Springfield vs Kimber

[Sea-Dated]

I am looking at a 3" 1911 .45 and am having a tough time deciding between the Kimber and the Springfield. I seem to get equal advice to both and the Kimber is a couple hundred more. I have heard the only reason they are more is to pay for all the advertising they do and they are actually identical pistols.

All of you gun experts out there, let me know your opinions please.

[getchasum111]

i had a problem wth the finish flaking off on the kimber....nice gun though

[gerritm]

I just traded one of my rifles for a Kimber Ultra Carry II in .45 acp. Very sweet gun. Handles well with less kick than my .40 HK. Very easy and slim to carry. I have put a couple of hundred rounds thru it and it works perfect. Very accurate to 15 yards and hits the 8" ring at 25 yards. The only problem I have had was trying to cycle some 235 grain HP shells thru it. It's a small gun and the large HP's would jam once in a while in the feed ramp. I went with smaller weight HP's and they feed fine. I would reccomend it highly. Everyone who uses it loves it's weight and feel.

[Trim'd Up]

Kimber used to make a really nice 1911, but the quality has been hit or miss lately. I have an older Kimber that has been great since day one, but I have two buddies that have recently bought them, (Ultra carry and Raptor) partly based on my experience with mine that have been POS. Both have been back to the factory multiple times. The Raptor has already been traded in due to reliability issues after 3 times back to the factory, pretty sad for a $1400+ gun. It was a beauty though. There are lemons in every machine, but I feel Kimber is sacrificing quality for quanity in recent years. I just ordered a Springer TRP which will be my first Springfield 1911, so we will see on that one.

[Chris]

Buy a Colt.

[Sea-Dated]

Buy a Colt.

What model is comperable?

[Chris]

Find a Combat Commander- preferrably a Series 70. With the pre-firing pin block. Or a very early Series 80. That pistol will make the Springfield or Kimber look like a farm implement. It's slightly larger, but that's a good thing. The sight radius on that short slide is all but useless. And that caliber in a small handgun can be tough to get a good grip on.

Combat Commander, not Commander. Longer grip on the latter.

If you really want a small pistol, look for the Officer's version.

[SKATIN]

I don't have tons of gun experience but I have a Springfield Armory 1911 and I love it. Shoots very well. I've always heard the Kimbers were better

[Chris]

The SAR is a quality piece. The older Kimber was better than what you're getting these days. The Colt is an old-school piece of craftsmanship that just isn't produced anymore, anywhere, by anyone. You can get a custom pistol built but you're going to spend the $$ on it.

[ILMORdude]

My dad had a Kimber .45 a few yrs ago. I dont recall the model but i hated it. Worst gun I ever shot. I love shooting glock 23 .40 and this Kimber was not what I expected. Jammed twice in 15 minutes. Ps- Im no gun guru but i didnt like it at all

[Chris]

Keep in mind that an auto pistol is going to typically be ammunition sensitive. Most will feed round-nose pretty well, but when you get into any sort of hollow point, you've got to experiment to see what your particular pistol likes. Many can be tuned to feed better. The magazine means alot too.

I'm the exact opposite with the Glock. Hate it, hate shooting it, can't hit well with it. In fact, all pistols are decorations and range toys except an HK.

[Birdog]

I have a Kimber..Gold Match II...I love it...Shoots great, feels great, well made. never had a miss feed//
It is 7 years old though dont know about the newer ones

Chris...I hated my Glock so much i sold it..First gun I ever sold !

[waterboy222]

Matt, I have the Springfield if you want to come put some rounds down range and see what you think. If it means anything, I traded my ultra carry in on it. I traded it in because of the problems with it loading softer nosed hollow points. It likes certain types of ammo. And I didnt like payin for that certain type.

Plus we need to get brandon in there and break in his new toy.

[mikes280]

Colt officers model i have had one for about 10 years and i love it only problem is i don't carry it due to it being to hard to replace so i carry a MP smith 40

[waterboy222]

an 80 series isnt too rare yet.. Ive toyed with getting another Colt, I really liked it.. I had one that i sold for like $250 last year. Theres still a few on gunbroker.com

[Sea-Dated]

Matt, I have the Springfield if you want to come put some rounds down range and see what you think. If it means anything, I traded my ultra carry in on it. I traded it in because of the problems with it loading softer nosed hollow points. It likes certain types of ammo. And I didnt like payin for that certain type.

Plus we need to get brandon in there and break in his new toy.

Sounds good. Give me a shout next time you are in town and we will head to the range.

[waterboy222]

shooting on sundays quite a bit.. guns are my secret hobby ;-)

[Sea-Dated]

shooting on sundays quite a bit.. guns are my secret hobby ;-)

Nice. That is the same Walther P22 I got my wife for Valentines day last year. Nice shooting litte gun. Do you come to Tulsa to shoot? Give me shout, I should be free on Sunday.

[ImaPoser]

Sti.

[publius]

Get a Colt if you can afford it. Springfield makes a good weapon but stay away from the Kimber. The early ones were good but their QC has been horrible the last few years.