Colt has some serious and ongoing QC issues. They seem to be getting better, but they are far from resolved. It is my impression that you are more apt to get a bum Colt than a bum Kimber.
Either way, do not buy the gun sight unseen, as from an auction. You want to be able to move the parts and inspect things closely to see just who well things do or do not move and fit. After my experience with getting a Combat Commander XS about 3-4 years ago (not XSE, but XS), I would not buy another Colt 1911 of recent vintage without being able to field strip the gun and seeing what is inside. Mine turned out to look like it was machined by a blind guy. Actually, I have seen the work of a blind machinist that was a lot better than what was reflected inside the Colt's slide. Heck, the ejection port wasn't a smooth rim all the way around, but had two lumps that had not been properly milled during the milling process and nobody ever bothered to remove them during any later stage of production or finishing.
Colt can make an excellent gun. The problem is that while they have the capability, they are not consistent and the inconsistency seems to occur at a much higher frequency than with other brands like Kimber.
Whatever you do, don't buy into Colt hype. Hype doesn't mean squat and will not make your gun function. Things like "If its not a Colt then it is just a copy) seems to imply that no copy could ever be as good as the original. The sad thing is, if it is a Colt, it may be a copy. The 1911 was designed by JMB, not Colt. The AR15 and M16s that went into production to supply the military were made by Colt, but the design is Armalite. Colt was sued and lost for patent infringment and as a result dropped products like their Pocket 9.
