Henry Rifle Forums

First, I'll be up front. I don't carry a gun for self-defense against bad guys. I'm just not comfortable doing it. Each to their own.

On the other hand, I do carry a 357 for defense against bears, as a backup to bear spray, but only for those few weeks in spring when the bears are first out and hungry or for those occasional bike trips miles back from the roads later during the summer. When I carry, I carry this beauty. It's a Kimber K6s 357 revolver (yes, Kimber makes a revolver) with a 3" barrel. This makes my second K6s. My first was the standard 2" barrel version, but when this 3" barrel version came out, traded for it. Prefer the balance and handling on the 3".


No doubt about it, this is an expensive revolver. Going apples to apples, you'd have to compare it to an all steel S&W J frame 357 Performance Center model, not their standard line. Price points would then be in the same ball park. Having owned several S&W PC J frame 357s and now two of these Kimbers, the comparison goes like this.

The action is smoother on the Kimber, the trigger is better, and most of all, have never had light strike, FTF issues with either Kimber, but I have had light strike issues with several S&W PC models. In addition, all edges on the Kimber have been smoothed. That, along with the DAO, no exposed hammer setup on the Kimber, makes it as snag proof as a revolver can be.

Much prefer the sights on a Kimber. They're far better than the skimpy fixed gutter sights on standard Smiths and they are much less prone to snagging and more durable than the standard adjustable sights on a Smith.


Another thing I like with the Kimber K6s is that it's a 6 shooter, not a 5 shooter that you get with all Smith J frames. Not a big deal, maybe, but it does give me confidence to have an extra shot.


When I carry, I carry the K6s 3" in this excellent ETW holster made, specifically, for this version of the Kimber. Outstanding holster. Drawing the Kimber is fast and effortless.


Okay, all the features in the world aren't worth beans if the gun won't shoot. This is where the Kimber really shines. Both Kimbers I've owned are stunningly accurate for a small frame 357s, weighing in at about 25 ounces and I'm talking 357s, here, not 38s. I've never fed either Kimber anything but 357s. I carry a 357 to shoot 357s, not 38s. Best of all, the Kimber K6s LOVES the 180 grain HSM bear loads. Remember, this is a DAO, but a truly GREAT DAO trigger. No single action shooting with a Kimber.

Just a touch high up close with the 180s.


Closer to POA at 20 yards.


This accuracy took a bit of working with my grip to learn what this little Kimber likes, not to mention handling the 357 recoil, but I've got it down, now, to where even the hottest 357 won't hurt. Recoil is sharp, to be sure, but very manageable with the right grip. Can easily go 50 rounds in a session and want more.

Even with great features and performance, I learned long ago that I won't keep a gun unless it's also something I really enjoy shooting. Has to be a gun I WANT to shoot and keep on shooting. Has to be fun for me. The Kimber has that in spades. Just draw and shoot, reload and keep on shooting, as fast as you want. Just like this. Fun, fun, fun.


One of my favorites, now, bear or no bear.

Nice firearm and nice shooting!

NCG always worth reading. Thanks

Thanks for the great review and targets, NCG. As always, I learn a little more from every post you make.

Damn, I have to wipe the drool off of my keyboard.......Again!
It's a beauty and with the 3 inch barrel still a great size for carry. I need one, But then I "need" pretty much one of every gun you own. You should write for the marketing departments of all of these manufacturers.

thanks for the info .... I didn't know Kimber made a revolver like that .... how would you rate the recoil when firing 357 level ammo

Thanks, guys. Glad you enjoyed it.

JEBar, it's kind of hard to rate recoil for someone else. I've been shooting magnum handguns for so long, now, that recoil doesn't bother me until it actually inflicts pain. In fact, I don't even notice it unless I do get bitten. As I mentioned, recoil with the little Kimber with 357s is sharp and you will need to experiment with your grip to find what is the most comfortable. That factory grip on the 3", though, is much easier on the hand than the bootleg grip on the standard 2" model. Love it.

One thing that I can promise you is that it is a big mistake to use a light grip with any small revolver, not only for the sake of handling recoil, but also for consistent accuracy. I use a solid, firm grip with small revolvers that allows no wiggle in the hand and one with all fingers properly tucked in place. If you grip a small revolver in such a way that it can bounce in your hand with the shot, you will never get it to shoot to its potential and you will definitely get bitten by recoil.

You need to try out a S&W 640 Pro. No internal lock, night sights, fluted barrel. Nice little J-Frame. I did some trigger work on mine and it is a sweet shooter. I've heard some good things about the Kimber but I can't get past the looks of the gun. I prefer a more traditional looking revolver.

North Country Gal wrote:JEBar, it's kind of hard to rate recoil for someone else.

understood .... arthritis and blood thinners have drastically changed my response to the recoil of any type of firearm .... my wife's concealed carry is a small frame Smith .... its a handful with 357's so she fires 38's

Love that Smith. It's a real classic. Of course, we're both partial to double action revolvers. Just love that draw and shoot, no safety or hammer to mess with.

Heard a lot of good things about the Kimber - and $ome not $o good!!! Regardless it looks like you shoot it well and that is the important thing. Personally I am a S & W fan and own three - a 2" M-60 no dash, a 4" M-66 no dash and my dads 'duffle bag' carry home Victory .38 Special. Both the M-60 and M-66 have had trigger jobs with Wolff springs and have literally the best triggers I (and others) have said they ever felt. Both are just shy of 2 lbs with no creep or takeup. I am a fan of the traditional with anything and that includes my revolvers!

Great photos and "review" of the K6, SGC. Always look forward to your chats and targets. The .357 Magnum is a great caliber, and your 3" revolver sure has some beautiful, waving grains in those grips. Your shooting is always top-notch also. Giving RR a run for his $$, right?!?

I appreciated your focus on "finding a gun you like to shoot," and also one with manageable recoil. That's a truism it's taken a while for me to get a grip on. My very first revolver was a D/A Ruger 3.02" SP101 in .357 magnum. The recoil was a little too strong for my liking, and it did impact my accuracy as I had to deal with those too-often "flinches." My second SP101 was the heavier 4.2" kit revolver, and along with the Hogue tamer grip, recoil was quite manageable. I shot it often. Although not a revolver, I really enjoyed shooting stout calibers with my BASS IV derringer. Like you, I could shoot 50-70 rounds of either .357 Magnum or .45 Colt calibers and really thought the recoil was quite manageable. That was an all-afternoon-shooter because it did take time to reload the 2-capacity O/U!!

I also appreciated your apples to apples look at the Kimber vs. the S&W PC revolver. I had one PC revolver, which was an S&W 637, D/A in .38 Special + "P" caliber. The barrel length was 1.875" with a 5-round capacity. Definitely the S&W PC revolvers are a cut well above a standard production revolver. Now I understand a little better why your Kimber is such high quality and expensive. And as a wheel gun guy, these D/A revolvers are the best handguns to have in hand!

Just for fun, here are the Talo S&W ad photo of the 637, and my own photo with a Hogue Tamer grip I installed.
Thanks again for your much-enjoyed post!

Again, glad you folks enjoyed the post. Always nice to chat about DA revolvers, too.

As for the Kimbers, yeah, not for everybody, but the two I've had have been 100%, right out of the box. That's become so important to me, now, after having been burned so often with out of the box new revolvers.

Perhaps on no other type of revolver are grips so important as on a small frame, especially a small frame magnum. On my Smith 357 J frames and Ruger SPs, first thing I changed out were the grips to larger grips that gave me more control. Those small bootleg carry grips are ideal for carrying, of course, but since I'm a shooter, first, as always, I was more concerned with accuracy than conceal-ability. Besides, I don't think bears care about seeing a revolver on my hip, one way or the other.

I'm good with a double action, only, revolver like this Kimber of a similar J frame Smith model, as long as it has a good trigger. To be sure, having a single action trigger is a useful feature for some applications. As a just pull and shoot kind of application, though, I'd be shooting in DA, anyway, so no need for the SA feature.

Those small bootleg carry grips are ideal for carrying, of course, but since I'm a shooter, first, as always, I was more concerned with accuracy than conceal-ability.

My sentiments exactly - about being a 'shooter' first ( I can't seem to get some of the younger gendarme I know to quite understand this) but on my way home after buying the two 'Smiths in my picture I stopped for a set of Pachmayr Diamond Pro grips for he M-60 and they turned it into a NEW gun - sub 2" 25 yard groups are possible now with it - most who shoot it are amazed a 2" .38 can shoot this accurately.

Nice gun and good report!

Thank you.

Cate

I agree on the accuracy potential of small frame revolvers. Very under-rated. I think it's because a lot of people don't take the time to work with them and working with them is a must if you expect any kind of accuracy.

You're welcome, Cate.

Great info in these posts. Very impressive shooting NCG.

Thanks, RR. Am I correct in assuming you don't see a lot of the small carry revolvers up, there? In fact, I've been meaning to ask you just what kind of restrictions you face with that big Remington of yours?

Some gun shops have a good selection of carry-type handguns, but since we have no carry laws here they are for target shooting at a licensed range only. I am licensed to take my revolver to the range and that's it. During transport it must have a trigger lock and be locked inside a case. Get caught not following the rules and bye-bye gun license. Not to mention fines and/or jail time.

RanchRoper wrote:Some gun shops have a good selection of carry-type handguns, but since we have no carry laws here they are for target shooting at a licensed range only. I am licensed to take my revolver to the range and that's it. During transport it must have a trigger lock and be locked inside a case. Get caught not following the rules and bye-bye gun license. Not to mention fines and/or jail time.

Ouch! I admire your perseverance for the sake of shooting your revolver. You are a true cowboy at heart.