Ruger 1911 vs Kimber middle 1911s

I have a Springfield Loaded Target in 9mm, 60K+ rounds, replacedrecoil and firing pin springs, still going strong.
(liked it so much I bought a spare, in CA so I have to deal with the crazy approved list, and no telling when things might not be on it any longer)

If you are looking to spend around $1000 (give or take a bit) I think the Spring Loaded or Range Officer would be a good choice.

I also have a Citadel 1911 in .45, not as nice as the Springfield but about 1/2 the money, about 3K rounds thru it no issues.

I wouldn't kick either one out of bed. My Kimbers have been excellent, as has Dad's Ruger. In fact, I've had half a dozen 1911's and am still looking for one of those bad ones that people swear are everywhere. I just want someone to make a plain, adjustable sighted, blued 6" 10mm. No rails. No funky dust covers. Just a blued 5" Delta Gold Cup stretched to 6".

I have owned a Springfield Armory 1911A1 Loaded model since 1994. It's been a fantastic gun and you should consider it.

I have a Kimber Custom II that is probably the best handgun I have ever owned. I now carry a RIA 9mm double-stack. It is completely reliable. If I had to replace the Kimber tomorrow, I would look HARD at the Ruger.

I think that the law of diminishing returns for 1911s starts at about $1000. Meaning, you can spend more money than that, but the increase in quality may not be proportional to what you pay. I have shot Baers, Nighthawk, Wilsons, etc, and they are nice, but not nearly wirth it to me to pay an extra $3k for them.

mljdeckard said:

I think that the law of diminishing returns for 1911s starts at about $1000. Meaning, you can spend more money than that, but the increase in quality may not be proportional to what you pay. I have shot Baers, Nighthawk, Wilsons, etc, and they are nice, but not nearly wirth it to me to pay an extra $3k for them.

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To me, the number is somewhere a bit above $3,000.

The difference between a $1,000 1911 and a $3,000 1911 is about the quality of the parts and how well those parts are put together and typically the customer service that goes along with the higher priced gun. It is usually pretty noticeable just racking the slide, but will be most noticeable 20,000 rounds into ownership where the better parts and the better fitting of those parts will show less wear than the $1,000 1911.

When you run significantly up over $3,000, now you're getting some "bling" or a specific feature that you know you want and are willing to pay for.

red rick said:

I would get the one with the best customer service .

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That would be Ruger.

If you can get past the external extractor "issue" (not a factor for me, an otherwise traditionalist in most things gun related), I'd look long and hard at SIG for a well-made, nicely finished, reliable, accurate and moderately priced 1911 pistol. From what I've read, having no personal experience, SIG has come a long way in offering good customer service; maybe as good now as Ruger and Smith & Wesson.

I have a Sig Nightmare Carry (a $1,200 gun) and the MIM disco crumbled into dust, rendering the gun useless. This happened with <500 rounds through the gun, but because it was purchased more than a year earlier, Sig generously insisted I pay shipping to them to have a new disco fitted. Since that disco would be the same as the one that crumbled, I demurred, and installed an EGW ball-head disco.

You want to check out this quality machining on the frame deck, as well-


That said, the pistol is extremely accurate, has a great trigger and is fun to shoot. I'm not going to be purchasing another Sig anytime soon, however.

Larry

3Crows said:

Some will be disappointed with me, but, low and behold, on the shelf appeared a Kimber Stainless II and I snapped it up. I would have preferred the Springfield Loaded and there is nothing that prevents me from getting such at another time. But my need for a full size, attractive, stainless steel 1911 has been filled. My other Kimber has been perfect and this one is also and will be after break in. It is very tight and the craftsmanship is top notch for a production gun.

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Nice pistol. I would have chosen the Kimber as well.

FYI, I had a Springfield Loaded 1911 for a while and had a chance to compare it to my Kimber Target. They shot equally well for me but I preferred the Kimber.
The hash marks on the slide of my SA Loaded pistol were not deburred as well as they should have been and they really tore up my leather holsters. It was like sticking a cheese grater into the holster. I ruined some nice holsters before I gave up on that pistol. I considered deburring it but then decided it wasn’t worth the effort.

I like the fiber optic sights that Kimber uses now. Let us know how it shoots.

Any 1911 is better than no 1911 and a lot of people like Kimber. Congratulations on the new addition.