Full Metal Jacket
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the bottom edges of the slides on the XSE are sharp enough to shave with....
Colt VS. Kimber
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Full Metal Jacket
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everything feeds empty cases from the mag lol. i don't know how the rumor started that if your gun does this, it's amazingly built 
It is hard to judge based upon different people's experiences and different levels of skill. Only you can decide which is right for you. For competitive and very expereinced shooters, they will prefer Wilson, Caspian, STI, Les Baer, etc. For the average Joe, like me, the Springfield, Colts and Kimbers (Even the Rock Island), are fine. It sounds lame to need a gun to break in. I prefer guns that shoot well right out of the box (Striker Fire like Glock, S&W and M&P). I am not one who likes to change guns often and I am not one who will fiddle with every little thing. Just like my choice of computers (Apple), I run it like it was designed out of the box (except for the night sights); I don't go for magazine extensions, either.
I have two Kimbers (just grabbed a second one yesterday). The Pro shoots fine enough for me - no failures. My buddy has a Colt Defender and he changed the Recoil Spring and mags to Wilson Combat so his is fine, now. Through our limited pool of 2, either will work.
Kimbers tend to have a lot of extras which I like rather than bring my gun to a gunsmith - which can take a few weeks to get everything I want added. They tend to cost more upfront. Colts are the classic pistols with a strong following. Their design is reliable and proven for a production gun. The XSE and Custom Shop stuff is supposed to be really good from what people have told me but I never had the honor of shooting one. For the most part I don't hear much in terms of negativity from a Colt Owner.
With that being said, only you can decide what will fit you best. If you get either, you should try the Wilson mags instead of factory. Don't modify anything until you at least have 200-300 rounds to see what works for you. Look at the 1911 Colt forum and I have seen only positive posts from a vast majority.
I have two Kimbers (just grabbed a second one yesterday). The Pro shoots fine enough for me - no failures. My buddy has a Colt Defender and he changed the Recoil Spring and mags to Wilson Combat so his is fine, now. Through our limited pool of 2, either will work.
Kimbers tend to have a lot of extras which I like rather than bring my gun to a gunsmith - which can take a few weeks to get everything I want added. They tend to cost more upfront. Colts are the classic pistols with a strong following. Their design is reliable and proven for a production gun. The XSE and Custom Shop stuff is supposed to be really good from what people have told me but I never had the honor of shooting one. For the most part I don't hear much in terms of negativity from a Colt Owner.
With that being said, only you can decide what will fit you best. If you get either, you should try the Wilson mags instead of factory. Don't modify anything until you at least have 200-300 rounds to see what works for you. Look at the 1911 Colt forum and I have seen only positive posts from a vast majority.
If I were to buy a new Colt, I would get one with a series 70 action.
I had the firing pin safety drop down while shooting this Series 80 Colt. It prevented the slide from closing.
That sort of put me off series 80 actions. I don't need a safety device that jams the pistol.
Kimbers now have a different sort of firing pin block, my Clackamus Kimber is a series 70 action, so I don't know how the new ones act.
I had the firing pin safety drop down while shooting this Series 80 Colt. It prevented the slide from closing.
That sort of put me off series 80 actions. I don't need a safety device that jams the pistol.
Kimbers now have a different sort of firing pin block, my Clackamus Kimber is a series 70 action, so I don't know how the new ones act.
Full Metal Jacket
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i should have specified that i was referring to quality 1911's lol
gutterman
Member
I have a Kimber Pro Carry 2- have not fired it a thousand times , but it has been a great gun so far, and dead on-right out of the box!
Justified1911
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OHIO-
I recently made this decision when poised with the EXACT SAME QUESTION. The difference was I already had a M1991A1 in Stainless (perfectly reliable, very nice example bought used for $700 and four extra mags), and was deciding between the Kimber CUS II and the COLT Combat Elite XSE. The XSE stole my heart when I held them both in the shop, but the Kimber impressed me with its tightness and simplicity (all black, black sights, etc, etc) for the price. The Kimber was $750 new, and the XSE Combat Elite a whopping $975! A lot of dough for a blue-collar guy in a rough economy.
After looking around, posting messages on various 1911 forums, the resounding answer was to go with the COLT! I even attempted other shops for price comparisons, but hardly anybody can get COLTS new, and the Combat Elite is hard to come by around here. Kimbers are more frequent. I also have shot both a Kimber TLE II and another model out of their custom shop with target sights, etc, that a buddy has. The tightness in these guns does mean you have to fire nearly 500 rounds in them before they become "carry-reliable". In this period they are sometimes finicky. The COLT's are always a bit looser, but never sloppy. They were designed like this 100 years ago for a reason: reliability.
When you do the math on 500 rounds, which for me the cheapest I can get is 100 for $35, thats $175 bucks or so I could just put towards the COLT. COLT's will always be COLT's, and there will always be a following. They hold their value well. Needless to say I went back and snatched up the Combat Elite (the last one!), and haven't looked back!
Here's what I would tell you, having shot all these guns, and now owning two: If you want a true value, buy that COLT M1991A1 Series 80 (if its not parkerized) which will not only hold value, but will be very reliable and adequate for all duties. I love the simplicity of mine. The drawback is it doesn't have as much flash and "coolness" factor as the Kimber, so if you think you'll have buyer's remorse down the line (because you have the plain-Jane "GI" model, and your buddies have the hot-rodded models), go with the Kimber. If it were me, I would save a little more dough and go with a COLT XSE, which retains both the COLT name and coolness factor I mentioned. To me, these are cooler than Kimbers, and will likely hold value better.
I recently made this decision when poised with the EXACT SAME QUESTION. The difference was I already had a M1991A1 in Stainless (perfectly reliable, very nice example bought used for $700 and four extra mags), and was deciding between the Kimber CUS II and the COLT Combat Elite XSE. The XSE stole my heart when I held them both in the shop, but the Kimber impressed me with its tightness and simplicity (all black, black sights, etc, etc) for the price. The Kimber was $750 new, and the XSE Combat Elite a whopping $975! A lot of dough for a blue-collar guy in a rough economy.
After looking around, posting messages on various 1911 forums, the resounding answer was to go with the COLT! I even attempted other shops for price comparisons, but hardly anybody can get COLTS new, and the Combat Elite is hard to come by around here. Kimbers are more frequent. I also have shot both a Kimber TLE II and another model out of their custom shop with target sights, etc, that a buddy has. The tightness in these guns does mean you have to fire nearly 500 rounds in them before they become "carry-reliable". In this period they are sometimes finicky. The COLT's are always a bit looser, but never sloppy. They were designed like this 100 years ago for a reason: reliability.
When you do the math on 500 rounds, which for me the cheapest I can get is 100 for $35, thats $175 bucks or so I could just put towards the COLT. COLT's will always be COLT's, and there will always be a following. They hold their value well. Needless to say I went back and snatched up the Combat Elite (the last one!), and haven't looked back!
Here's what I would tell you, having shot all these guns, and now owning two: If you want a true value, buy that COLT M1991A1 Series 80 (if its not parkerized) which will not only hold value, but will be very reliable and adequate for all duties. I love the simplicity of mine. The drawback is it doesn't have as much flash and "coolness" factor as the Kimber, so if you think you'll have buyer's remorse down the line (because you have the plain-Jane "GI" model, and your buddies have the hot-rodded models), go with the Kimber. If it were me, I would save a little more dough and go with a COLT XSE, which retains both the COLT name and coolness factor I mentioned. To me, these are cooler than Kimbers, and will likely hold value better.
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swinokur
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This. TLE II RL 1000k rounds not a burp
SSN Vet
Member
a woman at a matress store once told me in a very cynical voice...
Honey, you can get fluff or stuff......I'll borrow her analogy.
Colt = stuff (solid mechanics that work)
Kimber = fluff (lot's of features)
I like Colt and imo. they really know how to make a reliable 1911.
Perhaps Colt runs truer to JMB design and doesn't needlessly change things.
People get all hung up on having a tight fitting frame to slide fit, and then have to pump hundreds of rounds of expensive ammo. through them to get them to run reliably.
Colt went through a major re-tooling program a year or so ago and has hopefully weeded out the source of some of their cosmetic issues.
For what Kimbers go for, I'd go semi-custom.
Having said all of that, my brother has a Kimber that he absolutely loves and raves about its accuracy
Honey, you can get fluff or stuff......I'll borrow her analogy.
Colt = stuff (solid mechanics that work)
Kimber = fluff (lot's of features)
I like Colt and imo. they really know how to make a reliable 1911.
Perhaps Colt runs truer to JMB design and doesn't needlessly change things.
People get all hung up on having a tight fitting frame to slide fit, and then have to pump hundreds of rounds of expensive ammo. through them to get them to run reliably.
Colt went through a major re-tooling program a year or so ago and has hopefully weeded out the source of some of their cosmetic issues.
For what Kimbers go for, I'd go semi-custom.
Having said all of that, my brother has a Kimber that he absolutely loves and raves about its accuracy
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Zerodefect
member
IME, the regular, nothing fancy Kimber 5" TLE's are probally my favorite Kimbers. The fancier models don't really have a performance advantage. So right now I would avoid the more expensive Kimbers. I actually prefere not having night sights.
The Stainless TLE with rails are sharp as well.
If you want custom and really fancy your better off starting with a Baer, Brown, or DW.
The Stainless TLE with rails are sharp as well.
If you want custom and really fancy your better off starting with a Baer, Brown, or DW.
SSN Vet
Member
double tap....
sorry
sorry
I have been considering this very question for some time myself. I have been looking at the Kimber Pro Carry and the Colt Commander models though. Heck I may just end up going with a Dan Wesson VBOB. Just not 100% sure if I want to put that much $ into it right now though.
ugaarguy
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Having had an experience like SlamFire's, and since you're looking at a Colt Government Model anyway, I'd recommend the Colt 70 series over either a Kimber II Series or a Colt 80 Series. Kimber does offer a few current production non-series II pistols as well. I currently own a pair or pre-series II Kimbers. If was looking for another 1911 immediately I'd buy either a Colt 70 series, or a Springfield GI or Mil-Spec for a base gun. If I wanted bells & whistles I'd be shopping the new Colt 21st Century Commander (wish they'd do it in a 5" length) or one of the non-series II Kimbers.
Justified1911
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If you go with the XSE Combat Elite, you get a Novak rear sight, and a Smith and Alexander beavertail, if it matters to you. This did to me when considering ther price difference as Novak sights are expensive, as are quality beavertail's. I know the sight plane on Kimber's is a little different, so if it were me I would put a single dot or bead out front and rock the black blades in the back. I'm also not a fan of night sights, nor three white-dot. One out front is my own preference, so I usually don't get wrapped up in sights, as I like to change them. Novak's mattered to me in this case though as I was familar with their quality (having a set on a Smith autoloader). I don't really think you'll find too many people who call the XSE styling ugly, either. They might not like the COLT part, but the gun is handsome. Becareful on the Series 80's though. The Old-Roll-Marks (ORM - the picture of my M1991A1 is an example) are not super-attractive and hurt the value slightly. The New-Roll-Marks (current production) do look better.
It seems that everyone "feels" better about their 1911 when it has the "Rampant Horse" on the slide of the slide. Pride of ownership goes to the Colts.
Kimber has made a lot of nice guns.
Both companies have made some lemons through the years.
I'd have no reservations about either brand, after inspecting the specimens for quality of course. And . . . I've owned and/or own both brands. Most of 'em are very, very fine firearms! My next full size 1911 will be another Colt . . . to replace my first generation, tricked out Combat Elite that I shot loose in practices for competitions back "in the day." The sucker had a lot of bullets run through its tube!!!
Kimber has made a lot of nice guns.
Both companies have made some lemons through the years.
I'd have no reservations about either brand, after inspecting the specimens for quality of course. And . . . I've owned and/or own both brands. Most of 'em are very, very fine firearms! My next full size 1911 will be another Colt . . . to replace my first generation, tricked out Combat Elite that I shot loose in practices for competitions back "in the day." The sucker had a lot of bullets run through its tube!!!
Psyco Tyco
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when it comes down to authenticity with the colt, vs aftermarket addons with the kimber its best decided by how much and what kind of shooting you do
i have a colt government that i put rounds through for the sake of function, i have a kimber eclipse 2 and a kimber custom 2 that i put rounds more rounds through because they have better sights, better triggers, and are more likely to be carried with me on a hunt or used in a competition
i have a colt government that i put rounds through for the sake of function, i have a kimber eclipse 2 and a kimber custom 2 that i put rounds more rounds through because they have better sights, better triggers, and are more likely to be carried with me on a hunt or used in a competition
Yeah, "give our guns a break in period because they will most likely jam during this period." lol funny The only thing I will give Kimber is features, that's about it.
I personally wouldn't deal with either, but if I had to choose one of the two it would be Colt.
Go for a Springfield and be done with it.
Oh yeah, you can't go wrong with this suggestion either.
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