Trying a Kimber K6

Jayne

Jayne

Just here for the memes
Charter Member
Supporting Member
Multi-Factor Enabled
Joined
Dec 16, 2016
Messages
8,028
Location
Unincorporated Wake County
Rating - 100%
34   0   0
In my quest for a mid-sized wheel gun, I was told I should try the K6 by one owner.... who gave me his to try out. He's sure I'll like it. We'll find out tomorrow when I take it out and compare recoil and whatnot to my full sized 608.

Just fiddling around with it, the quality is pretty evident. Machining work is super nice, everything goes "click" and locks up solid. Sorta like a S&W, but denser. If that's a thing.

The trigger is weird, but I really started feeling it after 50 or so dryfires. If it stages/breaks like that in life fire (ie if I can run it the same) then I predict I'll like it.

I've got some lightly loaded 110gr 357s to try as well as full power commercial 158gr stuff. Gotta see if I can dig up a box of regular 38s to start with.


k6.jpg

It's much smaller than I thought it would be, it hides behind a PM9 which isn't exactly big.

k6_2.jpg
 
Jeppo want!
 
I love mine.

Recoil is manageable, and it’s easy to shoot. The extra round is an advantage over the J frame.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
Glad I'm not the only one who wants one. Looks great congrats!
 
We got it to the range with a mix of 38+p, 110gr lower power 357 hand loads and two types of factory 158gr as planned. Just like the taraus, the K6 won't deal with steel cased 357, no shock there.

There are tons of reviews of the K6, but it's hard to appreciate how 'nice' it is until you've got one in hand. Fit/finish seem very nice, it makes smooth mechanical feels when you run it, no sharp surfaces anywhere, sights are good, etc. Feels like quality, just as I said earlier, but even more evident when you've got it on the range and are using it. Accuracy was pretty good, but again that data is out there.

The trigger setup makes me think I could totally live with this as a DAO. If you just shoot it, it's just a trigger. However, if you do want to make a 'single action' style shot, just pull the trigger back until it hits a soft wall. The cylinder will have rotated and locked up and everything stops moving and now you have the rest of the trigger pull which is short and light like a single. I'm sure with some practice you could get good at doing it fast, but when doing slow fire at 25+ yards and taking that extra time it was perfectly workable. Never did I have the urge to thumb the hammer back like I was doing on the 608.

It holds 6, that's a nice touch.

IMG_4510.jpg

The downside, and I suspect this holds with anything this size, it firing it with actual 357 ammo. Holy crap, is that un-fun. Seriously un-fun. With no rubber around the back of the grip you get all the energy just slamming your soul. I fired exactly 4 rounds of full power 357 and said yep, that's enough of that. The other guy shooting ran 5 thought and called it enough. I'm sure in some defensive situation you 'wouldn't notice' but it's also just hard to keep on target at all with the recoil and there is zero chance I would ever practice with it enough that way.

With 38+p it's fine, somewhat like a G23 but with less moving parts. With regular 38 you could shoot it as much as any full sized 9mm. I was much slower with it than a full sized 9mm running plate racks and such, but at full sized silhouettes at 12 yards it was maybe half as fast at 'get away from me while I dump this cylinder of ammo at you but still hit center mass' as a PM9 sized auto loader. With practice it would be faster, but I don't think a mortal would ever run this as fast as an auto, the trigger just takes more effort and focus.

If someone wanted a wheel gun this size in this price range, I would have no hesitation recommending the K6. We were calling it the "newest of the old school", and if that's what you want, then here's your gun.

Contrast that to what we were shooting side-by-side with it, the "oldest of the new school". No, it's not mine, yes it's real, and no, we did not run steel case ammo through it. We're cheap, but not that cheap. 100+ year old metallurgy may not be a match for Tula.

IMG_4512.jpg
 
Great "in person", Not read about range report. Have any idea about size comparison with original Colt 6 shooters? DSs , Cobras, and Agents?? Curious?
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
Have any idea about size comparison with original Colt 6 shooters? DSs , Cobras, and Agents?? Curious?
Click to expand...

Lucky Gunner did that for us, they've got a chart with various guns this size and the K6. It's pretty close to the same (size).
 
Slacker said:
Hows it pattern with Snake shot?
We all know that's why you want a wheelgun.
Click to expand...

Didn't try it, I don't have any 357 snake shot, and it's not mine anyway so I wouldn't do that to it. Besides, I have the ultimate snake gun already.... loaded with 6 rounds of .410 #6 shot. Does wonders on legless invaders.
 
@Jayne
In that last photo, which one’s the Kimber? :confused:
 
Last edited:
Jeppo said:
In other words, the one that doesn’t look like this? :cool:
Click to expand...

Yea, I don't understand the other one really. It seems to be made of steel everywhere, no poly frame, no scandium, no titanium. Must be one of those CZ things people are always talking about.
 
Jayne said:
Yea, I don't understand the other one really. It seems to be made of steel everywhere, no poly frame, no scandium, no titanium. Must be one of those CZ things people are always talking about.
Click to expand...
Probably one’a them old guns made back when people didn’t know how to make ‘em right. ;)
 
We have one at the store and it is begging to go home with. But at 750.00 I cant pull the trigger on it.
 
Ran some 10 yard Bill drills and 4 body / 1 head strings with the K6 today using regular FMJ .38s (not even +P). Back to back with my G34 and G2c, the K6 was about 20% slower. It's not the recoil or blast, it's just managing the longer DAO trigger and not jerking the gun around.

On the head shot I was able to stage the trigger every time, so I really do like that quasi-single-action thing it's got going on.

Overall though, for a gun that I don't own and don't dry fire and don't live fire all that much, that seems OK.
 
Jayne said:
It's not the recoil or blast, it's just managing the longer DAO trigger and not jerking the gun around.
Click to expand...
This is precisely why I'm dedicated to shooting nothing but my Smith 66-1 this year. I'm hopeful that improving with a DA revolver will translate to improvements with semi-autos.
 
Jeppo said:
This is precisely why I'm dedicated to shooting nothing but my Smith 66-1 this year. I'm hopeful that improving with a DA revolver will translate to improvements with semi-autos.
Click to expand...

That's why I'm still wandering around in wheelgun land. I'm seriously considering the LCRx in 9mm. But I'm going to post that in the other thread.
 
Jayne said:
That's why I'm still wandering around in wheelgun land. I'm seriously considering the LCRx in 9mm. But I'm going to post that in the other thread.
Click to expand...
Aim Surplus just sent out an email with some nice Smith LEO revolvers.
 
The Kimber K6 is probably the finest American made revolver in production today. Someone ought to send one to the current company calling itself s&w. Everything you need in a revolver and nothing you DON'T!

Show them how a revolver SHOULD be made. And teach the piece work animals they now employ what a good trigger feels like. ;) Regards 18DAI
 
18DAI said:
The Kimber K6 is probably the finest American made revolver in production today. Someone ought to send one to the current company calling itself s&w. Everything you need in a revolver and nothing you DON'T!

Show them how a revolver SHOULD be made. And teach the piece work animals they now employ what a good trigger feels like. ;) Regards 18DAI
Click to expand...
Or send ‘em Mrs. Jones. :D
 
:) The only place Mrs Jones, my old duty 4 inch 66-2 is going, is on my hip. ;) Fine example of the revolvers S&W USE to make. Regards 18DAI
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom