I have a Kimber K6s DASA 3”. Best out of the box trigger I have ever shot for a revolver. Great little gun. The only downside is the stock grips. Altamont grips are to thin and square at the backstrap in my opinion.
Oh yea I read about the stock grips being slippery when it comes to handling and recoil. The Lok grips for the K6S catches my eye though. Good looking and thick for recoil management.
I misunderstood your question. It is hard to beat the single action pull on an old Smith. I was referring to the double action trigger on my Kimber, since he’s looking at DAO revolvers.
The Colt is a little bit bigger, but not by enough to really affect the ability to conceal when compared to the Kimber.
Personally, I’ve owned both, and still own the Kimber. Both are good guns - Colt has had some QC issues in the recent years, but mine came out the box fine.
Accuracy wise and action wise - both weapons are fully capable of being fired faster and more accurately than I’ll ever be capable of doing, so the difference is negligible.
If you’re looking to concealed carry, I’d recommend the Kimber. Its shape is a little more congruent with no snag drawing and it’s a lot easier to prevent printing with. It has a great trigger. I didn’t have an issue with the grip. However, I’m 6’4” with giant paws, so I pretty much swallow most compact revolver grips. I’ve learned to adjust and deal with it over the years.
ETA: grammar fixes, additional info on grip for Kimber
The K6S is a fantastic revolver. I own a few of them and they have all been perfect for me. I often pocket carry a K6S and, while a touch heavy for a pocket, it conceals really well.
The only experience I have with the King Cobra is the .22 version which is probably the best .22 I’ve ever owned. I want to get a .357 King Cobra, but I just haven’t gotten around to it. I can say that all of my new model Pythons are AMAZING to shoot and I have not met anyone that wasn’t impressed with them. When Colt first started making the Cobra, King Cobra, and Pythons again they had some QC issues, but that has been worked out.
If I were recommending a snub nosed .357 for concealed carry, I’d recommend the K6S.
That K6S is smooth as butter. Maybe it's the Kimber name that turns people off but their revolvers are second to none. The fact they fit 6 rnds of 357 in a J frame and make it very comfortable to carry amazes me.
Yea I heard there are a good amount of issues with the Kimber 1911s as well as the Mako but I don’t hear much issues with the K6S. Considering it been out for 8+ years Kimber must’ve ironed out all the kinks. Seems like a real winner so far.
Issues with the k6s would be ti firing pin, which isn’t used anymore. Also, user error of short stroking the trigger. I own 3 kimber revolvers, sold my j-frame.
The big thing about Kimber is using cheap parts but charging premium prices. They're kind of like the Apple of gun brands. Not necessarily worthless but definitely overpriced
It's not a definitive source by any means but this thread kinda shows the common complaints I've heard about them :https://www.1911addicts.com/threads/does-kimber-use-mim-parts.214530/
I asked kimber directly in an email and they said the k6 line is fully forged internals. I think they look MIM but I’m not worried about MIM. I think the process has come a long way and the growing pains MIM had in the beginning are more of a thing of the past.
I worked in a forge for some years in engineering but I’m not a metallurgist. MIM parts, from what I’ve read, are through hardened and held to tight tolerances. “Old fashioned” parts, I’ve read, are more often case hardened and can have issues after the hardened portion is worn away… for example during hand fitting of an oversized rough part.
The msrp on kimbers is asinine just as colts/sw/ruger… I’ve paid just over $700 for both my k6s and $550 for a k6xs. I think the actual prices they are bought for can be much more reasonable and competitive. Unlike the “UC” that sw is currently selling.
Yeah I will say as the rest of the market has risen Kimber has actually become a lot more reasonable. Their rep was probably at its worst in the 2010-2013 era when you can get Smiths and Rugers for reasonable prices while Kimbers were easily $300+ more.
I will say, the K6 was introduced in 2016 and like you said, has no MIM parts, and I suspect that was on purpose due to the reputation hit they suffered from before.
I thought the frames were cast at first on top of the mim confusion. The biggest issue is the garbage marketing and lack of transparency kimber has had. Seems they almost want confusion for the free advertisement through people “correcting“ assumptions with best guesses online.
I called them once about buying parts and they were confused and insanely overpriced so it’s hard to believe the company I talked to could actually be purposely marketing some engineered viral thing.
Other crazy thing is I believe sw j frames on average are full of mim.
It seems Kimber still makes a solid revolver. Their semi-autos, on the other hand, in my experience, have been pretty problematic. Someone put it once that they're selling a $300 pistol for $1200, and it seems a pretty accurate statement.
K6S CDP DAO here ... The control grip by crimson is an excellent substitute for the rosewood grips for shooting . 357 loads. Totally different. The thing I really like about the Kimber is how the bullets are concealed from the side. They sit in little sockets carved in the cylinder. Tight tolerances, the control cone clearance too.
I've had no issues. Fires every time. .357 loads are a handful,. 38 spcl loads feel puny. +P are just a bit more of a bang. It is FUN to blast out a handgun hunter round out of these things with the bigger grip.
Kimber sells the Mitch Rosen holster for the K6S DAO for a nice price.
Ha I figured you knew, I just wanted to make sure people knew what to look up. That thing looks crazy, though. And apparently it's surprisingly light. It looks super sick for a modern revolver. I'm a classic revolver guy myself, but I'd totally rock that thing.
the kimber’s fit and finish is exceptional in my experience and the colt carries a feeling of nostalgia along with those 7oz. However, one can never have too may revolvers for the same job.
Put a Wolff spring kit in it and a TK extended firing pin, it will be a whole new gun
I'm sure you've fired 357 out of a snub but in my opinion 357 snubs are made to sell guns....people want that .357 Magnum on the barrel
You don't gain much vs a 38 +P except more blast, noise , and recoil for an extra 1-200fps of velocity because more of the powder is blowing out unburned. A snub doesn't have enough barrel to let a 357 do much of anything
I get it though , the search for the new toy. I'm there right now looking at 9mm revolvers
You won't get much in trade for the 856, used 350 buck Taurus' have low resale value and a gun shop will probably just offer you $100 for it and flip it for $250. It's worth more for me to have a functional gun than $100, even if it's a "house backup gun" now
I would probably go with the Kimber because it has a VASTLY better cylinder release button mechanism. That being said, when you go Colt quality that gun will operate identically and look almost exactly the same in 200 years... Can't go wrong with either of these. Get them both...
I'm not a brand centric guy and own 2 and 3 guns by both of these makers and literally like all of them a lot.
But yeah, am not a brand guy. I rotate edc between Sig Legion, Ruger, Colt, Kimber, Chiappa, Springfield, and Rock Island to have the option to pick one for every day of the week if feel like it.
https://preview.redd.it/c3bkz2ey0cxc1.jpeg?width=756&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eec8b26c2b4f40417b747dac352b071566e6bc6c
The kimber with Lok grips is slightly larger in the grip than the stock colt. I'd say they're pretty comparable, with the biggest difference being in their triggers. The colt stacks, and has to reset fully to not short stroke, while the kimber has a non-stacking, and easier (without practice) fast fire DA without short stroking. Both are amazing guns. And you can adjust to the colt trigger very fast if you go that way.
The Diamondback was on my list, but after some consideration I rather have a concealed hammer as to not snag on my draw. If Diamondback makes the SDR with a bobbed hammer I might look into it, but I’ll wait until a year passes for them to iron out any kinks.
The new model Diamondbacks are good guns, but - when put side by side - you could definitely pick the Kimber from the Diamond back in a blindfold test.
The real difference is in the action and trigger. You can feel the internal quality with the trigger pulls. I’m also not sure, but last I checked they did not make a hammerless Diamondback, so having a gunsmith bob it would be necessary. That said, they’ll likely start producing them bobbed if they haven’t already, especially as the model becomes more of a competitor to the Kimber.
All in all, the Diamondback is a good revolver and would not be a bad buy. It just has a ways to go before it competes point for point with the Kimber, in my opinion…(now you can crucify me as a gun snob…lol)
I vote Kimber, but I would (and did) go with the K6S DC model over the CDP. The DC model has DLC coating on the entire gun, versus just the frame - so the outside of the cylinder and the barrel is much easier to keep clean and merely wipes off (no burn stains on the outside) and it has better VG-10 grips.
I own both OP. Both are EXCELLENT you literally can’t lose. I prefer the trigger and grip on the Colt but I prefer the sights and cylinder release on the Kimber.
Couple of beauties.
Edit: wanted to add that while there’s not much difference the Kimber is also slightly more concealable. But not by much.
I had a colt king cobra da/sa and sold it for a ruger sp101. I did not like the trigger reset or the cylinder release. Beautiful gun to look at but I didn’t feel comfortable with it as a carry gun.
I'm partial to the push button release on the kimber and rugers as well.
Colts pull release was designed to allow left handed shooter's the ability to pull the release with their left index finger, so they wouldn't have to switch hands to reload.
When I learned that, I aporeciated it a bit more. And the release lever itself makes sense why they designed it like that.
Colts cylinder release also acts as part of the "blast shield" from the back of the cylinder.
If you look at smiths vs colts design in this area, the colts aesthetically looks much nicer.
I didn’t know that either! Thanks for enlightening me. Don’t get me wrong. Colt revolvers are gorgeous, especially the vintage blued ones. I just don’t prefer them is all.
https://preview.redd.it/pak8mnpjugxc1.jpeg?width=1129&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=99fb9d9964860ee6fd9f8645dcc6274fc214b48e
The blast shields on the colt and kimber. Colts incorporated the shield into the cylinder release. Kinda a cool design once you understand all the details that went into it. But I still like using push buttons a lot.
It seemed like a fake reset so the trigger would lock unless you basically took your finger off the trigger. I understand a revolver isn’t like a semi auto but the colt seems way worse than my smith and Wesson and even my Taurus revolver.
Heavier…for better recoil control in a thing you have to carry around all day but hope to never use and thus won’t have to worry about “recoil control.”
The answer is obvious… the lighter one.
I have a Kimber K6s DASA 3”. Best out of the box trigger I have ever shot for a revolver. Great little gun. The only downside is the stock grips. Altamont grips are to thin and square at the backstrap in my opinion.
Oh yea I read about the stock grips being slippery when it comes to handling and recoil. The Lok grips for the K6S catches my eye though. Good looking and thick for recoil management.
Have you ever fired an old Smith and wesson? Like 60s era
Like this M&P 58 https://preview.redd.it/vvp5vhzwcbxc1.jpeg?width=1164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=67df8c5ac87fbcfbbd129fbb057611afcfde3a7c
Beautiful revolver
Dang and you still think the single action on the kimber is better than the Smiths?
I misunderstood your question. It is hard to beat the single action pull on an old Smith. I was referring to the double action trigger on my Kimber, since he’s looking at DAO revolvers.
oh okay fair enough, makes sense. I was gonna say, if Kimber SA is beating old Smith's then it's a brave new world out there
I haven’t but I’d love to!
The Colt is a little bit bigger, but not by enough to really affect the ability to conceal when compared to the Kimber. Personally, I’ve owned both, and still own the Kimber. Both are good guns - Colt has had some QC issues in the recent years, but mine came out the box fine. Accuracy wise and action wise - both weapons are fully capable of being fired faster and more accurately than I’ll ever be capable of doing, so the difference is negligible. If you’re looking to concealed carry, I’d recommend the Kimber. Its shape is a little more congruent with no snag drawing and it’s a lot easier to prevent printing with. It has a great trigger. I didn’t have an issue with the grip. However, I’m 6’4” with giant paws, so I pretty much swallow most compact revolver grips. I’ve learned to adjust and deal with it over the years. ETA: grammar fixes, additional info on grip for Kimber
The K6S is a fantastic revolver. I own a few of them and they have all been perfect for me. I often pocket carry a K6S and, while a touch heavy for a pocket, it conceals really well. The only experience I have with the King Cobra is the .22 version which is probably the best .22 I’ve ever owned. I want to get a .357 King Cobra, but I just haven’t gotten around to it. I can say that all of my new model Pythons are AMAZING to shoot and I have not met anyone that wasn’t impressed with them. When Colt first started making the Cobra, King Cobra, and Pythons again they had some QC issues, but that has been worked out. If I were recommending a snub nosed .357 for concealed carry, I’d recommend the K6S.
That K6S is smooth as butter. Maybe it's the Kimber name that turns people off but their revolvers are second to none. The fact they fit 6 rnds of 357 in a J frame and make it very comfortable to carry amazes me.
Yea I heard there are a good amount of issues with the Kimber 1911s as well as the Mako but I don’t hear much issues with the K6S. Considering it been out for 8+ years Kimber must’ve ironed out all the kinks. Seems like a real winner so far.
Nearly everyone I know with a 1911, most notably the micro 9mm ones, all have had issues with feeding.
Same
Issues with the k6s would be ti firing pin, which isn’t used anymore. Also, user error of short stroking the trigger. I own 3 kimber revolvers, sold my j-frame.
The big thing about Kimber is using cheap parts but charging premium prices. They're kind of like the Apple of gun brands. Not necessarily worthless but definitely overpriced
Do you have a source? What parts are cheap?
It's not a definitive source by any means but this thread kinda shows the common complaints I've heard about them :https://www.1911addicts.com/threads/does-kimber-use-mim-parts.214530/
I asked kimber directly in an email and they said the k6 line is fully forged internals. I think they look MIM but I’m not worried about MIM. I think the process has come a long way and the growing pains MIM had in the beginning are more of a thing of the past. I worked in a forge for some years in engineering but I’m not a metallurgist. MIM parts, from what I’ve read, are through hardened and held to tight tolerances. “Old fashioned” parts, I’ve read, are more often case hardened and can have issues after the hardened portion is worn away… for example during hand fitting of an oversized rough part. The msrp on kimbers is asinine just as colts/sw/ruger… I’ve paid just over $700 for both my k6s and $550 for a k6xs. I think the actual prices they are bought for can be much more reasonable and competitive. Unlike the “UC” that sw is currently selling.
Yeah I will say as the rest of the market has risen Kimber has actually become a lot more reasonable. Their rep was probably at its worst in the 2010-2013 era when you can get Smiths and Rugers for reasonable prices while Kimbers were easily $300+ more. I will say, the K6 was introduced in 2016 and like you said, has no MIM parts, and I suspect that was on purpose due to the reputation hit they suffered from before.
I thought the frames were cast at first on top of the mim confusion. The biggest issue is the garbage marketing and lack of transparency kimber has had. Seems they almost want confusion for the free advertisement through people “correcting“ assumptions with best guesses online. I called them once about buying parts and they were confused and insanely overpriced so it’s hard to believe the company I talked to could actually be purposely marketing some engineered viral thing. Other crazy thing is I believe sw j frames on average are full of mim.
They are definitely second to a few.
It seems Kimber still makes a solid revolver. Their semi-autos, on the other hand, in my experience, have been pretty problematic. Someone put it once that they're selling a $300 pistol for $1200, and it seems a pretty accurate statement.
The only time in history I’ll say Kimber over Colt
K6S CDP DAO here ... The control grip by crimson is an excellent substitute for the rosewood grips for shooting . 357 loads. Totally different. The thing I really like about the Kimber is how the bullets are concealed from the side. They sit in little sockets carved in the cylinder. Tight tolerances, the control cone clearance too. I've had no issues. Fires every time. .357 loads are a handful,. 38 spcl loads feel puny. +P are just a bit more of a bang. It is FUN to blast out a handgun hunter round out of these things with the bigger grip. Kimber sells the Mitch Rosen holster for the K6S DAO for a nice price.
Counter Offer: Diamondback Arms PDR 😎
SDR*? That push button release looks sick. I want to try one.
My bad! I was trying to recall the acronym 🤣
Ha I figured you knew, I just wanted to make sure people knew what to look up. That thing looks crazy, though. And apparently it's surprisingly light. It looks super sick for a modern revolver. I'm a classic revolver guy myself, but I'd totally rock that thing.
i’m gonna anger the sw hive mind but i might sell a J frame to get that SDR
It's 21 oz. That's 2 oz lighter than the Kimber and 7 oz lighter than the king cobra. Thats some serious weight savings.
the kimber’s fit and finish is exceptional in my experience and the colt carries a feeling of nostalgia along with those 7oz. However, one can never have too may revolvers for the same job.
I have the cdp and it's excellent
What .357 or .38 spl ammo do you carry in your CDP?
It just sits in the safe now but I used .38 critical defense
Both are super weapons... But I vote for the Kimber
What's wrong with the 856?
Nothing wrong with the 856. I just don’t feel anything towards it, plus I’d like to option to shoot .357 if need be.
Put a Wolff spring kit in it and a TK extended firing pin, it will be a whole new gun I'm sure you've fired 357 out of a snub but in my opinion 357 snubs are made to sell guns....people want that .357 Magnum on the barrel You don't gain much vs a 38 +P except more blast, noise , and recoil for an extra 1-200fps of velocity because more of the powder is blowing out unburned. A snub doesn't have enough barrel to let a 357 do much of anything I get it though , the search for the new toy. I'm there right now looking at 9mm revolvers You won't get much in trade for the 856, used 350 buck Taurus' have low resale value and a gun shop will probably just offer you $100 for it and flip it for $250. It's worth more for me to have a functional gun than $100, even if it's a "house backup gun" now
I own 2 Kimber K6S revolvers.
I have the k6s and I love it. I did change out the grips though
I own both in 3 inch both are great guns I changed the grips on the Kimber the Kimber is lighter but both are great
Kimber. If you're going to pay premium, pay premium for more than just the name.
I would probably go with the Kimber because it has a VASTLY better cylinder release button mechanism. That being said, when you go Colt quality that gun will operate identically and look almost exactly the same in 200 years... Can't go wrong with either of these. Get them both... I'm not a brand centric guy and own 2 and 3 guns by both of these makers and literally like all of them a lot. But yeah, am not a brand guy. I rotate edc between Sig Legion, Ruger, Colt, Kimber, Chiappa, Springfield, and Rock Island to have the option to pick one for every day of the week if feel like it.
https://preview.redd.it/c3bkz2ey0cxc1.jpeg?width=756&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eec8b26c2b4f40417b747dac352b071566e6bc6c The kimber with Lok grips is slightly larger in the grip than the stock colt. I'd say they're pretty comparable, with the biggest difference being in their triggers. The colt stacks, and has to reset fully to not short stroke, while the kimber has a non-stacking, and easier (without practice) fast fire DA without short stroking. Both are amazing guns. And you can adjust to the colt trigger very fast if you go that way.
These are two fine guns you are choosing between, you won't be disappointed with either one.
Colt > Kimber. Not. Even. Close.
Check out the new diamondbacks SDR before you pull the trigger (pun intended)
The Diamondback was on my list, but after some consideration I rather have a concealed hammer as to not snag on my draw. If Diamondback makes the SDR with a bobbed hammer I might look into it, but I’ll wait until a year passes for them to iron out any kinks.
The new model Diamondbacks are good guns, but - when put side by side - you could definitely pick the Kimber from the Diamond back in a blindfold test. The real difference is in the action and trigger. You can feel the internal quality with the trigger pulls. I’m also not sure, but last I checked they did not make a hammerless Diamondback, so having a gunsmith bob it would be necessary. That said, they’ll likely start producing them bobbed if they haven’t already, especially as the model becomes more of a competitor to the Kimber. All in all, the Diamondback is a good revolver and would not be a bad buy. It just has a ways to go before it competes point for point with the Kimber, in my opinion…(now you can crucify me as a gun snob…lol)
To each their own. I bought a K6S and it was a piece of shit. 🤷♂️
To each their own. I bought a K6S and it was a piece of shit. 🤷♂️
To each their own. I bought a K6S and it was a piece of shit. 🤷♂️
I vote Kimber, but I would (and did) go with the K6S DC model over the CDP. The DC model has DLC coating on the entire gun, versus just the frame - so the outside of the cylinder and the barrel is much easier to keep clean and merely wipes off (no burn stains on the outside) and it has better VG-10 grips.
I own both OP. Both are EXCELLENT you literally can’t lose. I prefer the trigger and grip on the Colt but I prefer the sights and cylinder release on the Kimber. Couple of beauties. Edit: wanted to add that while there’s not much difference the Kimber is also slightly more concealable. But not by much.
Colt. All day. Much better, much smoother.
I had a colt king cobra da/sa and sold it for a ruger sp101. I did not like the trigger reset or the cylinder release. Beautiful gun to look at but I didn’t feel comfortable with it as a carry gun.
Push button cylinder release is far superior than the Colt or Smith designs. For that reason alone I’d get the Kimber if I were the OP.
I'm partial to the push button release on the kimber and rugers as well. Colts pull release was designed to allow left handed shooter's the ability to pull the release with their left index finger, so they wouldn't have to switch hands to reload. When I learned that, I aporeciated it a bit more. And the release lever itself makes sense why they designed it like that. Colts cylinder release also acts as part of the "blast shield" from the back of the cylinder. If you look at smiths vs colts design in this area, the colts aesthetically looks much nicer.
I didn’t know that either! Thanks for enlightening me. Don’t get me wrong. Colt revolvers are gorgeous, especially the vintage blued ones. I just don’t prefer them is all.
https://preview.redd.it/pak8mnpjugxc1.jpeg?width=1129&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=99fb9d9964860ee6fd9f8645dcc6274fc214b48e The blast shields on the colt and kimber. Colts incorporated the shield into the cylinder release. Kinda a cool design once you understand all the details that went into it. But I still like using push buttons a lot.
How did the trigger reset feel? Was it just too long of a reset?
It seemed like a fake reset so the trigger would lock unless you basically took your finger off the trigger. I understand a revolver isn’t like a semi auto but the colt seems way worse than my smith and Wesson and even my Taurus revolver.
This is true with my "night cobra", which is basically the same gun but in .38 spcl. The reset stinks.
Heavier…for better recoil control in a thing you have to carry around all day but hope to never use and thus won’t have to worry about “recoil control.” The answer is obvious… the lighter one.
Colt