larger but the ridge is normal.
This gun has the second biggest trigger guard I have found on a stubby ( colt Cobra biggest) - I'm looking for a chest carry on my motorcycle and have gloves.
Sorry to hear that. I have been researching the K6XS and believe you were just unlucky along with a few others. I picked one up today and it and the counter/display revolvers were what you wanted to buy in the first place. Trigger is very good along with fit and finish. Companies just seem to have a few problems post covid. Some nickel plated defensive ammo is being shipped with brass and no nickel. Seems there are supplier problems for nickel. Also, seen where some of the K6s have titanium firing pins and a few are breaking. Kimber is replacing with steel. I hope they ran out of the titanium ones and all are steel. TK Customs makes a steel firing pin replacement for competition etc. or call Kimber?? I have seen glowing reviews. Go for it and get another one. Its the only J-frame size 6 shot 38+P special tahts American Made. Its so light and fits nicely in the pocket with a pocket holster. Completely hidden. No different then walking around with a cell phone in the pocket. On a belt most any carry revolver works.
Edit: I sent Kimber an Email about the firing pins and breakage. The titanium firing pins were replaced with SS during the first year of production on the K6s models. The K6XS has SS firing pins. If you are using your revolver for self-defense, Check after cleaning or dry firing with snap caps that the firing pin is in good shape and not broken. This applies to all handguns.
I made the mistake or ordering one of these. I wanted a light weight snub revolver to everyday carry. I liked it's 6 shot capacity and the grip it comes with. Mine ended up being junk. The cylinder would shift/cant when the cylinder release button was pushed. The ejector rod was sloppy, the ejector rod star was loose fitting. Sometimes the trigger would bind up when being dry fired and sometimes a strange (crunchy) sound could be heard when the revolver was being dry fired. The revolver had machine/tool marks on the blast shield and the side plate was poorly fitted. The fit and finish was rough. Definitely poor quality control on Kimber's part. I had high hopes for it but ended up getting rid of it.
Great video man you still carry that 329 I carry it everyday I'm going to miss it when I go back to work
I still carry it sometimes, right now I have been carrying my high power and king cobra mostly so I can do reviews on some stuff.
I forgot a couple other items. I seen another youtuber who demonstrated how to completely disassemble and put back together. Thank you. The internals look just like a S&W. Also, Kimber just didn't copy the K6 frame, cylinder, etc, The K6XS has its own spec smaller cylinder (shorter) and frame. This cost them to make new molds and engineering. Also, the price is competitive with the other manufacture's.
I'm assuming Kimber sent you a pre-paid return label to return for repair or replacement? I have an older K6S and the cylinder screw backed out under recoil, probably could have fixed with Loctite but they paid shipping and sorted it out without question. Granted that was when they were in NY, things may have changed. It took them 2 years to finally release the K6xs and the Nightfall models vaporware advertised for 2 years have now disappeared from their 24 online catalog. May indicate problems on the home front.
They offered to after telling me it was out of spec, but I ended up returning the gun instead to avoid the headache
I don’t think I have the issues you mentioned with mine. I did notice a white substance where the barrel meets the frame - glue? - and wiped it away. I haven’t seen anything else but still need to test fire. Thanks for the video.
Update: After some research, I think the white substance I encountered was likely white gun grease, as that is what they use for the internal mechanism as well.
White substance check with Hunter B.
So this is my first revolver and I didn’t notice the gap until I saw this video. I also have a tiny amount of the play on the cylinder, again I never owned a revolver so idk if it’s normal or not. One frustrating thing I have had is the plunger or whatever it’s called to push the rounds out sometimes twists and it gets stuck and misaligned and I have to pop it out once or twice to get it to line up again to reload. Even after cleaning and lubing the cylinder and plunger it still does it.
Should I contact Kimber? Are they fixing these issues? As you know this wasn’t a cheap revolver. I love the feel and look and it shoots very nice, I just pop it in my pocket when I’m walking the dog.
Also, is there a speed loader for it? When I search all I find is speed loaders for the k6s.
Thanks for the video!
I know how much you wanted that to work, sorry it didn’t work out. Good work
Yeah I really wanted to like this one, in fact I do like this one. For the price tag though that kind of slammed together quality just shouldn’t be. I may try to track down a good one down the road, but others have mentioned the the same fitment issues so I don’t know.
Mine has same issues,and more , chattering marks in the lands and groves in the barrels rifling and loose tollarance with the ejector rod causing it to not extract shells with barrel pionted down . called kimber and they emailed me a shipping label fedex and its off to them this am . Will update when i get it back , they said approximately 2 weeks .i will update here when its returned
I’ll be curious to hear if they end up fixing all the issues sorry to hear you got a bad one.
Thanks for the update, and sorry to hear they soiled the bed on repairing it. They are starting to remind me of S&W QC.
I purchased one a couple of months ago, and upon further inspection, thanks to your video, mine appears to have the same issue. Just sent an email off to Kimber. We’ll see what happens. Thanks for your video and due diligence.
Hope they fix it for you, they seemed to admit right away that mine was out of spec so they should fix it for you no problem.
I'll stick with j frame. I get they have QC issues as well, but smith can and will correct it for free which while inconvienent usually only happens 1 time then good for life
I’ve owned several j frames in the last 24 years. Never once had a problem with any of them.
Side plate and cylinder play issue are likely symptoms of the same problem.
Post Script, researched K6S issues on Goggle, there are reddit users who advised that the side plate was not correctly installed by the OM and to remove and reisntall it yourself by viewing how to videos here on youtube.. Will inspect my own to verify.
May I ask what was the outcome of the conversation with kimber? Are they willing to help resolve your concerns and issues. Sorry you are haven’t issues with her, they are premium firearms and hopefully they can do something to make you whole
QUESTION: When Kimber confirmed to you that your K6XS was out of spec, did they offer to replace it ?? If not, why not? If yes, was the replacement any better?
They offered to have it sent in for repair, I did some research and decided to cut my losses and returned to to were I had got it from. I was lucky enough to have got it from one of the few places that took returns.
I hope kimber uses a better finish than that cheap watercolor finish Smith and Wesson uses on their J frames.
Even 'Gucci' companies like Kimber can have hiccups in manufacturing and quality control...stuff happens. I find what separates the true hi-end companies from the rest of the pack is how their customer service deals with these situations as they arise. So my question to you is, once you pointed your concerns out to them and they acknowledged that your product was "out of spec," what did they do about it?...what attempt did they make to make things right and keep you as a happy customer?
Yea sold mine and got a Glock 30 gen 5 😅
The kimber k6xs is considerably larger than the Smith & Wesson J frame snub nose.
Not really I believe there’s a website, called handgun hero that shows you a side-by-side comparison, but holding in my hand, it’s only slightly bigger than a J frame
I worked in 3 Gunshops over several years and was able to see alot of firearms. I really think that Kimber is overrated. It's sad when companies like S&W, Colt, Kimber, etc, let their QC slip and guns like this example get through to the customer
It is sad, I’ve slowly been realizing that a lot of long standing American firearm companies have really let themselves go and it’s really a gamble on what you are gonna get from one of them.
There;s a internet rumor that you are one year older as of yesterday. Congrats on finding a woman that is worth more that most people know. Your a lucky man Mr Eric,
WARNING! Many years ago, I purchased a Kimber K6s and it was one of those that ended up with a broken firing-pin. I returned it to Kimber and they replaced the pin. Recently I bought a Kimber K6xs and loved it until after 120 rounds of +p (and only dry-firing it using snap-caps) you guessed it, the firing-pin broke.
Now, I was worried about using my original K6s with that pin Kimber replaced. I found a website (TK Custom) that makes upgraded replacement firing-pins for the Kimber K6s and purchased a replacement pin and had it installed by a gunsmith. I now have that gun working fine and stopped worrying on the reliability factor.
Because of the broken pin in the K6xs, I will be returning to purchase another pin (I will not be returning the gun to Kimber) for the K6xs. I am not the only person with a broken firing-pin on my new K6xs, there is another firing-pin break with a K6xs talked about at Buds Guns in the “community” section. I feel safer buying a new well-made pin and paying a gunsmith to put it in.
Better sights? The S&W 640 Pro in .357 has much better sights than the Kimber, as the 640 has adjustable night sights instead of a fixed rear notch.
Of course I’m referring to your infinitely more common gutter sided J-frame rather than special editions/models with upgraded components.
OK...but u described the Kimber as a premium model, so an equivalent premium J frame model with upgraded sights would be a better comparison. A DAO like the 640 Pro or the Smith & Wesson Ultimate Carry would be 2 examples
Adjustable sights for a snub nose....😂😂😂
Kimber making trash guns???? Nooooooo