Kimber Manufacturing
Encyclopedia
Kimber Manufacturing is an American
company that designs, manufactures, and distributes small arms
such as M1911
pistols, Solo pistols and rifles. The USA Shooting Team, Marines assigned to Special Operations Command
, and the LAPD
SWAT
team use Kimber pistols.
, Oregon
. Jack Warne moved to Oregon in 1968 after Portland-based Omark Industries purchased the Australian firearms manufacturer, Sporting Arms (or SportCo), he founded in Adelaide, South Australia, following World War II
. Even though Jack eventually became president of Omark, he wanted to continue manufacturing, so he founded Kimber with his son, Greg.
Following its founding, Kimber of Oregon, which quickly built a reputation for accurate .22 long rifle
caliber rifles, began to expand its product line and eventually acquired a second manufacturing plant in the nearby Colton
.
In the late 1980s, the company began to struggle after a private stock offering fell short of covering the costs of developing the M89 Big Game Rifle. In 1989, Kimber of Oregon was sold to Oregon timber baron Bruce Engel, who founded WTD Industries, Inc. Engel had difficulty running Kimber and soon the company sought bankruptcy protection. However, Kimber of Oregon's assets were liquidated.
In 1990, several Kimber employees, including Dan Cooper, left to found Cooper Firearms of Montana
.
In the mid-1990s, Greg Warne tried to revive Kimber, but much of Kimber of Oregon's original tooling had ended up in a junkyard north of Portland
. Greg soon found a financial backer in Les Edelman, who owned Nationwide Sports Distributors. The two purchased the original tooling and partnered to found Kimber of America. The company grew quickly, but Edelman forced Warne out after acquiring a majority interest
in the company.
While Edelman was partnering with Greg Warne, he had also invested in Yonkers-based Jerico Precision Manufacturing, which manufactured hand tools and mechanical components for the defense industry, which was adjusting to cuts in defense spending. Edelman decided to connect Jerico Precision's existing infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities and Kimber's reputation and extensive network of dealers to build a line of M1911-style handguns. He eventually moved Kimber's production line to Jerico's facilities in New York, ending Kimber's presence in Oregon.
On 9 December 2004, a federal grand jury
indicted former CFO Denis Shusterman for embezzling $10 million from Kimber Manufacturing and Nationwide Sports Distributors. He was later convicted after pleading guilty, ordered to pay damages and back taxes, and sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
Kimber is planning to expand manufacturing capacity from its 31500 square feet (2,926.4 m²) manufacturing facility in Ridgefield, NJ
(Aero Molding). A proposal to add more space to its Yonkers site had been approved as a "regionally significant project" but Kimber appears to have withdrawn its application following concerns raised by worried neighbors.
Kimber is known for its highly accurate M1911-style pistols, as well as for offering a variety of customization options. Early on, the company introduced the use of metal injection molding
for some parts, such as the thumb safety, which makes them more cost-effective to produce. The adoption of CAD and CAM
technology were a priority due to the tight dimensions and low tolerances involved in producing firearms that are designed to be both accurate and reliable.
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Models available include:
Kimber also makes several long gun
models, including shotgun
s, hunting and tactical rifle
s. Kimber rifles have a reputation for accuracy and quality.
Their basic models are:
caliber pistol is used by the US Shooting Rapid Fire Pistol Team. In 2002, the LAPD chose a slightly modified and specially marked (marked in "LAPD SWAT CUSTOM II") version of the Custom TLE II as the standard issue for its SWAT unit. Several other law enforcement agencies have approved Kimber firearms for on-duty carry by their patrol and SWAT officers. In 2007 a new pistol designed by the LAPD Special Investigation Section was added to the Kimber's line of M1911-pattern pistols. A modified Kimber 1911 was also chosen as the sidearm for Marine Corp forces assigned to Special Operations Command.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company that designs, manufactures, and distributes small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
such as M1911
M1911
The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. John M. Browning designed the firearm which was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985. The M1911 is still carried by some U.S....
pistols, Solo pistols and rifles. The USA Shooting Team, Marines assigned to Special Operations Command
United States Special Operations Command
The United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
, and the LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
SWAT
LAPD Metropolitan Division
The Metropolitan Division of the Los Angeles Police Department is an elite division within the department that is most notable as the unit that operates LAPD's SWAT teams. Captain John N...
team use Kimber pistols.
History
Kimber was founded as "Kimber of Oregon" in 1979 by Greg and Jack Warne in the small town of ClackamasClackamas, Oregon
Clackamas was a census-designated place in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 5,177 at the 2000 census. It is a suburb of Portland, Oregon.It is the location of Camp Withycombe, a military base...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Jack Warne moved to Oregon in 1968 after Portland-based Omark Industries purchased the Australian firearms manufacturer, Sporting Arms (or SportCo), he founded in Adelaide, South Australia, following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Even though Jack eventually became president of Omark, he wanted to continue manufacturing, so he founded Kimber with his son, Greg.
Following its founding, Kimber of Oregon, which quickly built a reputation for accurate .22 long rifle
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
caliber rifles, began to expand its product line and eventually acquired a second manufacturing plant in the nearby Colton
Colton, Oregon
Colton is an unincorporated community located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, on Oregon Route 211. Colton is located between the cities of Estacada and Molalla....
.
In the late 1980s, the company began to struggle after a private stock offering fell short of covering the costs of developing the M89 Big Game Rifle. In 1989, Kimber of Oregon was sold to Oregon timber baron Bruce Engel, who founded WTD Industries, Inc. Engel had difficulty running Kimber and soon the company sought bankruptcy protection. However, Kimber of Oregon's assets were liquidated.
In 1990, several Kimber employees, including Dan Cooper, left to found Cooper Firearms of Montana
Cooper Firearms of Montana
Cooper Firearms of Montana was founded in 1990 by Dan Cooper and two other former Kimber of Oregon employees.-History:Cooper was created to build affordable custom-quality accurate rifles. As they put it "Rifles should shoot as well as they look and vice versa". All Cooper rifles carry an accuracy...
.
In the mid-1990s, Greg Warne tried to revive Kimber, but much of Kimber of Oregon's original tooling had ended up in a junkyard north of Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Greg soon found a financial backer in Les Edelman, who owned Nationwide Sports Distributors. The two purchased the original tooling and partnered to found Kimber of America. The company grew quickly, but Edelman forced Warne out after acquiring a majority interest
Controlling interest
Controlling interest in a corporation means to have control of a large enough block of voting stock shares in a company such that no one stock holder or coalition of stock holders can successfully oppose a motion...
in the company.
While Edelman was partnering with Greg Warne, he had also invested in Yonkers-based Jerico Precision Manufacturing, which manufactured hand tools and mechanical components for the defense industry, which was adjusting to cuts in defense spending. Edelman decided to connect Jerico Precision's existing infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities and Kimber's reputation and extensive network of dealers to build a line of M1911-style handguns. He eventually moved Kimber's production line to Jerico's facilities in New York, ending Kimber's presence in Oregon.
On 9 December 2004, a federal grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
indicted former CFO Denis Shusterman for embezzling $10 million from Kimber Manufacturing and Nationwide Sports Distributors. He was later convicted after pleading guilty, ordered to pay damages and back taxes, and sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
Kimber is planning to expand manufacturing capacity from its 31500 square feet (2,926.4 m²) manufacturing facility in Ridgefield, NJ
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
(Aero Molding). A proposal to add more space to its Yonkers site had been approved as a "regionally significant project" but Kimber appears to have withdrawn its application following concerns raised by worried neighbors.
Pistols
Metal Injection Molding
Metal injection molding is a metalworking process where finely-powdered metal is mixed with a measured amount of binder material to comprise a 'feedstock' capable of being handled by plastic processing equipment through a process known as injection mold forming. The molding process allows...
for some parts, such as the thumb safety, which makes them more cost-effective to produce. The adoption of CAD and CAM
Computer-aided manufacturing
Computer-aided manufacturing is the use of computer software to control machine tools and related machinery in the manufacturing of workpieces. This is not the only definition for CAM, but it is the most common; CAM may also refer to the use of a computer to assist in all operations of a...
technology were a priority due to the tight dimensions and low tolerances involved in producing firearms that are designed to be both accurate and reliable.
- Kimber Custom II FamilyKimber CustomThe Kimber Custom is a model 1911 semi-automatic pistol. It is designed, manufactured, and distributed by Kimber Manufacturing, Inc. in Yonkers, New York.- Overview :...
- Custom IIKimber CustomThe Kimber Custom is a model 1911 semi-automatic pistol. It is designed, manufactured, and distributed by Kimber Manufacturing, Inc. in Yonkers, New York.- Overview :...
- Custom Target II
- Custom TLE II
- Custom TLE II (LG)
- Custom TLE/RL II
- Stainless TLE II
- Stainless TLE/RL II
- Warrior
- Desert Warrior
- Royal II
- Stainless II
- Stainless Target II
- Custom II
- Kimber Gold Match II Family
- Team Match II
- Gold Match II
- Stainless Gold Match II
- Target Match
- Kimber Compact & Pro Carry II Family
- Kimber Eclipse
- Kimber Eclipse Target II
- Kimber Ultra Carry II
- Kimber Tactical II
- Kimber CDP II
- Kimber Covert II
- Kimber Aegis IIKimber AegisThe Kimber Aegis is a series of M1911 pistols chambered in 9mm Luger and made by Kimber Manufacturing. It includes the subcompact Ultra Aegis II, the compact Pro Aegis II, and the full-sized Custom Aegis II....
- Kimber Ten II Family
- Kimber Rimfire Family
- Kimber Crimson Carry Family
- Ultra Crimson Carry II
- Pro Crimson Carry II
- Custom Crimson Carry II
- Various custom models
- Kimber Ultra RCP II — a subcompact 1911 from the company's Custom Shop introduced in 2010; features a sighting trough instead of conventional signts
- Kimber Solo — a micro-compact 9mm pistol introduced in 2011
Rifles
Long gun
The term long gun is used to describe classes of firearm and cannon with longer barrels than other classes. In small arms, a long gun is designed to be fired braced against the shoulder, in contrast to a handgun, while in artillery a long gun would be contrasted with a howitzer or carronade.-Small...
models, including shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
s, hunting and tactical rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s. Kimber rifles have a reputation for accuracy and quality.
Their basic models are:
- Kimber 17 Mach 2 (discontinued)
- Kimber 22 LR (discontinued)
- Model 84S - Short (unreleased)
- Model 84M - Medium
- Model 84L - Long
- Model 8400 - Magnum
PepperBlaster
Non-lethal self-defense tools are also being sold under Kimber's "PepperBlaster" trademark. Kimber PepperBlaster's are highly concentrated irritant high velocity incapacitating non-lethal chemical weapons. Since these non-lethal weapons are effective at ranges where most handgun and knife encounters occur, they could be used to defend against such attacks. They are also useful for hikers in the wild to discourage aggressive animals. These products are also a suitable self-defense weapon for college students and commuters, especially on campuses that prohibit the concealed carry of firearms. Recently, Kimber introduced the PepperBlaster II, a modification of the original designed with an ergonomic grip and sights to enhance aiming.Kimber firearms in use
A modified version of the "Team Match II" .45 ACP.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
caliber pistol is used by the US Shooting Rapid Fire Pistol Team. In 2002, the LAPD chose a slightly modified and specially marked (marked in "LAPD SWAT CUSTOM II") version of the Custom TLE II as the standard issue for its SWAT unit. Several other law enforcement agencies have approved Kimber firearms for on-duty carry by their patrol and SWAT officers. In 2007 a new pistol designed by the LAPD Special Investigation Section was added to the Kimber's line of M1911-pattern pistols. A modified Kimber 1911 was also chosen as the sidearm for Marine Corp forces assigned to Special Operations Command.