Rimfire Target failure to feed

[MacEntyre]

I just purchased a slightly used Kimber Rimfire Target pistol. Yesterday, we took it to the range.

At first, every shot caused a failure to feed. After a good clean and lube, it did a little better, but with frequent failures. When we switch to CCI Velocitors, performance improved. However, even with the Velocitors, I had to push the slide forward the last quarter inch, to get the round completely into the chamber, and enable the gun to fire.

Can anyone suggest what to do to get this fine gun up to spec? It is impressive when it shoots. Four or five times I got it to fire several shots in a row without failures, and it was great!

Thanks for your help!

[Tom in CA]

I have the add on unit - which I think is the same - It works great with 40 grain, high speed rounds from Winchester and CCI Mini Mag. My conversion unit will not reliably feed any of the "Hyper velocity" light weight - high speed stuff like Velocitors.

Remington Golden Bullet (especially) and Federal game shock don't do too well. I haven't tried any of the bargain lead stuff - but guess it would work fine as long as it was 38-40 grain, high speed. With Mini Mag its 100% reliable.

You might visit the Kimber web site (hard to navigate!) and find the contact us page where you can email your technical questions. They answer within a day or two and the answer is from smoeone who actually knows about guns (not some off shore call center) Good luck!

Tom

[MacEntyre]

Dennis from Kimber, who participates in this forum, said to send it to the Custom Shop. They called me yesterday before they even received the gun, and asked how I wanted them to set it up.

I was impressed! Fixing it was not an issue. He wanted to know how I wanted him to optimize it!

I can't wait to get it back to the range.

[Novadesigns]

I had great luck with CCI minimags. The hollowpoint and SWC stuff jams like crazy. First rounds I tried were Rem Golden Bullets and more than half jammed. Almost all of the bullets were extremely loose in the casings--seeing that, I'm not surprised that they would jam. The CCI minimags are ball ammo and the bullets are very solid in the casings.

I've fired over 500 rounds of the stuff without a single jam through my .22 conversion.

[tgt_usa]

Don't give up on it. New, my Rimfire Target was very particular about ammo, feeding reliably only CCI MiniMagsuntil I put ~1,000rds through it. After that it fed CCI Blazers just fine (and shot them more accurately than MiniMags). With >9,000rds through it, it also likes Wolf Match Target very well for both feed reliability and accuracy. But now, just as I was beginning to think it would last forever, I've worn out the recoil spring.

[MacEntyre]

The Custom Shop installed a new barrel and polished the barrel chamber, test fired it, and shipped it back... all at their expense. It shoots much better!

They sure do stand behind their product!

- MacEntyre

[bearboy]

I am having a slightly different problem with my kimber .22 .when i have a ftfeed it is almost always the 2nd round in the clip and the round is not touched by the slide.all i do is cycle the action and the round is chambered.it behaves just like a magazine not fully inserted.it happens with kimber mag and aftermarket mag. any ideas?

[MacEntyre]

The other change I made is to use only CCI MiniMag ammo, and no hollow points.

Maybe after it gets broken in it will like other stuff, but for now that's all I use, and failures are one in three hundred. (My kids and I have shot it a lot lately!)

- MacEntyre

[WmLozier]

Just to add my own experience I have recieved my Rimfire Target, took six months. And I am going through the pickey ammo break in period. Tried first off the Federal Target rounds, wouldn't feed wouldn't eject. Figgered that the rounds were too low powered. Checked the Kimber webs sight and they recomended High Velocity, tried Thunderbolts first round slide came back and stuck!! Tossed em. Next I tried CCI Green Tags about a hundred and fifty rounds, slide sticks, failue to feed, failure to eject, ect. I will try the MiniMags next.

[bearboy]

Like a lot of other problems i often overlook the obvious.I have been shooting the Kimber about every night 100 to 200 rds in the shop.Kimber suggested a new recoil spring so i thought i would look at it.I couldn't believe how dirty i had let that gun get maybe 1000 rds. cleaned it and didn't have a problem till about 300 to 400 rds.then the f to feed.I use nothing but remington golden bullets $8.69 per 500 at walmart.they sem to leave lots of residue.Perhaps your Kimber will smooth up with enough firing,mine didn't do well at all until about 1000 rds and will still malfunction when dirty . Try some Remington and see if you have similar results and good luck

[MacEntyre]

I've been shooting Aguila Super Max with great results.

For cheap ammo, I have had good results with Federal Champion.

- MacEntyre