Kimber Manufacturing

Kimber Manufacturing is an American firearms company that designs, manufactures, and distributes handguns, rifles, and related firearms products. Its best-known products are M1911-pattern pistols, which the company offers in a broad range of configurations intended for concealed carry, personal defense, competition, law-enforcement use, and military applications. Kimber also produces compact pistols under the Micro family, K6S and K6xs revolvers, and sporting and tactical rifles. The business began in 1979 as Kimber of Oregon in Clackamas, Oregon, founded by Australian-born firearms entrepreneur Jack Warne and his son Greg Warne. Jack Warne had previously established Sporting Arms, also known as Sportco, in Adelaide after the Second World War. Kimber initially developed a reputation for accurate .22 Long Rifle rifles and expanded its product range during the 1980s. The company also acquired the Brownell quick-detachable rifle-scope mounting system and operated a second manufacturing plant in nearby Colton. Kimber encountered financial difficulties in the late 1980s after a private stock offering did not raise enough capital to cover development costs for the M89 Big Game rifle. In 1989, Kimber of Oregon was sold to Oregon timber entrepreneur Bruce Engel, whose WTD Industries operated the business during a troubled period. The company subsequently sought bankruptcy protection. Several former employees departed in 1990 to establish Cooper Firearms of Montana, while Jack Warne later founded Warne Manufacturing, a separate scope-mounting business. Greg Warne attempted to revive Kimber in the mid-1990s. Much of the original manufacturing tooling had been discarded, but Warne and investor Les Edelman, owner of Nationwide Sports Distributors, recovered the tooling and established Kimber of America. Edelman later obtained majority control and moved the company toward a larger-scale handgun business. He linked Kimber's dealer network and brand reputation with the production capabilities of Jerico Precision Manufacturing, a Yonkers company making hand tools and mechanical components for the defense sector. This relationship supported Kimber's entry into M1911-style pistols and ultimately shifted production away from Oregon to facilities in New York and New Jersey. Kimber built its reputation around tightly fitted, relatively feature-rich firearms, especially custom-configured 1911 pistols. Its product architecture includes entry and mid-level models as well as competition, tactical, law-enforcement, and concealed-carry variants. The company adopted metal-injection-molded components for selected parts, including some safeties, as part of its manufacturing approach. Its rifles generally use controlled-feed actions derived from Mauser-type designs and are marketed for hunting and tactical roles. Kimber firearms have been associated with several institutional users. A modified Team Match II .45 ACP pistol was used by the United States Shooting Rapid Fire Pistol Team. The Los Angeles Police Department selected a modified Custom TLE II as a standard pistol for its SWAT unit in 2002, and the company later added a pistol developed with input from the LAPD Special Investigation Section. A modified Kimber 1911 was also selected for Marines assigned to United States Special Operations Command. These institutional relationships helped reinforce Kimber's positioning in the professional and duty-handgun segments, although agency adoption and authorization have varied over time. The company has also faced operational and political pressures. Former chief financial officer Denis Shusterman was indicted in 2004 and later pleaded guilty to embezzling funds from Kimber Manufacturing and Nationwide Sports Distributors. In addition, proposed expansion around the New York and New Jersey facilities encountered neighborhood and political opposition. Kimber announced plans for a manufacturing facility in Troy, Alabama, in 2018, and management announced in October 2020 that the corporate headquarters would relocate there. Kimber remains an active firearms brand with manufacturing and corporate operations associated with Alabama and the Northeast.

Kimber Manufacturing traces its origins to Kimber of Oregon, established in 1979 in Clackamas, Oregon, by Jack Warne and his son Greg Warne. Jack Warne was an Australian firearms entrepreneur who had founded Sporting Arms, or Sportco, in Adelaide after the Second World War. Kimber's early business concentrated on accurate .22 Long Rifle rifles, a product area that gave the company an initial reputation among sporting shooters and helped it expand into additional firearms categories. During its early growth, Kimber added a second plant in nearby Colton and broadened its product portfolio. Jack Warne also acquired the Brownell quick-detachable rifle-scope mounting system. The company's expansion eventually included the development of the M89 Big Game rifle, but a private stock offering in the late 1980s failed to raise enough money to cover the project's development costs. Kimber entered a period of financial difficulty, and in 1989 Kimber of Oregon was sold to Bruce Engel, an Oregon timber entrepreneur who had founded WTD Industries. The new ownership struggled to stabilize the company, which later sought bankruptcy protection. The difficulties produced a significant break in the company's early organization. In 1990, several Kimber employees, including Dan Cooper, left and later founded Cooper Firearms of Montana. Jack Warne departed as well and established Warne Manufacturing in February 1991, initially focusing on a new rifle-scope mounting system. Greg Warne made efforts to restore Kimber during the middle of the 1990s, but the original company had lost much of its manufacturing infrastructure; substantial tooling had reportedly been discarded at a junkyard north of Portland. Greg Warne eventually found financial support from Les Edelman, owner of Nationwide Sports Distributors. Together they recovered the original tooling and formed Kimber of America. The revived business expanded rapidly, but Edelman later acquired majority control and forced Greg Warne out of the company. Edelman had also invested in Jerico Precision Manufacturing in Yonkers, New York. Jerico produced hand tools and mechanical components for the defense industry at a time when defense-spending reductions were affecting its business. Edelman used Jerico's manufacturing capacity and Kimber's firearms reputation and dealer relationships to develop a line of M1911-style handguns. The handgun strategy became central to Kimber's later identity. Production moved from Oregon to Jerico-related facilities in New York, ending Kimber's original Oregon presence. The company developed numerous 1911 variants with different sights, finishes, grips, safeties, barrel lengths, and intended uses. Kimber also used metal-injection molding for selected parts, helping it manufacture some components at scale while retaining a product presentation centered on customization and performance. Kimber's institutional profile grew alongside its commercial business. A modified Team Match II chambered in .45 ACP was used by the United States Shooting Rapid Fire Pistol Team. In 2002, the Los Angeles Police Department selected a modified and specially marked Custom TLE II as its SWAT standard pistol. Other law-enforcement agencies approved Kimber firearms for patrol or SWAT use, and a pistol developed with participation from the LAPD Special Investigation Section was added to the company's 1911 line in 2007. A modified Kimber 1911 was also selected as a sidearm for Marines assigned to United States Special Operations Command. The company experienced a major corporate scandal in the 2000s. On December 9, 2004, a federal grand jury indicted former chief financial officer Denis Shusterman for embezzlement involving Kimber Manufacturing and Nationwide Sports Distributors. Shusterman later pleaded guilty, was ordered to pay damages and back taxes, and received a 14-year federal prison sentence. Separately, Greg Warne operated Armas Deportivas in Costa Rica after leaving Kimber and died in 2006. Kimber subsequently faced questions about where to expand its production capacity. The company operated a 31,500-square-foot manufacturing facility in Ridgefield, New Jersey, and a proposal to enlarge its Yonkers site was approved as a regionally significant project. The proposal appears to have been withdrawn after concerns from nearby residents. Political opposition and community resistance in New York and New Jersey encouraged Kimber to investigate other locations. In January 2018, Kimber announced its intention to open a manufacturing facility in Troy, Alabama. On October 21, 2020, management announced that the corporate headquarters would relocate to Troy. The company continues to be associated with M1911 pistols, compact defensive pistols, revolvers, hunting rifles, and tactical rifles, while its Alabama move represents the most important documented geographic shift in its later corporate history.

• 2020

  Headquarters relocation to Troy is announced

  [1]Kimber Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Kimber management announces that the corporate headquarters will move to Troy, Alabama.

• 2018

  Alabama facility is announced

  [1]Kimber Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Kimber announces plans for a manufacturing facility in Troy, Alabama.

• 2007

  LAPD Special Investigation Section design enters the range

  [1]Kimber Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Kimber adds a 1911-pattern pistol designed with input from the LAPD Special Investigation Section.

• 2004

  Former CFO is indicted

  [1]Kimber Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Former CFO Denis Shusterman is indicted in a federal embezzlement case involving Kimber and Nationwide Sports Distributors.

• 2002

  LAPD SWAT adopts a Kimber pistol

  [1]Kimber Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  The Los Angeles Police Department selects a modified Custom TLE II as the standard pistol for its SWAT unit.

• 1991

  Warne Manufacturing is established

  [1]Kimber Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Jack Warne leaves Kimber and begins Warne Manufacturing, a separate rifle-scope-mounting company.

• 1990

  Former employees establish Cooper Firearms

  [1]Kimber Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Several Kimber employees, including Dan Cooper, leave the company and go on to establish Cooper Firearms of Montana.

• 1989

  Kimber is sold after financial difficulties

  [1]Kimber Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  After difficulties funding the M89 Big Game rifle, Kimber of Oregon is sold to Bruce Engel's WTD Industries.

• 1979

  Kimber of Oregon is founded

  [1]Kimber Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Jack Warne and Greg Warne establish Kimber of Oregon in Clackamas, Oregon.

A premium and performance-oriented American firearms manufacturer emphasizing accuracy, refined fit and finish, configurable M1911 pistols, concealed-carry handguns, sporting rifles, and professional-use firearms.

• M1911 pistols

  Custom series

  The Custom family is a core Kimber line of full-size and duty-oriented M1911-pattern pistols. Models are offered with different finishes, sights, grip treatments, safeties, barrel configurations, and other features. The series supports Kimber's positioning in the professional, defensive, competition, and enthusiast segments.

• Concealed-carry pistols

  Micro series

  The Micro family consists of compact semi-automatic pistols designed for concealed carry and personal defense. Its small form factor extends Kimber's handgun portfolio beyond full-size 1911s and targets users seeking a more easily carried defensive firearm.

• M1911 pistols

  Aegis series

  The Aegis family is a feature-oriented line of M1911-style pistols. It forms part of Kimber's broader range of configured 1911s, combining the traditional single-action platform with model-specific sights, controls, finishes, and other equipment for defensive, sporting, and enthusiast use.

• Revolver

  K6S

  The K6S is a six-shot revolver chambered in .357 Magnum. Kimber offers it in double-action/single-action and double-action-only configurations, with barrel lengths including two, three, and four inches. The model extends the brand into modern concealed-carry and defensive revolver categories.

• Revolver

  K6xs

  The K6xs is a six-shot revolver chambered in .38 Special +P. It is positioned as a compact defensive revolver and complements the larger K6S family.

• Competition pistol

  Team Match II

  The Team Match II is a competition-oriented M1911 pistol. A modified .45 ACP version was used by the United States Shooting Rapid Fire Pistol Team, giving the model a documented connection to competitive shooting.

• Law-enforcement pistol

  Custom TLE II

  The Custom TLE II is an M1911-pattern pistol associated with law-enforcement service. The Los Angeles Police Department selected a modified and specially marked version for its SWAT unit in 2002.

• Hunting and tactical rifles

  Kimber rifles

  Kimber produces sporting, hunting, and tactical rifles, many using controlled-feed actions derived from Mauser-type designs. The rifles are marketed around accuracy, relatively light handling, and quality-oriented construction.

• 2004

  Embezzlement case involving former CFO

  Former Kimber Manufacturing chief financial officer Denis Shusterman was federally indicted for embezzling approximately $10 million from Kimber Manufacturing and Nationwide Sports Distributors. He later pleaded guilty, was ordered to pay damages and back taxes, and was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.

  Source

Read more

• 2012Red White and Blue Fund contribution

  United States

  Kimber donated $200,000 to the Red White and Blue Fund, a super PAC supporting Rick Santorum's 2012 presidential campaign. The contribution was reported as making Kimber the first firearms company to donate to a super PAC.

  Outcome. The contribution placed Kimber among firearms-industry companies participating directly in federal electoral political financing.

  Source

• 2018

  Alabama manufacturing expansionStrategy

  Background

  Expansion proposals around Kimber's New York and New Jersey operations encountered political and neighborhood opposition.

  Action taken

  Kimber announced plans to open a manufacturing facility in Troy, Alabama.

  Aftermath

  Management announced in 2020 that the corporate headquarters would relocate to Troy.

  Source

• 1990

  Shift toward M1911-style handgunsStrategy

  Background

  Les Edelman connected Kimber's dealer relationships and firearms reputation with the manufacturing capabilities of Jerico Precision Manufacturing in New York.

  Action taken

  The company developed and expanded a line of M1911-pattern pistols, making handguns central to the Kimber product portfolio.

  Aftermath

  Kimber became particularly associated with configurable, performance-oriented 1911 pistols and moved production away from Oregon.

  Source

1. 1Kimber Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Kimber America official websitekimberamerica.com