Colt Gold Cup vs. Kimber Custom Target SS II

[mach1.3]

I am thinking of buying another 1911 and want a target pistol. I have pared my choices down to these two. I want a SS full size 1911 and am pondering the difference in these.

What I can see the CGC has the regular GI guide rod whereas the Kimber has the fill length guide rod. Is there any difference in accuracy or reliability?
What would be the best choice? The CGC is more expensive and more difficult to find in stock than the Kimber. Any info would be appreciated especially from owners with firsthand experience.

 

[Fishbed77]

I'd take the Colt Gold Cup over the Kimber in a heartbeat.

 

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

I, have the Kimber, and it is very reliable, and very accurate.

The Colt Gold Cup has always been the bar that all others, even other Colt's, are judged by.

I, have had both factory, and add on full length guides on 1911s, as well as 1911s with the standard guide rod, personally I'm not good enough to tell the difference. But they are cool.

 

[mach1.3]

Thanks, I knew the answer before ya'll agreed. The CGC SS is hard to find in stock so I was looking at the Kimber as a backup plan. I know I'm probably not good enough that it would make a difference. However, I would have in the back of my mind that I wished I'd bought the Gold Cup instead.

 

[Fishbed77]

What I can see the CGC has the regular GI guide rod whereas the Kimber has the fill length guide rod. Is there any difference in accuracy or reliability?

I agree with Rollis - my experience is that there is no difference in accuracy or reliability between a standard and full-length guide rod. My Colt XSE came with a FLGR. I could give it or take it. It works fine, so it stays.

FLGRs can make the pistol more difficult to field strip. Not really bad at all on my XSE, but kind of a pain on my brother's SW1911.

 

[BYJO4]

I have had both although my Gold Cup was nickel. Both are very accurate and you can't go wrong with which ever one you buy. If you want the Colt, I suggest you buy it or you may always regret not getting it. The type guide rod you use has no bearing on accuracy. For whatever reason, I prefer the full length rod while many prefer the GI style.

 

[Olympus]

I have owned 2 Kimber Stainless Target 2's, one in 9mm and one in 10mm. I was very impressed with the quality and accuracy of both guns. I sold the 9mm and bought a Dan Wesson PM-9 and gave my 10mm to my dad for indefinite loan just because he loved it so much.

My dad has a late 1980s Gold Cup National Match and I've never been impressed with it. Compared to the Kimbers, the slide to frame fit is much more loose. It doesn't have a beavertail. The thumb safety lever is not very wide if you like to ride your thumb on top. The new stainless Colts have that matte finish on the rounded areas of the pistol. The Kimbers are matte also, but much more smooth looking and feeling compared to the Colt matte. Also, I've noticed that the matte areas on the Colt feel rough, like frosted glass, while the Kimber feels smooth. I also had a Colt Defender with the same matte finish on the top of the slide. It was really easy to develop rust if I didn't keep it wiped down with oil. Never had that problem with the Kimbers.

In terms of accuracy, there's no noticeable difference. I just got a new Ransom Rest for Christmas, but I haven't put both guns in to test them out. Really wouldn't be a good apples to apples comparison since the GC is 45 and the Kimber is 10mm.

Also the triggers will be different between the two. Both have a firing pin safety. Kimber uses a Schwartz-style that is linked to the grip safety. Depressing the grip safety releases the firing pin safety. The Kimber sear, disconnector, etc are not effected and will typically have a better pull. The Colt uses a Series 80 system where the firing pin safety is released through the trigger pull. I give Kimber the advance in terms of trigger.

You'll get a lot of comments here because the two brands are so polarizing. There's a HUGE number of people that think any gun with a pony on it is automatically a better quality gun. And there are a lot of people that think anything produced by Kimber is an inferior POS full of MIM parts that are as brittle as a twig and not worth anything. Figure out who the fanboys and haters are and take that information with a grain of salt. I've have both Colts and Kimbers. Both have their pros and cons. In this comparison, I'd probably go with the Kimber. But personally, I'd rather have an older Series 70 Gold Cup National Match that is blued instead of these newer Gold Cup Trophies or whatever they're calling them now. Give me a late 1970s blued Colt over anything they're producing now.

 

[Rock185]

I have owned multiple Colts since the '70s, and Kimbers for about the last 15 years or so. This would include blue and stainless Gold Cups and several Kimber Stainless Target IIs. I think the stainless Gold Cup Trophy is better looking, and I like the fact that there are no forward cocking serrations. That being said, I've had better luck with the Kimbers just working right as received. I've never sent a Kimber back for any warranty issues, but have sent back two Colt Gold Cups, most recently my 2012 production stainless Gold Cup Trophy. After two trips back to Colt for serious issues ( totaling approx 6 months ) it now performs just fine. The GCT is not any more reliable or accurate than production Government Models or Kimber target IIs I've owned, but I think the factory trigger pull in the GCT is a little better. Both good guns IMHO.

BTW, the best of the several Gold Cups I've owned is an old '70 series that I had hard chromed many years ago. Still in the family, and I still get to shoot it once in a while. That old GC is still as reliable and accurate as any 1911 type pistol I've owned...

 

[Paul7]

I've heard a lot of feedback that the newer GCs are far superior to the old Series '70s in fit and accuracy. I have a blued GCNM with a tight fit and more accurate than my DW Valor. I'll take the new ones.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

I'm a Colt guy that carries a Kimber, simply because Kimber had what I wanted in a carry pistol at the time that Colt did not. I'd say you're likely to be happy with either.

 

[FM12]

Gold Cup, all the way. I carried one as a duty weapon for several months. No better testimony I can give.

 

[loose noose]

I've got a Colt Series 70, National Match Gold Cup in the blue. It is by far the most accurate hand gun I ever shot, and that includes my son's Kimber 1911. When I first got it we set it up in a ransom rest at the police range and shot 8 rounds in a 3" inch group at 50 yards. I don't believe any hand gun is capable of that today without major modifications. Go with the Colt.

 

[HexHead]

Give me a late 1970s blued Colt over anything they're producing now.

Then you'd be missing out on a great gun. Colt is producing the best pistols now than anytime in their history.

 

[JDR]

I'd go Gold Cup NM

 

[5-SHOTS]

Colt Gold Cup.

 

[bannockburn]

I would go with a Gold Cup too, but then I'm a big Colt fan anyways.

 

[dos0711]

Another Colt vote here!

 

[Olympus]

Then you'd be missing out on a great gun. Colt is producing the best pistols now than anytime in their history.

I've seen them and wasn't impressed. And I think the older Colt bluing is much nicer than the new stuff. I still think the old Series 70 guns with the original box and paperwork will always be more valuable.

 

[Drail]

I have never been a huge fan of Colts (the current ones may be great but a lot of the older ones were unbelievably out of spec) but given those choices I would most definitely buy the Colt.

 

[Casefull]

I have both and gold cup is not nearly as accurate or fitted as the kimber. You will hear lots of nostalgia here concerning the colt but they are not real world unbiased comparisons. I have several colts but once I had a kimber I never bought any more colts. That is my experience. I have a Wilson combat that is really a great gun and the kimbers are closer to the Wilson than they are to the colts.

 

[Paul7]

I've seen them and wasn't impressed. And I think the older Colt bluing is much nicer than the new stuff. I still think the old Series 70 guns with the original box and paperwork will always be more valuable.

Finish aside, in a recent review by Massad Ayoob, he also says the new ones are better in fit and accuracy than the old, mainly due to the new CNC machinery. The new ones also have improved Bomar-style sights, the old sights were notorious for falling off.

The OP wants a SS gun, which leaves out the old Gold Cups.

 

[SigFTW]

Kimber, hands down!

 

[Olympus]

Finish aside, in a recent review by Massad Ayoob, he also says the new ones are better in fit and accuracy than the old, mainly due to the new CNC machinery. The new ones also have improved Bomar-style sights, the old sights were notorious for falling off.

The OP wants a SS gun, which leaves out the old Gold Cups.

I was purely speaking for my own preference regarding the blued. I already gave the OP my opinion regarding his two models of choice.

I guess if Ayoob said it, there's no questioning it. Were his words written in red too?

 

[CoalTrain49]

I've got a GC Trophy. I don't know anything about Kimber. The reason there aren't very many Gold Cup's around is they are regarded as the very best target pistol out there for the price. I waited a year for mine and bought the first one I could find. I like it more every time I shoot it.

 

[Paul7]

I was purely speaking for my own preference regarding the blued. I already gave the OP my opinion regarding his two models of choice.

I guess if Ayoob said it, there's no questioning it. Were his words written in red too?

No, are yours? IMHO he's less biased and more knowledgeable than the rest of us here. If your #1 criteria is the bluing than I guess the old Series 70s are the way to go for you.