Kimber or Custom 1911?

[B4Infantryman]

I own two Kimber 1911's, a Desert Warrior and a TLE II. I love them both and have never had a problem. My question is, is it really worth the price to go custom(Les bauer, Ed Brown, Wilson, ect...) or is a Kimber almost just as good? The Kimbers meet my needs but I have never shot a custom 1911. What d you guys think?

 

[Texas1911]

It depends on if you like the little things.

The custom guns are much higher quality than Kimber. I don't say that to degrade Kimber's product, but you aren't going to get the same quality out of a more manufactured product, than a very experienced 1911 smith building one.

Things that you'll notice are better triggers (Kimbers have alot of creep) and glass smooth actions. That's the main benefit. Some may be more reliable, and most will be more accurate, but honestly, it's debatable if you'll notice a difference in accuracy with a human attached to it.

If you want a happy medium, that isn't much more than a Kimber then I'd suggest looking into STI. They have hand built single stacks that are definitely a step above a Kimber, but you can buy one for $1000 - 1500, unlike some of the "custom" 1911s that will run you $2000+. Les Baer is another choice that I like, but STI is closer.

 

[ethan]

i would have to say that there's alot of factors to be considered, firstly, and as i type this i realize who you are and i giggle cause i wanted a friend request, your handle leaves alot to the imagination (rolls eyes), but im gonna type this for the benefit of the masses, whatever my opinion is worth.

you have to ask yourself, what is your purpose, is it excbelusively a pampered concealed gun or is this gonna be somethin you're runnin combat oriented courses with, because as we all know, things break, kimber, as you know, was the first company to really offer match grade and or custom style accessories on a mass producing CNC machining line, which means parts become more readily available, thus, if something breaks, you can get parts to fix it. if you're the type of person that pushes your gun to the breaking point and beyond, this is something that should appeal to you.

if a pampered road queen (not saying there's anythign wrong, just different wants and needs) if thats your style, and you're willing to spend the cash, sure, why not get a nice true custom gun, the problem i've seen, from talking with people that own "custom hand fitted" guns is that they have lower tolerances, and should something break, because the pieces were made by hand, you might have inherent inconsistencies, not saying this is always true, but if something breaks, you might not be able to replace it with a drop in part, you'd have to send it back to whomever made it OR send it to a local smith/armorer who can refabricate your part.

as you yourself know, i dont own custom, i've shot a few, personally, unless they were actually custom modded actions and what not, i couldnt tell the difference from a shooting point of view

either way, nobody is wrong and i'm not in any way shape or form bashing on custom guns, some people are in the market for sheer unadulterated perfection, because gun making is an artform, you get what you pay for

 

[navyguy]

Welcome to the forum.

IMO Kimbers are great production 1911's. They sometimes take some breaking in, but once they are tuned, they are accurate dependable, and pretty good looking.

Are the makes you listed it worth it? Your budget will probably be the guide on that. They are quite a bit more expensive. But on the other hand, they will hold value much better. I'd like to have one some day, but at this point, I'm afraid it would become a safe queen.

 

[Texas1911]

Very valid points. I think at the point you have 2 additional guns, you already have all the parts you need, and they are conveniently assembled ... quite simply, bring both guns. This is El Paso, not Iraq ... look similar, sand, brown people, etc. but it's not the same. Unless you are getting into roaming shoot-outs the worst you are going to encounter is your local IDPA match. Which case ... again, bring both guns.

That is one good thing about STI as well ... you got alot of local sources. The manufacturer, Dave Dawson, etc. When my STI malfunctioned, I took it to STI and they fixed it while I waited. If my Kimber did that, I'd be out days.

 

[B4Infantryman]

Haha i like El Paso humor. I know its not Iraq, but im the king of what if's. I want my gun to run no matter what, under any and all circumstances.

 

[Texas1911]

Buy a Glock.

 

[Flight954]

Save money and get an HK45, you'll not be disappointed
Welcome to TGT

 

[B4Infantryman]

I already own a Glock and I like it, but nothing beats the feel of a 1911. 1911 is my prefered pistol and I dont plan on changing so please stick to the original question.

 

[B4Infantryman]

Thanks for all the welcomes everyone In addition to guns I spend alot of time on motorcycle forums and I see alot of immaturity and rude comments, this is usually not the case with gun people. I like that I can come to a forum like this and talk with people with different opinions and preferences but in the end we all share a passion for guns and we can come together on that fact.

 

[Texas1911]

I already own a Glock and I like it, but nothing beats the feel of a 1911. 1911 is my prefered pistol and I dont plan on changing so please stick to the original question.

99% of custom 1911s will not run "under all circumstances". They are a finicky design when you start adding dirt, sand, etc. to them.

A Glock simply will work all the time. If you don't like the way the Glock feels then have it molded. Take it to Dale Hunnicut at GripReductions.com

 

[jfrey]

Once you shoot a true custom or semi-custom 1911 that is tuned correctly, you will be able to answer your own question. I personally wouldn't own a Kimber, had one and it was junk. I have 4 Brileys that all shoot very well and you can definitely tell the difference in the fit and finish and accuracy. I wouldn't go back to a stock gun again. They are worth the extra money considering what you get.

 

[B4Infantryman]

I wouldnt go as far to call Kimbers junk. LAPD SWAT and SIS considered them to be good enough. Like I said, I own two and the only malfunctions I have experienced have been within the first 50rds. I love Glocks reliability but I just cannot get comfortable on one, nor can I shoot it as accurately as a 1911. I own a G36 for conceal carry, its the only single stack Glock made and I chose it for how slim it is, I prefer slim pistols. I have large hands but Ive never liked the feel of double stacks compared to a 1911. The G21SF is close though. Im gunna stick with 1911's as my primary pistol, I think I just need to get some trigger time behind a custom. I love the way Kimbers shoot and feel, im afraid if I go custom I wont be able to go back...but thats usually how it goes.

 

[Okierifleman]

I own several Kimbers and have been very happy with each of them. Baer, Wilson, Nighthawk make truly fine firearms, but charge 2 to 3 times the price of a Kimber. I am going to try a different approach to answer your question. If money is no object, then we probably wouldnt be having this conversation. By all means, run, dont walk down to the store and buy a $3K Nighthawk. I promise you will love it. But, since its $2K more expensive than your Warrior, will it shoot twice as good? Will it make you a better shot? The answer is profoundly no. The majority of shooters out there do not shoot enough to be able to tell the difference in the quality. Nor do they practice enough on form and function to become better shots. This may or may not be you, I do not know.

So, with all of that said, if you can afford it, buy it. But dont expect it to perform miracles, it wont. Your Kimbers will run and run if you take care of them.

 

[Flight954]

If you want to get into the high end 1911 world, I would go w/ Les Baer. IMHO a Baer is the best bang for the buck.

 

[shipwreck]

I have owned numerous 1911s over the years - many brands.

Right now, I only have an Ed Brown and a Custom Shop Springfield (Springfield also runs a full custom shop that compares to Wilson/Brown/Nighthawk)

I will not buy another production 1911 again, after owning these 2. You can just feel the difference when you pick up a Brown and then a standard production 1911.

If I buy any 1911s in 45 in the future - I'd buy a Brown. No doubt about it.

Any 1911 in a different caliber, I'd likely buy another custom shop Springfield (mine is in 9mm)

 

[TexasRedneck]

Okay....ah'll weigh in here - I've got jest a coupla .45's, rangin' from Colt, Randall, H&K, High Standard, Kimber & Wilson. Each have their own niche. For me, the Randall because they were the first production SS - an' they made 'em nice, IMO. The High Standard (Compact Crusader) - one of the sweetest "budget" .45's "out of the box) I've ever shot. Shot it prepared to sell it (it was a "package deal" that I had to buy to get the H&K that I wanted) - and liked it so well I kept it. The Colts - 2 are Series 70's ('nuff said), 1 a Double Eagle (always wanted one, so I snagged it one day), the H&K - compact double-stacker that is a snappy shooter, but concealable easily. The Kimbers - IMO, nice, reliable guns that are a large step above the current Colt offerings. I've never had one give me a problem - and none are safe queens. Had a Baer - really nice gun, but somehow it just never did well in my hands - sold it to a buddy, and he can make that puppy sing, so it was just me. The 2 Wilsons....as someone else said, the customs are nice - really nice - but if I was on a budget, NONE of the customs would be on my list, simply because the minor differences aren't gonna be that big a deal for most folks. I WILL say that a custom gun will give accuracy beyond what you'll see out of most of the rest - but in all honesty, you won't really notice the difference in most plinking or SD situations.
Don't get me wrong - I truly love the Wilsons, and wouldn't sell 'em on a bet - but if I was at ALL concerned about "bang for the buck", I'd go with Kimber, STI, or an old Series 70.