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Kimber - Are they worth it?

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Tactical Bacon

Posted: Sep 14th 2009, 11:13 AM

As long as I can remember I've got slack-jawed and silly every time I've laid my eyes on one of these beauties. My question is are they worth the money and is there an alternative of equal quality for a lesser price.

My biggest issue is that if I ever end up in a situation where I have to defend myself or others and I reach back to draw my sidearm...knowing that without a shadow of a doubt I can dispose of the crisis without that microsecond of worry of having a malfunction...is priceless in my book.

I know that ANY firearm on ANY occasion can have that FUBAR moment , but I prefer the path of least resistance.

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Room 055

Posted: Sep 14th 2009, 12:14 PM

In my humble opinion, I think there are a lot of high quality 1911s out there in the $1k range. While Kimber is on my list, I'm leaning towards Wilson Combat these days. Kimber has gone more mainstream as of late, and while they are still a great piece, I think they've lost their edge a little as the field gets diluted by all the custom shops. I don't think you can go wrong buying one, but I think you can get more if you know what I mean. The other thing I'm thinking about is buying a Colt Government model and sending it to Robar to make fantastic. Wilson would be the turn-key though. I'm not knocking Kimber. I still want a Kimber Covert II.

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xamraci

Posted: Sep 14th 2009, 01:43 PM

Since I go 1911 shopping EVERY week...and I never buy...

You get A LOT of NICE/QUALITY features with the Kimber. For example...

The Springfield GI is $600-$700. Standard Trigger, No beaver tail, wood grips, standard barrel.
Kimber Custom II is $850, Match Trigger, Extended beaver tail, polymer/rubber grips, Match barrel.

to do those custom touches to the GI would cost more than $250.

I like A LOT of the Paras I have seen lately, SINGLE stack ofcourse...and I love the Springfield TAC.

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Room 055

Posted: Sep 14th 2009, 02:27 PM

I mistaking identified my fiance's son-in-law's Kimber as a Custom II in a different thread. It is actually a CDP II. I didn't realize the price difference between the Custom and CDP was several hundred dollars when throwing my opinions in on this thread. My bad. I was jibbering about another level of 1911.

I agree with XAM that the Custom II is worth the $850 vs other 1911's with less feature in the same general price range.

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Tac56

Posted: Sep 14th 2009, 02:29 PM

I agree with Mem on this one..... I currentlyhave 7 19ll's to include a Kimber ultra CDP that my wife bought for me as a Christamas gift some years back. I really like the Kimber guns, and all of them that I have owned have ran great (with a replacement of the factory mags with Wilson mags), but there is something special about a "custom gun" that is built for you. It is almost as special as a gun you built yourself.

I have two "custom" guns that were built for me. One is a Springfield full size that I had built by a gunsmith who was teaching at a gunsmithing college, and needed a "project gun". It turned out wonderfully and was my IPSC pistol for years. I also have a Colt "Recon" (Officer size slide/barrel on a full size frame) that was worked and built for me by a prominent local gunsmith who worked for a number of years for Gunsite (Pre and Post Col. Cooper days). Both of these pistols are 100% reliable and accurate. They both bring me more "pride of ownership" than anything I bough "off the shelf".

Just my dos centavos.....

-Tac

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xamraci

Posted: Sep 14th 2009, 03:18 PM

I also buy 100rds of .45 to shoot every weekend...through my buddies Kimber Custom II...I love that pistol...

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Tactical Bacon

Posted: Sep 14th 2009, 04:41 PM

I appreciate your input fellas

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LoneRanger

Posted: Sep 14th 2009, 06:13 PM

This is just a side note about Wilson Combat

The last time I was browsing at the busiest gun store in my area, I paused at the highend 1911
counter. The cheapest W C was just under $3000, the cheapest.The " best " was just under
$5000.

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xamraci

Posted: Sep 14th 2009, 06:57 PM

haha...I find USED wilson combats for 3k...

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Room 055

Posted: Sep 14th 2009, 07:15 PM

NIB WC's go for between $2500 and $3000 on Gunbroker. What's $1500 amongst friends??

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InstructorPyro

Posted: Sep 14th 2009, 10:06 PM

In this pic you can see my Kimber and my Para... I love the Kimber but the Para just feels better to me. However, since this picture I have added the same Hogue grips to it. The Kimber is the top right and the Para is the bottom left.

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gundoc_iowa

Posted: Mar 23rd 2010, 03:41 AM

I have two kimbers, the wilson, baer, brown etc pistols are well out of my price range. There is also taurus, and I have owned three taurus 92 pistols, they were all reliable and two were very accurate, with the third being a little bit of a 'pattern-er', and for some reason the Taurus 1911's feel wrong in the hand. My Kimbers have never given me any trouble at all, except for a small ssue with Winclean ammo, but I am not sure they even make that anymore, and it made every 1911 at the range that day choke. Both Kimbers of mine, a springfield, and even a wilson KZ45... if you can afford the custom 1911 go for it....I will eventually own a wilson, even if it is one of the newer polymer framed jobs.

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gundoc_iowa

Posted: Mar 23rd 2010, 03:49 AM

Hey there is a coupe of Wilson pistols on gunbroker under two grand. And a Les baer!

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=161735204

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=161960857

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=160925143

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=161979557

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lead fly

Posted: Feb 22nd 2011, 09:24 PM

I have a kimber 3" SIS, i like it a real lot, workmanship is very good and accuracy is also. Trick to a new Kimber is to run 300 plus hardball ammo thru them to breake them in, and oil them while doing so. After that they are ready for carry.for say $1200.00 or so you get a surpurb example of the 1911 platform, from thier custom shop.

if you get the chance to shoot one, you will most likely want one. I am very satified with mine. the SiS was comissioned for the special investigation security department, whos primary job is to go undercover in sting operations. They have 4 SiS models made by kimber. Mine being there compact. LAPD SWAT also has there model made by Kimber. They have a proven track record, and go daily into harms way, again try one and make up your own mind is all i am saying. i also own Colt, Springfield Armory,Loaded. Very good autos no doubt, but my Kimber out shoots them both. And these are 5" models. take care, Jack

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xdshooter

Posted: May 10th 2011, 11:59 AM

OK, at the risk of getting slapped silly...

"As long as I can remember I've got slack-jawed and silly every time I've laid my eyes on one of these beauties"

And there is my issue with Kimbers. They sure are pretty. And pretty costs money. I was at the gun store and saw a guy slobbering over a high end Kimber. "Man that's one fine looking piece". Are you going to shoot it, or marry it? And I've heard comments made about other guns "Man, that's one ugly gun". Again, are you going to shoot it or take it to bed? When I go to the gun store I'm shopping for a gun, not a date. I guess its my tight budget which makes me a bit stingy, so I balk at paying extra money for bling-bling.

And, is it worth paying another $200 for bells and whistles like a match grade barrel, match grade trigger, etc? Not in my book. Especially when that $200 will buy a lot of ammo, or a good start on another gun. My Springfield GI with its standard barrel and its standard trigger, is 100% reliable. Is it accurate? How accurate does it need to be for its intended purpose? 99% of of the public at large aren't SWAT team members, or championship competition shooters. Just average guys and gals with average skills. If I go to the range and identify everyone who has a gun that is capable of shooting better then they are, can I have their guns? I'd have a hell of a collection, in a short time.

I guess my point is there is such a thing as "good enough". My Springfield will never be crowned "Miss 1911 USA". But it's a hell of a shooter. Does everything I need it to.

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Room 055

Posted: May 10th 2011, 02:15 PM

XD has Kimber envy I think.

I love my Kimbers, money be damned.

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InstructorPyro

Posted: May 11th 2011, 02:02 AM

Kimber's don't always cost that much money... huh Room?

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Posted: May 11th 2011, 09:57 AM

That'd be a big 'Affirmative' Badger.

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gundoc_iowa

Posted: May 12th 2011, 01:28 AM

As a matter of fact my "custom Compact " Kimber only cost me $425 when I bought it back in the day. The dealer I was working with was in the Republic of California and had to get rid of the pistol by a certain date. It is one of the originals without the II designation (as both of mine are). Not all kimbers are all that expensive and dolled up either. How many of us really leave them stock anyway?? The only reason I got a stainless target model when I bought my first Kimber in 98 was because I couldn't find a Kimber in stock anywhere else at the time. Neither are stock. The full size started out all stainless with rubber grips... and the compact startred life out matte blue with wood grips.