Kimber .357 Magnum Revolver

[Bonz]

I can't wait see this .357 magnum snubby from Kimber

http://www.kimberamerica.com/k6-stainless

https://youtu.be/WqisJMYeluM

[straightwall]

Kind of expensive for that 1 additional shot over my SP101 EDC, but looks like a very nice gun.

[reed1911]

Heavy trigger... looks okay...

[fecmech]

They don't give the weight. If it's light like the lightweight S&W was it will make a great bullet puller and everyone will be shooting +P .38's.

[straightwall]

They don't give the weight. If it's light like the lightweight S&W was it will make a great bullet puller and everyone will be shooting +P .38's.

Somewhere, maybe TTAG, I saw the weight listed at 25 or 26 ounces empty.

[buckwheatpaul]

Great looking pistol....only paid $150.00 for my 2-1/2" S&W 66....that was wayyyyy back though....

[cuzinbruce]

Looks nice. I have an SW 640 in stainless. Don't really want one much lighter than that. SW had one in scandium (?) or something. Too light IMO. One extra shot. If that matters. I think I will hold on to the 640. But it looks nice. Especially since SW junked up their guns with MIM parts, locks, etc.

[Bonz]

I carry my Ruger LCR 357 once in a while. It only weighs 17 oz empty so its great to carry but it really sucks getting some range time in with it.

[straightwall]

Great looking pistol....only paid $150.00 for my 2-1/2" S&W 66....that was wayyyyy back though....

$150 in 1970 equals $916.30 in 2015.

http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=150.00&year1=1970&year2=2015
[emoji33]

[buckwheatpaul]

straightwall, I guess I made a great buy.....only made $720/mo when I started on a large p.d. in 1974.

[straightwall]

Yes, you did! [emoji3]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160121/b852ef9c9f390be4be1b7816194412fc.jpg

[str8wal]

oh, meh

[imashooter2]

A 23 ounce all steel 6 shot with a significantly lighter factory DA pull than the competition... I'm a dyed in the wool S&W guy, but it does look interesting.

[imashooter2]

Looks nice. I have an SW 640 in stainless. Don't really want one much lighter than that. SW had one in scandium (?) or something. Too light IMO. One extra shot. If that matters. I think I will hold on to the 640. But it looks nice. Especially since SW junked up their guns with MIM parts, locks, etc.

My 360 weighs 11.8 ounces empty. .357s kill on both ends. I carry Speer 130 grain .38 +P short barrel in it. Love the weight for carry. It disappears in my pocket.

[Windwalker 45acp]

My 360 weighs 11.8 ounces empty. .357s kill on both ends. I carry Speer 130 grain .38 +P short barrel in it. Love the weight for carry. It disappears in my pocket.

Agreed.
I bought my wife the S&W 337 Ti when it first came out.... what? 20 years ago??
Dunno, it's been awhile. Anyway, 5 shot .38spcl +P for 11 ounces even.
You could carry two of 337 Ti's and still been under weight of the Kimber...

Not bashing it, as it looks interesting, just trying hard to understand what exactly makes this "Revolutionary?"

[imashooter2]

Agreed.
I bought my wife the S&W 337 Ti when it first came out.... what? 20 years ago??
Dunno, it's been awhile. Anyway, 5 shot .38spcl +P for 11 ounces even.
You could carry two of 337 Ti's and still been under weight of the Kimber...

Not bashing it, as it looks interesting, just trying hard to understand what exactly makes this "Revolutionary?"

LOL! Some MBA from Marketing makes it "revolutionary." Still, the DA pull is lighter and the cylinder diameter is smaller. Those would both be good things in a carry revolver. I'd certainly have to check the ergonomics before I retired my Smiths...

[Windwalker 45acp]

LOL! Some MBA from Marketing makes it "revolutionary." Still, the DA pull is lighter and the cylinder diameter is smaller. Those would both be good things in a carry revolver. I'd certainly have to check the ergonomics before I retired my Smiths...

The shape of the cylinder and the overall thinness is what interests me of the design.

[mcdaniel.mac]

The only reasons I'd buy a .357 snubby would be the extra mass to help drop the recoil. I've shot scandium-frame snubbies with .38 +P and that was less than fun. I could see loading .38 equivalent in .357 cases, but not full house magnums.

[Mica_Hiebert]

Dao kills it for me. I like hammers even on my Cary gun.

[marlin39a]

I still love revolvers, but have no interest in the new Kimber. Like a used car salesman would say " there's a seat for every behind"

[winelover]

Kimber's site list the weight at 23 ounces...that's 6 ounces heavier than my Ruger LCR or 8 ounces heavier than a S&W 642..... and believe me I notice the 2 ounce difference when carrying the heavier LCR. The S&W model 60 weighs just under 23 ounces and mine never gets carried, farther than the backyard range. YMMV

Winelover

[Blackwater]

Looks real nice, and Kimber certainly has a reputation for quality, so I'm betting it'll be a good gun. In full house .357, I wouldn't personally want a gun any lighter. .38's can be, but a fully loaded .357 is much more definitive, and needs to weigh more. IMO, it'd make a great gun for wintertime coat pocket carry, with its totally concealed hammer and revolving cylinder (autos don't function well inside pockets - the slide gets stopped and the gun jams). It could, in a self defense situation, be good to shoot right through the coat pocket. No draw is the fastest there is. If I went to Savannah in the wintertime cold, and was walking some of the downtown streets, I'd feel very comfortable carrying one, I think. All handguns need to fit the individual's hands and trigger reach varys quite a bit from hand to hand, but grips can fit themselves to most near avg. sized hands. I suspect the trigger will be easily tuned and honed to a lighter pull wt., but for pocket carry, I'd not want it all that light. Just nice and smooth and consistent, really.

With S&W's business practices being what they are, and Dan Wessons having that shorter DA trigger pull, and all others being rather panable from various perspectives, it'll be good to have a Kimber as another option. Hope they make a light, 6-shot .357, similar to the M-19 S&W's. I'd be very likely to get one of those, especially if it was suitable for cast. I've heard the .460 & .500 S&W's don't do well with cast, but I suspect that'll be worked out ... maybe?

I love my little Lwt. Compact .45 Kimber. I'll never own a 5 shot .38 again! It's flatter, and just as controllable as a +P .38 5-shot, has more capacity (7 shots) and a whole lot more reliable stopping power than any .38. This gun has been a true revelation to me. Nice to see another revolver maker getting in the business!

[imashooter2]

Kimber's site list the weight at 23 ounces...that's 6 ounces heavier than my Ruger LCR or 8 ounces heavier than a S&W 642..... and believe me I notice the 2 ounce difference when carrying the heavier LCR. The S&W model 60 weighs just under 23 ounces and mine never gets carried, farther than the backyard range. YMMV

Winelover

But which one of those is 6 shots?

[rockrat]

I don't think I would call a 9.5-10.5 trigger pull as "match grade", but thats just my opinion

[imashooter2]

I don't think I would call a 9.5-10.5 trigger pull as "match grade", but thats just my opinion

My guns tuned for Federal primer reloads are considerably lighter, but that's low for a factory DA pull.

[winelover]

But which one of those is 6 shots?

None, all it takes is one shot.....two if you double tap. Most of the time, my five shooters are loaded with "snake shot" for the first shot and I don't feel a bit handicapped. When I leave my property, I just rotate cylinder so it becomes the last. My carry guns are for defense, not offense. All are laser equipped...which, ideally, keeps me from pulling the trigger.

Winelover

[sghart3578]

As a revolver guy, I see this gun as an answer in search of a question.

I am a died-in-the-wool S&W guy, but I really like my new Charter Arms Bulldog.

Maybe I'll try the Kimber when they start showing up in the used gun section.

[jmort]

I am with Winelover on this. Every ounce seems to count for me. My 17 ounce .357 LCR is right at the sweet spot. One of the reasons I dumped my 27 ounce SP101 .357, too heavy. I also like my 17 ounce LC9s Pro. A large meplat on a 135 to 160 grain bullet at around 1,000 fps will shoot through a goblin and the recoil in the light gun is more than manageable.

[imashooter2]

If weight is the only criterion, then the LCR is a boat anchor next to an NAA mini. You have to compare equivalent platforms. 23 ounces is pretty light for a 6 shot gun.

[Windwalker 45acp]

You have to compare equivalent platforms. 23 ounces is pretty light for a 6 shot gun.

Compared to a 8 shot S&W M327... 2 more rounds with 2 lesser ounces than the Kimber, why would one bother with the Kimber?

[Petrol & Powder]

As a revolver guy, I see this gun as an answer in search of a question.........

.

Took the words out of my mouth.
In the universe of snubnose SD revolvers I see the S&W airweight J-frames at the low end in terms of size/weight. Then you have the Colt Detective Specials and Ruger SP101's in the middle and the S&W 2" K-frames at the upper end of size/weight. The Kimber looks like it will fall into the SP101 territory with the only big selling point being its 6 round cylinder chambered in .357 mag.

While I welcome innovation in the world of firearms this looks like an SP101 with an extra round and maybe a slightly shorter frame?

.357 Magnum does nothing for me when it comes to the super small DA revolvers. A 2 1/2" barreled S&W model 19 or 66 is about as small as I want to go with .357 magnum. A five shot SP101 in .357 mag is available and that little anvil is strong enough to take it. However in terms of overall size and weight, I'm not sure what you are gaining at that point? Ruger shows their SP101 DAO in .357mag at 7.20" overall and 25 ounces. That is with a 2.25" barrel.
One more round and a slightly shorter barrel & therefore shorter overall length just isn't selling the Kimber for me.

[imashooter2]

Compared to a 8 shot S&W M327... 2 more rounds with 2 lesser ounces than the Kimber, why would one bother with the Kimber?

Because they aren't equivalent platforms. The 327 is considerably larger. Not everyone has the same needs. A 23 ounce compact 6 shot with a fairly light factory DA pull has a niche.

[Petrol & Powder]

Dao kills it for me. I like hammers even on my Cary gun.

DAO made it look better in my eyes until I saw that $900 price tag :o !!

A hammer spur is the last thing I want on a snubnose.

[sghart3578]

Why no love for Charter Arms? I just bought my first and I am impressed.

I am a S&W guy, there are several M28's in my safe. But for the money 5 rounds of 44 Spl has to count for something.

[mcdaniel.mac]

Why no love for Charter Arms? I just bought my first and I am impressed.

I am a S&W guy, there are several M28's in my safe. But for the money 5 rounds of 44 Spl has to count for something.
I had an 80s Bulldog that was okay for what it was. I don't see a lot of longterm reviews of them. I know they went through a period of Taurus-like issues with manufacture and CS, but not much beyond that. Keep us updated on yours, it may just be that the bad PR scared everyone away.

[Butzbach]

A 23 ounce all steel 6 shot with a significantly lighter factory DA pull than the competition... I'm a dyed in the wool S&W guy, but it does look interesting.

It would be a Grand Slam if it took an HKS 10-A speed loader like a K Frame Smith and Wesson. (As a Detective Special does).One way to look at the new Kimber is that it is less than half the cost ($1,800-$2,000) of a Colt Detective Special Magnum Carry.

[Butzbach]

Why no love for Charter Arms? I just bought my first and I am impressed.

I am a S&W guy, there are several M28's in my safe. But for the money 5 rounds of 44 Spl has to count for something.

In my experience it counted for painful shooting. I can't think of another gun that feels so good in the hand and is so painful to shoot. Each shot is like catching a hardball bare handed.

[Butzbach]

Because they aren't equivalent platforms. The 327 is considerably larger. Not everyone has the same needs. A 23 ounce compact 6 shot with a fairly light factory DA pull has a niche.

There is one equivalent but the price is even worse and you would have to grit you teeth while bobbing the hammer on a $2,000 Colt. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NSEtPIJMpyA

[imashooter2]

There is one equivalent but the price is even worse and you would have to grit you teeth while bobbing the hammer on a $2,000 Colt. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NSEtPIJMpyA

Exactly. With the Dick Special long out of production and S&W not currently offering any short barreled K frames, Kimber sees a hole in the market. Time will tell if they are right.

[pmer]

Its $899.99 MSRP in todays dollars would about $235.00 in 1974.

[Windwalker 45acp]

Because they aren't equivalent platforms. The 327 is considerably larger. Not everyone has the same needs. A 23 ounce compact 6 shot with a fairly light factory DA pull has a niche.

I was just going by your previous comment on "If Weight is the only Criterion."

Now you've added a size variable.... ok. It just seems to me that the so called "niche" that Kimber's trying to fit in is becoming increasingly smaller by the day, but hey, whatever floats your boat.

It will be interesting to see how well/poorly it does, and I think it's success or failure is going to solely rely on their marketing/propaganda, of which they've been masterful in the past, because as I see it, they are entering a pretty well stocked field of already proven revolver manufacturers that has already beaten them to the "revolution" with similar or better products.

[imashooter2]

Plenty of folks bought the Dick Special because it had one more shot than a J frame and was more compact than a K frame. It remains to be seen if that market is big enough to support Kimber's new gun.

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm sure Kimber will sell some simply because they are in the display case. Sometimes that's all it takes. However that price tag will put the brakes on those impulse buys quickly.
Kimber may have hit upon a niche market but I think it's a very small niche. There aren't that many younger shooters that will look at a selection of small semi-autos that sell for less than 1/2 of the Kimber that will buy the Kimber. Conversely, older shooters that prefer revolvers are going to be less impressed by that 1 additional round and probably already own a gun in that class. There will be a few that buy it because it may fill that gap between a 5 shot J-frame and a 6 shot K-frame but when you get right down to it - it appears to be a really expensive 6 shot SP-101.
Back in the days of the Detective Special there was that option if you wanted something in that middle ground but I question if the 6 round capability was the attraction to the Detective Special (Cobras & Agent's included). The Detective Special was a little easier to shoot than a J-frame, particularly if you have big hands. If your primary gun was a Police Positive Special you could use the same speed loader with a Detective Special. The Colt name itself had a big draw; there was a lot of brand loyalty.

While I'm happy to see innovation, even if that innovation isn't particularly revolutionary, I fail to see what the Kimber offers that earns that $900 price tag.

[Petrol & Powder]

BTW, I measured the width of the cylinder of an SP101 and it is 1.351" . Kimber's specs show the width of the K6S as 1.39".

[Windwalker 45acp]

BTW, I measured the width of the cylinder of an SP101 and it is 1.351" . Kimber's specs show the width of the K6S as 1.39".

SHhhh P&P!

Just keep repeating to yourself that it's innovative and revolutionary....innovative and revolutionary.
When you get that down, add this to the rote: It's Kimber and worth $900.00... It's Kimber and worth $900.00

Disclaimer:
The above is intended as dripping sarcasm and in no way do I endorse Kimber for anything other than to bereft the uninformed of their money and while I do not fault Kimber for making as much money as possible, I do, however, fault the general public for not making informed decisions based on logic and sound reasoning; not fan-bois, marketing hype and impulse buying. Caveat Emptor

[FergusonTO35]

Even if this was the perfect carry revolver I wouldn't buy it for that purpose. Too much money to have tied up in a gun that is going to get carried every day, exposed to sweat and dirt, and could get lost, stolen, or damaged. And, if I have to use it the cops are going to have it for at least as long as it takes the prosecutor to decide on the case. They could certainly drag their feet on giving it back in hopes that I would just give up and the gun become part of someone's collection.

A carry gun for me has to dependable and something I am confident with, but it also needs to be reasonably priced and easily replaced.

[Thomas Traddles]

Grant Cunningham had some input on the development of this gun. His comments are here:

http://www.grantcunningham.com/2016/01/grants-shot-show-2016-adventure-part-1-the-kimber-k6s-revolver-and-new-foursevens-flashlights/