The $700 1911

[sfinney]

I have a Kimber Custom and a SA Loaded.

Both are great guns, but the fit/finish/level of finish on the Kimber are a cut above. Its fit like a Bank Vault, and very accurate. Best $550 I ever spent on a pistol. It had an awesome 3.5 pound trigger on it new (got lucky I think). Since I got it I put on an Ambi-safety (from McCormick), and Adjustable MMC sigthts for the Kimber fixed cut, plus a mag well and grips. Novaks, Heinies, etc are also avail.

I still have less than $700 in it, and doesn't need anything else - it's perfect. But it is first generation Kimber Custom, with normal extractor - I have heard later builds maybe aren't as consistently well built or tight.

My Springfield is nice pistol for the price, but it rattles when you shake it, and I've had to do a couple trigger jobs on it (the Stock trigger parts are junk). But after all the same mods above, and some tuning, it is a decent gun. But it runs well.

They both are great deals - but as mentioned already, Springfield does support the sport. I'd like to see kimber do more for USPSA - supporting Olympic shooters was more "politically correct, I guess.

Either one would be fine, IMO.

[MoNsTeR]

You can't get a decent new 1911 for $700, except maybe a Colt if you don't like any features on your gun.

Just one man's opinion/experience.

[dirtypool40]

Don't get me wrong, I wish Colt would get back in the game, and a Dan Wesson is a good (CAST!!!) bargain 1911. I carry a Kimber I had my GS go through and pretty up for me.

The Two Kimbers I have are both Gen I, one the plunger tube fell off and the other the rollmark goes from deep to shallow. They shoot great, but Kimber lost me when they jacked all their prices up and anything the Gun Magazines drives me to look for alternate sources.

BUT!!!.......

NONE OF THOSE COMPANIES GIVES USPSA THE TIME OF DAY. Springfield does and has always worked hard for our business, and made as good or a better product than Colt, (now Kimber) for a REAL $100 less out the door.

My roomate of a couple years ago bought one of the first SS Loaded guns back four years ago and we could NOT make it jam. The sides were polished the rounds bead blasted, and the thing just ran until you were too tired to shoot.

I have two recent Springfields; the new Black Stainless package gun and a "stainless loaded" with the adjustable rear site. I "won" one at the first Action Challenge back in April, and purchased the other for my Dad with my discount for working the match the second day.

Except for Les Baers, they are the tightest factory pistols I have ever handled.

The Black Stainless is a great package gun, and has run flawlessly so far (about 2k). It is a GREAT entry level pistol for the "one gun " folks who want to carry and compete with the same pistol.

The Stainless Loaded is a bit of an oddball, it has the slanted Mil Spec Style serrations I like better than their square cut "Caspian Style" cuts, and an adjustable rear, but the rest is like the Loaded line.

I wanted to give it to my Dad, and figured to just slap a magwell on it and he'd be in the game, but the thing was SOOOO tight, and every line was so perfect, it became a "base gun" for yet another project, and I sent it off to be checkered and otherwise guilded the Lilly.

Think about where you spend your money. I know the "Gunrag cartel" has told us the only brands out there are Glock and Kimber, but it ain't so.

Ever see a Colt or Kimber Banner at the Nationals? Didn't think so.

[Zak Smith]

The Dan Wesson Patriot has a forged frame.

-z