Best 1911 Out of the Box for the money?

[chieftain]

I have 5 defective Kimbers.

All are reliable and haven't broken, obviously I should have purchased a different brand.

My first Warrior, (which is a '70s' type with no un-1911 safeties, just like the desert warrior), has only 11,500 rounds through it without a FTF or any of those defective MIM parts breaking.

My Colts are reliable too. Both series 70 and 80.

I tend to like my weapons, when possible, built in the United States and or by a US manufacturer. Required? NO. Just a preference.

My most important requirement in any fighting weapon is reliability. My Kimbers, Colts both fulfill that requirement in spades.

Apparently some folks have had problems. Many of them are the folks that make fun of my compulsive cleaning of weapons. My compulsion was "earned" with 10 years in the Marine Corps, two tours with the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam, a short tour as a DI, and watching Americans troops die because of the M16.

I also only carry 5" 1911's. And they all use a 18 1/2 lb recoil spring instead of the "normal" 16lbs spring.

I think Springfield, Smith & Wesson, Kimber, etal are all good weapons. Choose your fighting weapons for your reasons, not others.

Go figure.

Fred

 

[quickcanary]

Oops

 

[glockman19]

Of my 3 1911's I have 3 kimbers. I would liek a Springfield and some day I'll inherit a Colt from a cousin who carried it in WWII.

 

[WmCC]

Just for perspective: An unissued 1943 Remington Rand, in cosmoline, purchased in 1962 through CMP/ Red River Arsenal for $17.50. It has never missed a beat and is currently on it's 12th recoil spring. Yes, the original (spring) is still somewhere in the safe.

More recently, five first generation Kimbers, from the mid- to- late 1990's... all have been flawless and each is more accurate than I can shoot.

Recommendation: A 5" all-steel Springer or Colt, good mags, good ammo and learn to tension the extractor... having done this, it should beat any Glock, Sig. Berreta or H&K on reliability/durability.