kimber 25th anniversary or sw 1911 sc?

[scubie02]

Ok, so I'm thinking I just HAVE to get my next 1911 soon, to help me feel better about several guns I am selling to raise cash--a small percentage of the sacrifice coming back to me. I was originally thinking another lightweight model since I have to full sized steel 1911's now, but only one compact lightweight. I amazingly found a new SA lightweight, but then got thinking about the SW 1911 SC commander when I found one of the old "billboard" blue ones cheap--$just over $700 NIB. The "billboard" doesn't bother me so I'll save $100 and take big lettering. BUT, then I stumbled on a Kimber 25th anniversary custom. It's $779 I believe but I'm hoping I could talk them down since I think they've had it quite awhile. In all honesty, I probably wouldn't touch one of the external model Kimber's with all the bad I have heard the past couple years, but the 25th being series one and internal safety...

Now I have heard that they are going back to the internal safeties across the board, so that part of it isn't as big of a deal, but it's nice that its a series 1...I just don't know. An allot is much nicer for carry and what I was looking for, but these models must be about gone by now...

Opinions? I've always beena springer guy but thought I might try something else this time around (probably regret it--all my springers have been problem free to date)

 

[waterhouse]

I've yet to hear anyone say much bad about the S&W 1911s. I don't own one, so I can't say much about it. I've transfered a couple of the scandium/alumnium versions, and they seem like nice guns.

As for the Kimber, I had a regular Kimber series I "custom." It was a great gun that never had any problems. My parents got me the Kimber 25th for my 25th birthday (I guess Kimber and I both started life in 1979). It is pretty much a perfect replica of the original series I custom that I had, and it hasn't had any of the problems that people speak about with the series IIs. The grips that came with the gun are very pretty, and very slick. They are hard to hold onto when your hands get sweaty, so I just switched them out for another set of grips I had laying around. I liked the 25th enough that I sold my older series I, which says a lot since it worked so well.

I don't think you can go wrong with either. My 25th is one of the few guns I have with sentimental value, so I'm a little biased. If I was going to carry one, I'd get a commander length 1911sc. For shooting at the range, I'd go with the 25th.

 

[scubie02]

thanks waterhouse!

Wow, your parents wouldn't be looking to adopt any new kids by any chance...?

I'm fairly torn, but am sort of leaning towards the SW I think, since that was what I was looking for originally--another lightweight carry gun--and I stopped by the store tonight and they wouldn't budge on their somewhat high price, and somebody hadn't been handling the gun too gently--several dings in the grips and such. Think I'll have to pass.

Thanks again for the input!

 

[sgb]

You'd be hard pressed to go wrong with either but I'd take the Kimber myself.

 

[Ala Dan]

If the Kimber is NIB, thats a most excellent price~! But, for a CCW
piece, you can't go wrong with the S&W~! Why not just get both?

 

[Alfadog]

Get the Kimber 25th. I have two of them--you won't be disappointed.

Look at it this way--you will certainly be able to get a 1911 with an external extractor and a completely unnecessary firing pin block in the forseeable future. Reasonably priced 1911s without these features are getting hard to find. Get the real deal Browning designed, don't-need-no-stinkin'-firing-pin-block 1911 while you can!

 

[Kramer Krazy]

My wife has a stainless SW1911 that she picked up NIB for only $690 from a local dealer. She loves the gun and shoots it quite well. I like shooting it, also, but feel like I'm cheating on my Colts when I shoot it. Personally, I've never cared for a Kimber, so I'd probably go with the S&W. But for the money, I'd just pick up another Colt.....which I did this past Tuesday....$790 for a brand new XSE LW Commander.