It is, still, one exceptional rifle. THE KIMBER YEARS
A person’s tastes certainly do
change over the years. My tastes in rifles have fluctuated between synthetic stocks on game rifles to nice wood stocks on rimfires – specifically Kimber of Oregon rifles with their Duane Wiebe and E.C. Bishop-inspired classic stock design. It’s too bad the Warne family couldn’t turn their enterprise into an American icon of a company, as they had a great idea and product in their line of premium rimfire rifles. I have owned quite a few Kimber
of Oregon and Kimber of America Clackamas-marked Model 82 rimfire guns over the years but I have never purchased a new one. Most were ob- tained at gun shows, with just a few coming from ads in the old Gun List. All of the Kimber 82s I’ve owned were procured to shoot, not to collect dust in the gun safe. I have had some that were superbly accurate and then, some that weren’t. I lusted for quite a few years for a fancy Kimber 22 that I believe was called the Custom Classic Deluxe. I finally found one I could afford if I could just find a buyer for one of my plain Jane Classic model Kimbers. I sold my old friend Ken Hackathorn one of the finest shooting Kimber 82 Classics that I ever owned, complete with rings and a Leupold scope, for what I consid- ered a bargain price at the time (he’ll contest that statement). This particular Kimber 82 was blessed with gilt edge accuracy, and consistency in holding its zero, like few others I have owned. It is one good rifle and Ken will not sell it back to me. There is a down side to many stories and the short version of this one is that the beautiful Custom Classic Deluxe wouldn’t shoot worth a hoot! After struggling with the CC Kimber for quite a while, it was finally sold at a loss. So much for stepping up to fancy rifles.
I currently own two Kimber of
America Model 82 Clackamas, Oregon, 22 rimfire rifles. Each has a 22-inch stainless barrel screwed into its blued receiver. One barrel is smooth and matte finished, the other is nicely fluted. The stocks on these rifles are walnut of the Classic Kimber style. I think collectors refer to these as transition guns, as they were made before Kimber was bought out and moved to New York. I don’t
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In .17 Cal. to 50 BMG, and diameters from .650" to 1.50". Installed prices start at $275 for stainless or blued. Dealer pricing is also available for Vais Arms, Inc. installed brakes, or for brakes only (to be installed by other qualified gunsmiths).
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