Kimber 1911 and Cast bullets?

[elk hunter]

My sons father-in-law has a Kimber 1911 and apparently the instructions from Kimber state that you are not to shoot cast bullets in it. Another friend of my son had a Kimber 1911 and purportedly bulged three barrels shooting cast bullets through it before selling it and buying something else. I find it hard to believe that any 1911 pistol would be damaged by shooting cast bullets as apposed to jacketed when shooting safe, appropriate loads.

Can anyone verify that Kimber states that their 1911 is not to be fired with cast bullets and if so their reason for that statement.

[GeneT]

I have 5 kimbers (down from 6). All of them are earlier models (before they started adding a 'II' to the names, and putting unnecessary junk in them) and have never seen such a warning.

I have fired many thousands of Lasercast and more recently about a 1000 of my own cast bullets through them with nary an issue. If they're really saying not to use cast, that's something new.

GsT

ETA: of course I think all manufacturers say never to use reloads, but we know how that goes...

[Potsy]

My Eclipse Target II has had about 1500 cast boolits or so ran through it in the last 4 years. Never a hiccup. Gets a thorough cleaning about once a year. Never tried to hot rod it. Just 200's at around 900 and 230's around 850. Some of my brass may have even been fired through a glock and yet I have lived to tell the tale.

Of course, handloads, any handload, will immediately destroy a gun on the first shot, or at the very least, void the warranty. At least according to most manufacturers (there are a very few exceptions).

I have to be extra careful with my Ruger Bisley .45 Colt, firing only rounds that are barely capable of making a 15 yard journey to a steel plate or paper. Everyone knows that handloading a .45 colt can endanger ones self, bystanders, the flag, the republic, and western civilization. I'm lucky to be alive.

Sorry, didn't mean to rant. I just get REAL tired of all the liability **** because so many villages have so many idiots.

Handload safe, pay attention, check your loads against a chronograph, and have fun!!

[joeb4065]

I have shot my kimber with reloads, 200 gr cast bullets (wheel weights), surely over 5000 rounds, not a hitch. Still is more accurate than I can hold it, about 2" at 25 yds.
Only jacketed bullets shot are carry ammo, to ensure reliability.

[Lloyd Smale]

I too have had a number of new kimbers and have never seen them put in print a warning about using cast bullets. How could they possibly hurt a gun?

[crabo]

I've shot a lot through my Kimber, no problems.

[Blammer]

I've seen and heard no such warnings from Kimber.

I have a kimber and it loves cast boolits. :)

[BD]

I have a 5" series 1 Kimber Custom Classic with over 60,000 rounds of cast boolits through it. I also have 3" series 1 Ultra with about 5,000 cast boolits through it. No issues from using cast in either one.
BD

[waksupi]

They are 1911's. They are SUPPOSED to love lead!

[SciFiJim]

I have fired about 1500 of my own lead boolits through my Kimber UCII. The only hitch was when I was using straight Alox for lube. The lube would gum up on the feed ramp. I would have to occasionally field strip the pistol at the range, wipe the feed ramp with a rag or napkin, reassemble and continue on.

[NickSS]

I have put thousands and thousands of lead bullets through various 1911 pistols for over 40 years with never a problem including my Kimber. They just gobble them up and spit them out day in and day out. I give a +1 on using LLA on bullets as thy gum up the feed ramp and need cleaning regularly. I only use tumble lube when I am in a hurry to load some ammo and have no bullets cast up. I then break out my lee six cavity 200 gr TL SWC, cast a couple hundred and tumble lube them before I prep the brass.

[That'll Do]

My Kimber Stainless Target II eats lead happily all day long.

I feed it air-cooled wheel weights with some tin added, for fillout, over 4.5gr of W-231. I honestly don't get any leading whatsoever. The only thing that needs cleaned up is powder fouling in the barrel and on the feed ramp.

So feed 'em lead, and lots of it!