Springfield Armory Loaded 1911

[GLOCKT]

I'm currently looking at a SA Loaded 1911 the price tag for it is $720,I also find it at another store for $739.
Whats the good-bad and evil about this particular pistol?
I've seen Kimber Customs run for about the same price,I've heard the barrels on the customs seem to wear out faster so refits happens alot faster than they would for the SA Loaded 1911.
I've heard the Kimbers are alot more accurate,but the barrels get shot out faster.
Any info would be appreciated.

 

[glocker1911]

Not sure what model you are looking at, but last time I went pricing, Springers ranged from around $650 for the parkerized loaded up to around $900 for the black stainless. $720 sounds right in the ballpark for a loaded.
I think for the most part Springfield makes one of the best 1911s right now. They don't use any type of firing pin safety, which is a plus in my book. The ILS mainspring set up is easily rplaced if you so desire. And MIM parts are a fact of life in every production 1911 (except the Sig Revolution.) Once upon a time I would have placed Kimber in the same level. But I personally had bad experiences with two differant series II Kimbers that cost me a lot of money and aggravation. And trust me, Kimber customer service is the worst I have ever experienced. Now that Kimber is going back to an internal extractor, that may help. But they still use that weird Schwartz firing pin saftey, and they still have poor service (IMO). Look at both and decide for yourself, of course, but bottom line is that Springfield makes an excellant product, and when it comes to Kimbers, you will either get a fantastic pistol right out of the box, or you'll get one that can never be made quite right. Feel like betting with $700? BTW, don't just take my word for it. Check out the Kimber section on the 1911 forum for some good reading. It will soon be obvious to you who the "Kimber faithful" are who will attack anyone who dares to talk "bad" about Kimbers, and once you ignore them, you'll get lots of good info, both positive and negative about Kimber. Also be sure to check out the Springfield section for good info on them too. Good luck.

 

[aerod1]

I have a Springfield Armory "loaded" model. I think you will love that gun. It is the very best 1911A1 ever, IMHO! I would never part with mine!

Jim

 

[TheFrontRange]

Five-inch Springfield Loaded

I just posted this on another thread, but...I purchased a gently-used Springfield Armory Loaded / parkerized back in December for $599. The gunstore folks told me it was "an $800 gun," but that sounds high. Back in 2002 I purchased a "pre-Series II" Kimber Custom for $700 new, but the Springer loaded does come with a few things that entry-level Kimber didn't...wooden grips and Novak night-sights right off the top of my head.

Before picking up this Loaded I'd considered another Kimber but shyed away for exactly the reasons glocker1911 noted.

Anywho...my Loaded has been GREAT. I've logged almost 550 trouble-free rounds to date. No hiccups or problems of any kind. I do use Wilson Combat mags exclusively; I've never even tried the two factory mags that came with the pistol.

My only nitpick is the two-piece full-length guiderod of the Loaded. And let me say this is a very carefully qualified nitpick hahaha...again, this gun has given me NO trouble thus far with this guiderod setup, and frankly, I don't think I've read any negative commentary on Loadeds so-equipped. I'd just prefer to not have to use an Allen wrench on the guiderod for disassembly / reassembly. I've pondered switching the pistol over to standard-length setup for just that reason...but again...the gun has had no problems, and I might do well to just leave the darn thing alone!

All I've done to personalize my Loaded is to add some skateboard tape to the frontstrap and I traded out the original blue grip screws for stainless ones.

To sum it up - the Loaded highly, highly recommended 1911!

 

[Jaim03]

Thanks to all who shared their wisdom on the Springfield loaded and Kimber, as I too have been looking for my first 1911. I heard some less complimentary Kimber comments at the gun shop as well. Now, any thoughts/comments on Paraordinace quality/customer service? (It would be greatly appreciated.)

 

[Ala Dan]

"Kimbers More Accurate"

I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but word of mouth about any gun
being more accurate based on reputation is purely BS~! Heck, I've
seen a $325 Chineese Norinco that would out shoot some of the
semi-custom .45 ACP's that cost $2,000. With that said, the folks
at Springfield Armory make some very nice weaponary; and the
"LOADED MODEL" is no exception. Their steel frames are forged
in Imbel, Brazil and are known to be of quality construction. And
the MC Operator, the TRP, and the Professional model 1911's are
some of the finest 1911's offered by any gun manufactuer'er.
That is something that you can take too the bank, if you will~!

 

[Zen21Tao]

Heck, I've
seen a $325 Chineese Norinco that would out shoot some of the
semi-custom .45 ACP's that cost $2,000. With that said, the folks
at Springfield Armory make some very nice weaponary; and the
"LOADED MODEL" is no exception.

I currently own both a Norinco 1911 and a Springfield 1911 "Loaded" (Stainless Steel). As for the Norinco, I absolutely agree it is increadibly accurate for a $350 gun. But that is a testament to the Norinco's quality not the lack of quality of other 1911s. The Norinco, like the Springfield, has a solid forged frame. As for the Springfield 1911 "Loaded", I also agree that they are great guns built very durible and capable of superb accuracy. Honestly, I can't see myself parting with either gun.