1911 Thoughts and Opinons - Colt, Springfield or Kimber?

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David Sours

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I am getting ready to purchase my first 1911, I have wanted one for years but I have never layed the money down. I am planning on getting my first one this fall. I am an avid shooter/hunter with the majority of my experience being clays shooting and recently some middle range paper punching. I have a few revolvers and enjoy shooting them. However, I want a 1911 to punch paper and I want an accurate model that is made in America. One other thing I would like to keep the price tag @ 1,200.00.

I am looking at the four models below.

Kimber Gold Medal Match
Colt Gold Cup
Springfield Loaded Target
Springield Loaded Full Size Tropy Match

I would love to hear opinons of these models.

Thanks in advance for the help,
David
 
The Kimber is a nice gun but too much money. Buy the Gold Cup, after all it is a Colt and is a shooter right out of the box. There is just something about owning an original Colt. :)
 
1000 fly's cannot be wrong

...

Colt or Springfield - without doubt

Your percentage of either working 100% from the get-go are much much higher than 50/50 if you go with a Kimber..

OMMV,


Ls
 
I have no experience with those models, but I have owned 1911s from all 3 of those manufacturers. 3 Colt, 3 Kimber, 1 SA.

IME the 3 Kimbers I have owned were more precisely built, by a substantial margin. However two of them also came with over-sized slide stops of all things. Bullets in the magazine would hit them, resulting in a locked slide with rounds in the mag. Easy to fix, but a stupid mistake none-the-less on $1,000+ handguns.
 
However two of them also came with over-sized slide stops of all things. Bullets in the magazine would hit them, resulting in a locked slide with rounds in the mag. Easy to fix, but a stupid mistake none-the-less on $1,000+ handguns.
Click to expand...

As I recall, these followed the scant slide stops that would not engage at all. At least oversize is fixable.

I think the problem was that the unsymmetrical shape of the slide stop made it difficult to plan for shrinkage of the MIM, which runs as high as 20%. So they got one mould short and one over. And moulds are expensive, so they sent out a lot of off spec parts.
 
That's a heck of a problem to have, when you're sending out guns with pieces that don't fit.

I'd get the Colt in blue, I think Colt's blue is really nice looking. JMHO.
 
Truthfully all of the pistols you have listed are good ones.

However only some Springers are assembled in the USA. Most are 100% built in Argentina and all of SA's forgings come from there, reguardless of where it was put together. It's still one heck of a 1911 for the money. It's just not "Made in America".

Kimber's reputation for spotty QC is growing every day. They can build a very nice 1911 thou. It's up to you if you want to chance it. Most are really good guns. Mine wasn't and I wasn't happy with the reliability or the way I was kept in the dark for 11 weeks (1st time) and 14 weeks (2nd time) while they had my Tac Pro II for repair... At least on the 3rd time after 14 more weeks they called me to say it was comming back.... Still wouldn't extract when I got it back thou...

COLT has had QC problems on cosmetic stuff for a while. Slides that rub the dust cover, off center recoil spring holes, razor sharp edges... silly stuff that dosen't effect function of the gun but it just pisses people off.... COLT has been implementing new CNC machines in various areas of mfgr for the past couple of years and subistuting hand finishing in other areas... I think their people were less than trained on what was acceptable and what was not on the hand finishing. I have not seen these problems on new mfgr COLT pistols in about a year so I am assuming the final notch in their CNC program has found it's peg. I have examined every new COLT 1911 that comes up for sale around here in the past year (that has been a bunch). Just last week I examined a new XSE Rail Gun and Gold Cup Trophy stainless - To my amazement they were both perfect and both even had the lower edge of the slide beveled so it wouldn't cut you.... I have also bought 2 new COLT pistols in the last 2 yrs. One (Combat Elite) is superb and perfect. The other (Commander) has a hint of slide rub on the dust cover, otherwise very nice. Both function 100% and shoot accurately.

If I were looking for a new 1911 (and I always am) in the price range and application you have above I would buy a new COLT Gold Cup Trophy in stainless.
Will
 
Of the three you listed (and this coming from someone who's owned all 3 brands & still has two pre-Series II Kimbers) I'd get the Springfield. When a Kimber is right, it's very good, but it still has that dang Swartz firing pin safety. Colt's is still making everything but a few 70 series repros with the 80 series FP safety. Springfields are built like a 1911 is supposed to be - they may not be as pretty as the Colts or Kimbers, but they're more reliable in my experience. My pre-Series II Kimbers aren't near as pretty as the newer Kimbers either, but they're dead reliable. YMMV.
 
I've been looking for a commander sized 1911 and am stuck btw the Kimber Pro Carry, the Super Carry, Colt Commander and even the dreamy Talon II from NHC with the bobtail option. I know the price variance is great here but those are my final 4. I have a Kimber Custom TLE II 5" and love it.
 
Springfield Trophy Match. It gets some hand fitting and finishing touches. It is not just off the production line like the loaded. Also the frames are forged in Brazil, not Argentina. The Kimber is over priced, you would get the same gun by getting something like a Custom Target. The Colt has the stupid Series 80 junk.
 
I purchased a SS Colt Commander in January. I almost sent it back as the recoil spring hole appears off center. After taking some precission measurements and posting pics on the 1911forum, I concluded that the bore was within .010 of the muzzle CL and that the appearance of being off center was due to uneven polishing of the slide.

I'm so glad that I kept the gun, as it has proven very reliable and the trigger is crisp and clean, breaking at ~4.75 lbs.

Colt mags are very good as well.

IMO, Colt knows how to make 1911s that run right. Reliable, accurate with a nice trigger right out of the box.

I'd get the Gold Cup.
 
Of your choices, one of the Springfields would be my choice...and they are made in Brazil by IMBEL.

is there some reason you choose not to consider S&W or Dan Wesson...they are both domestic
 
Of those choices Springfield is probably the best option. However I would suggest looking at STI. More gun, less money.
 
The Dan Wesson CBOB used to be the best option in my opinion that is within your price range. To bad they quit making it. That was one heck of a pistol for $1100.
 
Talk to me about STI, spec. the Trojan in 38 Super. I have no knowledge of this company. Also what model S&W would you suggest.
 
Can't say much about the Trojan in .38 super.
I have a Spartan that is leaps and bounds above the Kimbers I used to own. The all powerful Fit and finish is about the same but the parts are higher quality and it doesn't use MIM part or 2 piece barrels. Did I mention it is also cheaper. I paid 635 + Tax for mine.

Joe over at Superior Firearms can do magical things to them. I am really thinking about picking up a Duty One from him here soon.

If you contact them he may be able to give you some better info about the model you are looking for.

http://www.superiorfirearmsllc.com/

I haven't owned any Springfield 1911s. But most people seem to like them. My experience with Kimber has been less than satisfactory and the Colts I had were good but more expensive than the other offerings for what you got.
 
They didn't quit making them, you just need to buy them in CA
Click to expand...

I guess I misspoke a bit. Because of the limited number being produced(California only) they may as well be discontinued. Last I checked, folks are wanting almost VBOB kind of money for them and If I am going to pay that much I am just going to get the VBOB.
 
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