I used to have an 84M in 308. Key words "used to". The only way I would ever own another one is if you paid me a lot of money, and it was with the understanding that I would never be forced to actually use it for anything other than a paperweight. It was purty and handled nice, but it had both feeding problems and accuracy problems that appeared to me to be inherent in the design, and not just one-off problems. A bit of reading on the 'net indicates that a lot of other folks have had similar experiences to mine.
Looking for a mountain rifle
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I used to have an 84M in 308. Key words "used to". The only way I would ever own another one is if you paid me a lot of money, and it was with the understanding that I would never be forced to actually use it for anything other than a paperweight. It was purty and handled nice, but it had both feeding problems and accuracy problems that appeared to me to be inherent in the design, and not just one-off problems. A bit of reading on the 'net indicates that a lot of other folks have had similar experiences to mine.
Note Brotherjack's comment.
Plus:
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=153044&highlight=kimber+problems
especially this:
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/1504955/page/0/fpart/1
I could go on and find probably dozens of more links, but you probably get the point.
I've never seen a factory stock Remington 700 that I didn't think needed a Gentry (or other non-crappy) safety put on it, a lightweight aftermarket stock, some gunsmithing to lighten the whole rig up a bit, and a good trigger job. With all of the above done to one (and depending on the luck of the draw, the accurizing work needed to make it shoot straight) - yeah, they're awesome little rifles, IMHO.
My "cheap plastic" Tikka's needed none of the above. Just add scope and rings, loose up the trigger adjustment, handload some rounds, and done.
trigger jobs can be done in 10mins at home. every rifle I have ever pulled out of a box needed one, so i don;t consider this a factor in rifle purchase. every Remington rifle I've ever shot was a 1moa or less performer (since you brought handloads into the equation).
Safety? people actually use them? again, not a factor in a rifle purchase to me. firearm is loaded or it isn't.
any other mythical BS you want to add to this thread?
Long throat, short mag box, short firing pin protrusion, and on my particular gun, headspace about .0001 away from freely closing on a no-go gauge. Add that to a pencil thin barrel (about half the weight of a Tikka) and a featherweight action (metal flex on 'boom'), and go ask a good gunsmith what he would expect for accuracy from that combo.
What's "mythical BS" about my opinion that if I was to buy a Remington 700, I wouldn't be happy with it till the aforementioned work was performed?
Sounds like a lot of hypothesis to me.
Long throat and short mag box may be a problem if the throat is also way over bullet diameter, if not it is essentially a non-issue.
Short firing pin protrusion? What was it? How many thou? It is adjustable you know.
Headspace? again...maybe. Whose gauge? Especially if you handload, a non-issue.
Re the pencil thin barrel, bull. Wanna see some targets shot with my 280AI pencil thin barrel? Actually a 24" M700 mountain rifle contour barrel, and it averages just over a half-inch with 140 accubonds and less than that with 150 TSX's. But they do need to be bedded properly. If that isn't done, all bets are off. Just like a heavy barrel.
Action flexing when "boom"? Again, "Bull".
Who do you call a good gunsmith?
Long throat and short mag box may be a problem if the throat is also way over bullet diameter, if not it is essentially a non-issue.
Short firing pin protrusion? What was it? How many thou? It is adjustable you know.
Headspace? again...maybe. Whose gauge? Especially if you handload, a non-issue.
Re the pencil thin barrel, bull. Wanna see some targets shot with my 280AI pencil thin barrel? Actually a 24" M700 mountain rifle contour barrel, and it averages just over a half-inch with 140 accubonds and less than that with 150 TSX's. But they do need to be bedded properly. If that isn't done, all bets are off. Just like a heavy barrel.
Action flexing when "boom"? Again, "Bull".
Who do you call a good gunsmith?
Ralf Martini was the smith, one of the best in Canada I'm told. The firing pin protrusion was 1mm from the factory. 1.35mm was the longest it could be adjusted to. T'was his guage and his hand that tested the headspace - I'm just taking his word for that (that and the fact that my brass got signs of impending case-head sep in that gun after 5 firings; something I've never once ever seen in any of my other 308's (though I have seen it in my old 303's)).
Heck, for the sake of argument - we'll say I'm wrong, and it's not "design problems". There, you win. Happy?
But I'm just saying, the gun didn't shoot worth a darn, and I am not alone in having that problem with an 84M. You can find thread after thread after thread on the various forums by guys who've owned the same make/model gun that are telling the same story. Given the relative rarity of Kimber 84M's (compared to say, Savage's or Rem 700's or the like - neither of which you will find too many people complaining about the accuracy of), and the relatively high number of complaints about accuracy problems in the non-WSM 84M guns - you tell me; design flaws, or sloppy workmanship? Either way, I wouldn't have another one.
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I'm not really trying to win, sorry if my points were "pointed". 
Martini certainly is a good gunsmith. As good as it gets I understand. If I could afford it I would own one of his single shot rifles.
It sounds to me like your sizer die was oversizing the brass however, if you were getting impending case separations. I'd buy headspace if separations were occurring after one firing, but after 5? That's man-made headspace.
And you're right about lot's of stories on the internet about poor quality control with the earlier Kimbers. But a lot of that, as proven on this thread, is guys with no actual experience parroting what they have heard, read or googled. A lot of internet threads are filled with guys who shoot a hell of a lot more with their keyboard than with an actual rifle. Especially lightweight rifles like a M84, they are much harder to shoot well than a heavy rifle.
But on the internet we are all experts, and if all the shots you fire at a target don't go in the same hole, then it MUST be the rifle that is at fault. Or the scope, or the stupid bullet, or ?? We'd have a lot less to read, and probably less entertainment, if on threads like this guys stuck to what they knew from experience and not what somebody else on the internet thought they had heard. That is NOT pointed at you at all.
Martini certainly is a good gunsmith. As good as it gets I understand. If I could afford it I would own one of his single shot rifles.
It sounds to me like your sizer die was oversizing the brass however, if you were getting impending case separations. I'd buy headspace if separations were occurring after one firing, but after 5? That's man-made headspace.
And you're right about lot's of stories on the internet about poor quality control with the earlier Kimbers. But a lot of that, as proven on this thread, is guys with no actual experience parroting what they have heard, read or googled. A lot of internet threads are filled with guys who shoot a hell of a lot more with their keyboard than with an actual rifle. Especially lightweight rifles like a M84, they are much harder to shoot well than a heavy rifle.
But on the internet we are all experts, and if all the shots you fire at a target don't go in the same hole, then it MUST be the rifle that is at fault. Or the scope, or the stupid bullet, or ?? We'd have a lot less to read, and probably less entertainment, if on threads like this guys stuck to what they knew from experience and not what somebody else on the internet thought they had heard. That is NOT pointed at you at all.
I'm not really trying to win, sorry if my points were "pointed".
Martini certainly is a good gunsmith. As good as it gets I understand. If I could afford it I would own one of his single shot rifles.
It sounds to me like your sizer die was oversizing the brass however, if you were getting impending case separations. I'd buy headspace if separations were occurring after one firing, but after 5? That's man-made headspace.
Yeah, Ralf is a great smith, and he's a really nice guy to boot. I live about 10 minutes drive from his shop, and see him around at the range once in a while. Great guy to chat with.
But as to the Kimber, let's see - Martini says headspace is "this close" to being loose enough to call officially out of spec, and I am seeing cracks in the case heads on brass fired in this gun after 5 firings (but never in any of my other non-Enfield guns, some of which are on sets of brass which are up to 15 or 20 firings (I've lost count on most of them back around 8 or 10)). Sorry - that's a gun that's got a problem, not a "me" that's got a problem.
Additionally, my Kimber was only about 3 or 4 years old. Don't think that qualifies as "early Kimber".
Further, as to shooting "light rifles", the Kimber scope and all weighed in at 6.4 lbs. My Tikka, scope and all, weighs in at 6.9lbs - you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference in weight just to handle them. The Kimber shot 6+ inch 5 shot groups (though after Ralf worked on it, we did get it down to consistent 2 inch groups). The stainless Tikka shoots sub-1 inch for as many bullets in a row as I care to fling downrange. My blued Tikka only manages about 1.25 inches, but again, as many bullets as I care to put into a piece of paper, they all end up where they're supposed to go. It weren't the lightness of the gun, and it weren't my shooting skills (imperfect though they may be).
I've read that before. It does make for interesting reading. Thanks.
I'm always more curious in what your experience with the Kimbers is.
Based on research I did not buy one. I really wanted one in the Classic Select in .257 Roberts. In the end I was worried that I'd get a bad one. Judging from the vast volumes of complaints it appears that there are/were quality control issues with Kimber rifles. I can live with people saying brand x is better than brand y because one is controlled/push feed or whatever, but I don't want to drop $1500 on a rifle to take a chance. Especially when there are new rifles out there for 1/2 the price and they have stellar reputations.
The reason I posted the link is because you asked about specific problems and I thought the link may prove usefull.
Nugget has a Montana coming so hopefully we can add any good or bad notes for you as well. I told him to go 7mm-08 but for whatever reason he's going 338. His gun, whatever......I hope for his sake it is one of the good ones and not from the same cloth as the ones 1899 found there.
I too would like to have one of those Kimbers in 257Roberts. The complaints are one thing, but the VOID or lack thereof warranty here in Canada clinched it for me not to buy one. I'll stick to my semi-custom 700 Mountain Rifle for now.
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so by buying a tikka you're saying you really want cheap & plastic?
spending a pile of money? buy Mtn Rifle, add rings and scope. go chase sheep.
I can't remember reading one post where someone had any issues with a brand new Tikka out of the box, and I've never seen a post where anyone had a problem with the accuracy from factory or hand loads. You might not like the stock, but it's the toughest factory stock I've seen, and in a mountain rifle I think you would want tough and lite.
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