The bolt has the familiar Mauser-style claw extractor. While the boltface is cut for true controlled-round feeding, the leading edge of the extractor is beveled to allow single loading of the chamber while bypassing the magazine. This allows the beveled claw to pop right over the rim of a .308 Win. cartridge as the bolt is closed. The bolt handle is oversized and teardrop shaped. On the cocking-piece housing is the recognizable Model 70-style three-position firing-pin-block safety.

Two thumb-wheel setscrews thread into the sleeves through the right side of the stock and anchor the cheekpiece pillars in place. The two screws are positioned low so as not to interfere with shooting from either shoulder.

A 20-minute Picatinny sight rail that's machined from steel barstock is attached to the receiver via four HD 8-40 screws. Mounted at the factory, the base adds extra rigidity to the otherwise open-top receiver. It is milled to provide more than an inch of vertical access to the magazine through the ejection port.

The standard Kimber single-stage adjustable trigger/sear unit is inletted 0.115 inch into the receiver and is attached by a flathead 3/16-inch, 32-tpi screw. The trigger is 0.36 inch wide with a smooth surface and a deep curvature.

A stout, 0.625-inch-wide trigger guard is attached to the floorplate via three hex-socket screws. When depressed, a 0.1-inch-high bump inside the front of the trigger guard releases the magazine trapdoor. A stamped magazine well fits inside a recess in the receiver and is sandwiched in place by the floorplate when the action screws are installed.

The finish on the barreled action and the sight rail is KimPro II Dark Earth. It was intentionally color-matched to the Desert Warrior (see sidebar). KimPro II is a proprietary phenolic resin that combines boron, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), nano-silicates, and molybdenum disulfide. In layman's terms, it's a thermally cured, extremely durable, self-lubricating finish that has been independently tested to withstand 1,000 hours of salt spray and 1,000 hours of saltwater immersion. The finish on the bolt, bottom metal, and trigger is black oxide, which does tend to require a bit more care and lubrication.

The trigger is fully adjustable for weight of pull, overtravel, and engagement. The latter of which can be viewed through a port in the side of the metal housing. Also note the hinged ejector (arrow).

Bedding Down
To complete its ultimate tactical rifle, Kimber engineers decided to go with a fiberglass-laminate stock. They partnered with McMillan to create a version of the popular A5 stock that would accept the 8400 action and its unique bottom metal. Unlike the A5 used by the Marines on the M40A3, the Kimber stock has an integrated adjustable cheekpiece rather than the saddle style of the M40A3.

The stock is comprised of layered 8-ounce fiberglass cloth, which is injected with epoxy resin and compressed into an outer shell. Solid fiberglass is filled into the receiver area, and a mixture of epoxy and glass beads fill the forearm. Urethane foam fills the butt of the stock.

Two sleeves are set into the buttstock to accept the aluminum pillars attached to the adjustable cheekpiece. A pair of hex-socket screws set into the top of the cheekpiece provide for almost a quarter-inch of lateral movement either left or right of the rifle's axis. The length of pull is also adjustable via the McMillan spacer system, which is capped off with a rubber recoil pad.

Behind the barrel is a 0.23-inch-thick recoil lug that fits neatly into a recess in the 8400 receiver. With a stock attached to the rifle, one would never even know it was there.

Inset into the stock are four flush cups that accept Uncle Mike's Push Button QD 100 sling swivels. A single sling-swivel stud is securely screwed into a metal insert in the forearm. This stud is placed far forward on the flat-bottom forearm for the expressed purpose of attaching a bipod or other accessories.

McMillan molds in the desert-camouflage pattern and then tops it with a tough gelcoat. On the nearly vertical pistol grip and running down the sides of the forearm, there are deeply textured surfaces that resemble a giant's first attempt at stippling, but these rough surfaces provide for a tremendous amount of grip. Any sanding marks or surface imperfections on the stock tend to further accentuate this rifle, rather than detract from it.