My First Handgun -- Kimber - Is it worth the money?

[Bazooka Joe71]

Hopefully, your .45 and shotgun taste like salmon so that after the bear or lion have eaten you because you pissed em off shooting at them with .45s and shotguns, they can eat the guns for desert.

I know just about nothing when it comes to hunting lions, tigers, or bears....but a couple of 12 ga slugs would just piss a bear off?

Pardon my ignorance, but it seems like it would do enough damage to at least keep it from eating you?

 

[BevrFevr]

You could be right about the slugs

I would still worry about the slow speed of the slug and the infamous ability of bear hide, bones and fat to resist all types of weapons.

I have never heard of anyone shooting a bear with a shotgun slug.

You gotta give it too me though that it would be imprudent at best to think of a .45 as enough for two types of very fast very dangerous game.

bevr

 

[Phil DeGraves]

Shotgun slugs will go through both sides of a car. I don't think a bear is going to stand up to it.

 

[Phil DeGraves]

That being said, I don't think I'd opt for one over a good rifle so I could stay further away, but for emergency use, I wouldn't feel undergunned using the full powered slugs at close range.

 

[ripcurlksm]

BevrFevr, thanks for your thoughts I dont plan on shooting any bears anytime soon, but it may be a realisitic situation (always be prepared, no?). Nothing gets my blood pumping like seeing a big ol pile of bear sh1t on the trail - What would be your weapon of choice then? You think shotgun slugs are a poor choice?

The .45 warning shots will certainly make a big enough bang to hopefully scare off any large carnivores. (BTW - This would be my primary goal as opposed to needlessly engaging them.)

Has anyone thought about bringing M80's to scare off bears? For the late night and early morning rustling & growls in camp - light the M80 in the tent, give it a short throw, Boom, watch 'em run, then sleeeep! ????

 

[GungHo]

The problem with your idea ripcurlksm could be the Darwinian mistake of forgetting to open up the tent or missing the entrance/exit and bouncing it off the fabric, especially in your oh-so-coordinated "I just woke up and there's a bear here" state.

Of course, the bear might like his meals cooked.

 

[boldkharma]

I love my Kimbers, all IE's and not one malf so far.



I say go for it. A 1911 is an oustanding weapon and if I could go back in time, it would have been my first. Kimber makes some excellent 1911's now. I have as much faith in mine as my Colt's and Springfields.

 

[BevrFevr]

What would be your weapon of choice then?

Well like I mentioned before a .44 mag (ruger or smith) and a 30-06 would be a good place to start. I here pepper spray is highly recommended and I believe it.

Phil, a bear is not a car.

Personally I love 12 gauge slugs. One of my very favorite things to shoot. I just never heard of anyone hunting or shooting bears or mountain lions with them.

and I say again, if buy a 1911 buy a smith.

 

[Slvr Surfr]

Ill take the SMITH ANY DAY !!!!

I bought a Springfield Armory Loaded for my first 1911. It runs great. Ive never had any issues with it, and it fed everything that I could put in. The only problem was that I found the full 5" to be a beating to CC. I bought the Scandium SW 4.25" for CC, and have never looked back. Both SA and SW have excellent customer service should you ever need to get the gun fixed they stand behind their products. SA and SW also pay for shipping. Kimber doesnt.
If youve ever had to ship a gun, it can be an expensive proposition. God forbid it goes more than once. Some members on here, and glock talk have been told by Kimber CS people that it was their fault the gun malfunctioned. They then told them to put 500 more rounds through the gun and see if that fixes the problem. To me making excuses like that can lose customers. Ive only shot one Kimber and I wasnt sure why it costed $1100.00. My loaded and Scandium were both under $800 and I have never regretted either purchase. I would suggest you dont get caught up in the MIM hype. If the parts didnt work then they wouldnt be in the gun to begin with. As for the extractor issue, if the gun has had good history then go with it. My SW has an EE, and the SA has a IE. Both have had 0 issues.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

I have a Kimber Ultra CDP II and love it. I am more often than not trusting my life to it, so it is both accurate and reliable. I am also one of the Colt fans. Had Colt been selling a tiny 1911 with these features, I would surely have gone with them. Had the Springfield Micro been out at the time I bought the Kimber, I would have considered it also, especially at the reduced price. I feel, though, that I got a lot for the money. Only thing I've changed is the grips. Smooth gripper stocks work better for me with this one, as the flat mainspring housing makes the grip just a bit too small for my hand otherwise.

That full-size you're looking at is gorgeous.

 

[boldkharma]

I used too have a SW1911 SC as well, like a knucklehead I sold it. I think most of the Kimbers I have seen at least, have a better fit and finish. I think you pay a little more for that.

 

[bumm]

Lots of opinions here. For my two cents, I love 1911's. I have a Kimber Gold Match, series 2, with an internal extractor, and it's very accurate and performs flawlessly.
I don't get overly excited about MIM parts. If done well, they are reliable. If done poorly, the process probably lends itself to internal voids.
I also don't mind the built in firing pin safety on newer models. The hammer-sear notch is tiny, and all machines fail. I keep my guns clean, and have never had problems with the firing pin safety sticking.
I'm getting old, and I like STEEL. I shoot some guns that are 80 and 90+years old. Aluminum and composite are fine for carry guns, but I like to imagine my great grandchildren someday shooting my guns. I doubt if the newer materials will last in the long run like STEEL.
1911's are great guns. Just my thoughts.
Marty