buying a kimber 1911

[MicroMonkey]

I am going to buy a kimber. Now where I am stuck is should I buy a eclipse target 2, or the stainless gold match. There are great points about both guns, but here is the pro/con of each as I see it

gold match - ambidexterous safety, Im not a huge fan, but in no way a deal killer
no front strap checkering
shitty kimber target sights. I cant see those kind of sights very well

but, nice polished stainless, and whatever else they do to their gold match gun, but i dont know what that is. I only have read rumors.
total price is about 1350


Eclipse target - front strap checkering
meprolight sights
regular thumb safety

but.....its not all purty stainless, but it still looks nice.
total price is about 1150

Does anyone here have anything they can add to this that could help me make up my mind? I know its all down to personal prefs, but when you are spending this much money on a single gun, its nice to have any/all info you can get, even if its just what others think about the guns.

[Evil One]

See if you can shoot it first.
The new Kimbers are not like the old Kimbers.


Jim

[Wilson Guy]

Have you looked at the Springfield TRP or the stainless Dan Wesson Valor? There are NO MIM parts in the Wesson for about $1,400.00.

[JB70]

See if you can shoot it first.
The new Kimbers are not like the old Kimbers.


Jim

Thats is just not true other than the added safeties features the guns are still the best out of the box.

Either way you go you can't go wrong. I also have a SA and even the TRP is not the gum the Kimber is...

[bripro]

I vote for the one that looks more like this.



Turns heads every time I bring it to the range. Dead nuts accurate as well.

[eddyb74]

I had a Custom Eclipse and when I bought my Classic Custom I hated the fact that the front strap was not checkered. I solved the problem with the slip on checkered frontstrap from Wilson. It slid up and down when installed so I put some silicone caulking behind it. That broke free and it started to slide again. I then used some spray adhesive. Not going anywhere.

http://shopwilsoncombat.com/Checkere...ductinfo/100B/

[MicroMonkey]

I vote for the one that looks more like this.



Turns heads every time I bring it to the range. Dead nuts accurate as well.

what is that model? That is a nice gun, and I would vote for it also. Do you have any info about it that I could peruse? I havent spent a dime yet on either gun that I "believe" I want, which is why im asking you fine folks about your thoughts. Its nice to have all the options in front of you about all the options. I want to make this purchase a knowledgeable purchase, not a ".....oh look, thats pretty, I should get that because one person said its cool".
Thanks to all so far for all the input. I do like that gun I quoted in this post. Can you offer any details about it?

I only ask because I am "kimber illiterate", and I see "custom shop" on the slide, so I assume its something special, and I would like to know more

And to eddyb74, I thank you for the advice about the front checkering addon, but I dont think that is something I would be willing to do. That seems silly to me, but I can appreciate why they have that as an option on some guns, but not when I am spending this much money on a gun that should have it (IMHO), which is why I am not leaning towards the gold match very much.
I have held 1911's with checkering, and it feels like sex lol.

[Evil One]

Thats is just not true other than the added safeties features the guns are still the best out of the box.

Either way you go you can't go wrong. I also have a SA and even the TRP is not the gum the Kimber is...

With the issues I have seen with MANY at the range, I wouldnt buy one at half the price.
Not issues I was told about.
Not issues I read on a forum.
Issues I saw with my own eyes.
Some are good, some are amazing, some are total crap in the function department.
At the price they sell for, there should be no crap ones leaving the shop.


Jim

[MicroMonkey]

With the issues I have seen with MANY at the range, I wouldnt buy one at half the price.
Not issues I was told about.
Not issues I read on a forum.
Issues I saw with my own eyes.
Some are good, some are amazing, some are total crap in the function department.
At the price they sell for, there should be no crap ones leaving the shop.


Jim

what issues have you seen? I know alot (includingmyself) of people load their own ammo, and that is really the only issues I have really seen in almost any gun, short of the really shitty guns.

Its my belief that the issues you see are shitty ammo loads. I could be wrong about that, but I just dont see it.

I load all my own ammo, and I can make my great guns shoot like shit, and act very oddly.

I have a rifle that I am currently trying to get in the "sweet spot", and it shoots like shit right now, because I am tailoring the bullet weights and powder loads, so I wont condemn a gun because of its mechanics based on some other shooters ability/disability

I appreciate what you are saying, but I dont think its the case with kimber, but again, im no expert

.................a davis model .380 on the other hand.....................thats a shitty gun lol ( I can say that because I own one, and its shit, but it shoots). Its one of those guns you dont take too seriously, but if you need it, it will hit a person after you squeeze the 75lb trigger. Feels like dragging a brick down a gravel driveway, but it shoots, whatever.

[bripro]

Mine is an Eclipse Custom 2 full size. I was told (never looked into it) that although they use the word custom in alot of their names only guns stamped "custom shop" actually went through the actual custom shop. I bought it used so I cant say exactly what was done to it but I will say it eats ANY ammo I feed it and is spot on accurate. The issues alot of people have with Kimbers is general reliability. You shouldnt pay over a grand for a pistol and have to immediately tweak it to get it to run. This is the only Kimber I have and I have never had a problem.