thercman Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Hello Everyone! I am new to the board and new to handguns. As of right now I am looking to buy my first handgun and would like to use it for competition/carry. What I have in mind is a Kimber Gold Match Stainless II™ / .45 ACP. I have held the gun and it is very comfortable to me. Much better than other handguns I have shot. Anyway, would this make a good starter gun for the money or should I look at other brands? From what I understand what ever gun I purchase it will need to be gone through to ensure it is reliable. I assume that means some smithing but I have no idea what. Could someone please elaborate on that? Thanks in advance.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No_Mikes Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 When you say "carry" I assume you are talking about personal defense or concealed carry. For me my competition gun is not my carry gun. I have a hard time concealing anything larger than a subcompact XD 9. I think what you buy will depend on what you are able to conceal. USPSA just approved the S&W M&P Pro for production class. If you can conceal this gun it may be a good choice as a dual purpose gun. Glocks don't fit my hand well but but you may want to look at those as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Guns for competition aren't always well suited to carrying and vice-versa. There certainly is some overlap, but it's the kind of thing that needs to be done with a fair amount of thought and consideration. An all-steel 1911 is a fine choice for a carry gun, but many people find that they're simply too heavy. A lot of that will depend on your size and how you plan on carrying it. For competition a Kimber .45 would be a reasonable way to get into Single Stack. The one "problem" that might come up is that if you get any trigger work done on it, there is a potential that it will no longer be suitable for carry purposes. Also, the Kimber firing pin safety is frequently removed on competition guns and that's not a great idea for a carry gun. Another example is that most folks now want night sights on their carry guns and they're pretty terrible (my opinion) for match use....too distracting. Keep in mind that holding a gun in hand at the shop isn't the same as shooting it. Glocks don't feel bad to me when I handle them, but they beat the heck out of my fingers/knuckles when I shoot them. I have to carrry them, so I deal with it, but as a competition gun I'd be in trouble because I can't practice with them nearly enough....I wind up with at least one bloody spot if I try. If you can get involved with your local club the folks there will almost certainly have a broad selection of guns they'd be more than happy to let you try out. I started a related thread not long ago and some folks have added great comments to it as well: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...st&p=913533 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thercman Posted February 12, 2009 Author Share Posted February 12, 2009 Thanks guys.... Well I am 6'1" about 195 - 200lbs. So I think I can conceal a larger gun (5" barrel). Hmmm, I guess the gun will be more for home defense/carry that I can take to the range and shoot comp with. If I really enjoy the comp and start shooting it on a regular basis I could always start modifying it for shooting only and then pick up something else later to carry. As for Glocks, they are like holding a brick in my hand and I never shot them very well compared to other guns. As a side note: although I have had the opportunity to shoot a variety of handguns I have never owned one. So this will be my first. I must say it has been an up hill battle trying to convince my wife to let me have one. So buying a second will be a ways away. So I would like to make it as versatile as possible. With that said do you think the Kimber Gold Match 2 would be a good choice or should I just get something else in their line-up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-JQ- Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Welcome to Benos... Welcome to Single Stack! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thercman Posted February 12, 2009 Author Share Posted February 12, 2009 (edited) Thanks and thanks! I look forward to learning a lot from all the knowledgeable people here. How much accuracy do you loose by dropping to a 4" barrel? I know you loose quite a bit in terms of velocity. Edited February 12, 2009 by thercman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkeeler Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I recommend the STI Trojan. I started out with a Kimber Custom which has been good,but has had a lot done to it to suit me. If I did it over again I would go with the STI Trojan 5" purchased from http://www.brazoscustom.com/ with Brazos High Performance Package. Still have the Kimber though I ocassionally shoot it in IDPA. Just my opinion! BK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.E.Anglin Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I like to shoot and carry different guns, I am the same height and weight as you, I like shoot ipsc and idpa, auto and wheel guns(STI eagle, M&.P 9,Glock 17, ect. ect.) Never was a big Kimber fan but one of my favorite guns is a Kimber custom ll , pretty much stock with a little trigger work 3 1/2 lbs. it has run flawlessly, more accurate then I would of expected,I do real well with it in idpa, and I carry it alot, you don't need to remove the firing pin safety because it is activated by the grip safety and has no effect on trigger pull. If , you like that gun, it feels right and you are comfortable with it then by all means get, it enjoy it , No one will say a .45 is not a good cary gun. I can carry full size even in the hot summers here in Idaho, just need to find the right cloths to fit you and your gun. good luck on your quest and I hope this has helped you. P.S. there is a cherry n Kimber Gold Match Stainless for sale here in Idaho for $950 wish I had a spot in the safe for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGSpurge Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Hi Thercman...just in case you are still open to suggestions, have you given any thought to a CZ 75 or SP-01? They are also all metal, fantastic reputation as both competition and carry pistols, and very comfortable to hold and shoot. So, can you guess what I shoot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thercman Posted February 12, 2009 Author Share Posted February 12, 2009 (edited) Good info guys! I guess what my biggest concern is bang for the buck. If I buy the Kimber for say $1300 instead of an STI for the same price and the STI is machined better or made with better materials then I am shooting myself in the foot so to speak. Especially if I will need to spend additional cash for machining to get it up to the same specs as the other one. That was the reasoning behind my original desision with the Kimber. According to there specs the barrel is matched as is the slide and the flats are highly polished etc. So I figured good to go out of the box with only minor tweaking needed. I know everyone has their bias towards certain brands. I try to look at it from a quality standpoint. With that said what you guys recommend? Edited February 12, 2009 by thercman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.E.Anglin Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I don't believe you need to pay over $1000 for a good Single Stack 1911 ,now if you can find a STI wide body for $1300 jump on it. but the STI with a magwell get a little harder to carry. there is usually a good deal on this forum shop carefully, this group is a good, honest bunch, so you can have faith on buying on this forum, and like I wrote before there is a very nice Kimber Classic Stainless Gold Match here for $950, http://secure.adpay.com/clicknbuy.aspx?p=1...p;pcatid=1080_3 so shop around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thercman Posted February 12, 2009 Author Share Posted February 12, 2009 Thanks! I looked at the add. Very nice! However I need to slide the card for this purchase and he states cash only... I will keep looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkeeler Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Good info guys!I guess what my biggest concern is bang for the buck. If I buy the Kimber for say $1300 instead of an STI for the same price and the STI is machined better or made with better materials then I am shooting myself in the foot so to speak. Especially if I will need to spend additional cash for machining to get it up to the same specs as the other one. That was the reasoning behind my original desision with the Kimber. According to there specs the barrel is matched as is the slide and the flats are highly polished etc. So I figured good to go out of the box with only minor tweaking needed. I know everyone has their bias towards certain brands. I try to look at it from a quality standpoint. With that said what you guys recommend? STI Trojan with high performance package around $1149.00 + shipping and FFL transfer. This is the route I would take. FWIW purchased STI Eagle from Brazos and has run flawless haven't had one problem. (just jinxed it ) BK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRider Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Welcome to SingleStack! Nothing wrong with a 1911 carry gun. I don't think you would be going wrong with a STI Trojan. My buddy has Trojan #3 that has well over 100k rounds through it. It still runs and shoots great. Just be careful of the legal ramifications of carring a pistol with a lightened trigger. The stock trigger on an STI should be pretty crisp and acceptable for getting into the game though. For what it is worth, I shoot my favorite gun in IPSC, an old series 70 Colt that I frankenstiened together, and my truck pistol is a relatively stock Kimber Classic Custom (early one, no firing pin block). I am happy with both. Look around before you buy, shoot other people's guns in your club (I don't know of anyone who wouldn't let you shoot their gun) and then pick the one that suits your needs the best. Hurley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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