S&W or Kimber

[cyberdemonbfg]

One that,i don't think was mentioned,is the desert eagle 1911C.The thing is scary accurate for a weapon of it's price and mine hasn't had any problems.I had a kimber cdpII which even though i didn't have any problems with it(only ran a little over 50 rounds through it),it showed excessive wear on the frame,who knows.The only thing you may not like on the eagle is the billboard sign on the slide(which doesn't bother me).I also have a pre series 70 national match which will shoot with the best of them.Good Luck.

 

[mattallamerican]

i love my dan wesson.or get a glock and forget the sissy gun as tommy lee jones said in u.s. marshalls

 

[MP1SG]

Hi
I own a Kimber Pro CarryII S&W1911PD and a Para LTC. My Para LTC hands down beats them all. In accuracy,reliability and Looks.
just my 2cents
MP1SG
Out

 

[dvdslw]

My 2 cents, I have owned a Kimber and it was a jam-o-matic, sold that and bought a Colt New Agent, that was a 100% reliable good shooting gun, recently bought a full size S&W stainless E-Series 1911 and loved it but shortly after buying it I found the SC Commander E-Series with the round butt treatment and had to have it. While the Colt was as perfect a gun as you cold ask for, I sold it to get the Smith and other than a few cosmetic issues with the S&W due to the lack of "quality control" on their assembly line, I love the Smith product. So if I were in the market for a sub $1,200 1911 I would start with Colt, then S&W, and pass on the Kimber. Good Luck!

 

[J. W.]

Of the two, S&W.

Honestly, I rather have a Springfield of Colt than either.

 

[arkdweller22]

I have 2 Kimbers: A stainless target in 10MM and an Ultra Raptor in .45 ACP. They have both been flawless from the time they came out of the box. I have nothing but praise for those two.

I can't speak to the S&W 1911's as I've never owned one. It does seem however that they've solved the external extractor riddle, where few have been able (seems like SIG is the only other one).

Someone did mention a Dan Wesson.
Now that's a quality 1911 for the price. If you can stretch to get one, do so. My CBOB has been outstanding. The fit, finish, etc. is well above what you pay with performance to match.

I hope this helps with your search...

 

[ColColt]

I've had half a dozen or so 3rd Gen autos that all had the external extractor. My 4506, and I've mentioned this before, has never failed to feed, extract or eject in the 20 years I've owned it. The SW1911 most likely give likewise service. It's yet to fail and like the 4506 I doubt it will. Smith, if no one else, had the external extractor down pat long ago.

 

[GF1]

Have had several Kimbers, have two now and love them both (Eclipse Pro II and 10mm Custom Target II - have had these for over eight years). The only one of the five total Kimbers I didn't get along with was a 3"; it was unreliable.

I sent my 10mm in to get the sights changed and to have the front strap checkered. They did superb work, and I like it even more.

The Eclipse Pro II (4" barrel) is my carry gun, and it is superb - accurate, reliable. The 10 is really a hoot too...

 

[GKC]

I've owned three Kimbers, and never again...if the one year warranty doesn't tell you what they think of their own product, then try their customer service, and you will really be sorry you bought a Kimber. They are pretty guns, very true...but if you want a gun to actually use, buy a S&W, Springfield, or the new Ruger SR1911. All three make great 1911s, and if there are any issues, they all have great customer service...plus a LIFETIME warranty.

I own or have owned a number of 1911s, in addition to the Kimbers, made by Colt, Magnum Research (Desert Eagle), Springfield, Remington, Ruger, S&W, and Taurus, and by far the best of the production guns IMO are S&W and Ruger. Unless you get into the semi-custom or custom makers, I don't think you can do any better.

 

[Tracer_Bullet]

Kimber has a nice selection but I have heard and read so many mixed reviews/comments on the guns and their customer service that I decided not to take the chance. As GKC said, the fact that they only warranty them for a year really turned me away from them.
If S&W is your only other option then I say go with the Smiths. My wife and I both love ours, non-traditional external extractors and all. My wife also has a Springfield, but I don't like it as much as the Smiths. It is a good, reliable gun, but the thumb safety has sharp edges that irritate my thumb, and since it is a Champion model it is a pain in the rear to strip and reassemble. I have also had three Colts, but am now down to one (replaced two with S&Ws), all were/are very picky about magazines and the two I got rid of were also very picky about ammo. If I were in the market for another 1911 I would be looking at the Ruger. JMO and worth exactly what you paid for it.

 

[torrejon224]

Get a Ruger if you can find one otherwise a S&W "E" series. Stay away from the Kimbers. The customer service is poor, frames tend to be out of spec and the internals (ignition) tend to have tons of issues. In that price range Springfield makes a great gun also.