Is Kimber worth the Cash?

[Skuggi]

Ok, the deal is, I may be taking out a student loan for some extra cash, pay off my bills and what not and have some extra money, join a range, finally get to take one of tony's classes, take the GF out to dinner a few times.

Now I figure I'll have a good chunk left to still blow somewhere. I got hooked on the 1911 after the last group shoot when I got to shoot Dave's.

So I saw this in the back of American Hand Gunner.
http://www.kimberamerica.com/pistols...stomcovert.php

It's MSRP with crimson trace and all the bells and whistles in 1500. But it's the most unique 1911 I have yet to see. I am loving the grips too. The question is, if all works out well, does anyone have experience with kimber and their parts, are they worth that much cash?

[1927A1]

For the $$ spent Kimber is a good value. I only speak from the experience of one pistol however, a Gold Match II.

Future changes on my Kimber I plan to swap out the MIM parts for machined steel, and to remove the Schwartz safety.

Don't take my post wrong, for a target pistol the Kimber is great, but when it comes to self defense and reliability I carry a Colt.

If I had it to do over again I would buy another Colt. Or jump in all the way and pick up a Wilson.

My age is catching up with me so I have difficulty with lasers and holographic sites. I seem to obtain better accuracy with open sites. Optics and lasers will really show you just how much you shake.

[Frenchy]

That is a loaded question! Like many other things, guns sell mainly because of need/want and prices are based on that. Although quality does jump in the balance in some guns, in general, the price is created by the need/want frenzy.
The first part of pricing involves the actual cost of the item you are making. Naturally, the more options you add to it, the pricier it gets. This would be the need part.
The second part is the want and that boosts the prices up by a lot. Unfortunately, this part of the price involves no pieces, no special design, nothing but advertising. Some times, that advertising actually surpasses the cost of the making.
I remember reading once about Lee Iacocca and the ford Mustang. For years the mustang was doing great, and then it lost some appeal. Ford thought it had to do with size and gas consumption, so they made the 4 Cyl. Ford mustang…. Iacocca, went in there and totally revamped the ford Mustang to its original shape and size marketed it as the American car, and brought sales up again, then added a $5.00 part called a sway bar to the back changed the design so the shocks where angled to take a better curve, and added a total price to the car of $1,500 and showed a commercial of the Mustang with the $5.00 add on part racing and coming to a screeching halt sideways.. To pick up a beautiful girl with a million dollar smile… No flip, no rocking, there was an instant frenzy for that car. Every teen wanted one; every retired old man had the cash to buy one. It was a Ford revolution! The letters GT where added to the car, (Grand Tourismo) and it was an instant hit! Better then the Boss had been ( note the Boss was an after market add on and although Ford sole the Boss model, they did not make it.)

Right now, in guns, the camouflage and Military feel adds to the price, the laser also adds to this price, you do realize you can get a red laser to play with your cat for under $4.00? Why is this a $600 option?
Because there is a want for that in a gun. People see it advertised, they want the feel good of the commercials and advertising.


You own a Sigma .40 correct? You paid some where around $260? How do you compare it to say a Glock at $540? The comparison is the same. No one feels the urge to go out and spend $540 on a sigma because after all a Glock is so cool!
The same thing follows through on 1911’s the basic gun can be had for under $500 get the parts to add on, maybe an additional $300, so fro $800 you have a gun the way you want it. It wont say Kimber on it… It may say Springfield Armory, or some other name. but the basic gun is the same. The rest is all accessories.
Yeah I would love to have a $1200 ready made gun, take it out of the box and have fun… Then again, I did have a friend sell a custom STI 38 super for $1300 that was way cooler then any Kimber I ever seen. It’s all in the eyes of the beholder (Beerholder?)
There is a hunting camp up in Northern Quebec, they wont allow you to bring a clock or a watch, and they send you off with an old squaw for a guide, the rumor is when the Squaw is desirable, its time to go home!

I live the same way, when I see a gun that is at the right price, and I feel it fills my needs, its time to buy, its not about advertising, its about having what you need at the right price.

$1200 with all the advertising Kimber does, is not expensive, $540 for a Glock is not expensive with al their advertising. Forget the advertising, look at the metal next to a comparable brand, and then decide. If the $12,000 is more desirable then the $500 one, then you know, if 2 X $500 in two calibers/model is more desirable, then you also know…. Would you exchange your Sigma .40 and say a Sigma 9mm for one Glock?

[VeryPrivate]

I like the feel of Kimbers, but the full priced bells and whistles models are not worth the money. Crimson trace laser grips go for about $250, night sights add $50 to $100. The camo pattern is not worth a thing. I prefer the basic models.

[TonyF]

We don't like the Series II firing pin safety.

[TonyF]

Future changes on my Kimber I plan to ............. and to remove the Schwartz safety.

I didn't know you could remove the schwartz. Are you sure about that? On series 80 colts you need a "frame slot filler" if you remove the FP lock components.

[Skuggi]

Hmm... well I wasn't buying cause it said kimber lol, I just really liked the looks and figured there must be good parts in it. I didnt realize how cheap the parts in it must be. I can probably buy the grips aftermarket. That's if I get approved for my student loan.

And Frenchy our sigmas = 4 glock 36's IMHO

[SeaRider]

This's my carry piece, Kimber Compact SS II with a series 70 Colt firing pin. More than 5K rounds thru the range without a single problem, no bells no whistles, just a simple carry gun and cost less than 1K.

[Lycanthrope]

I didn't know you could remove the schwartz. Are you sure about that? On series 80 colts you need a "frame slot filler" if you remove the FP lock components.

Pop off the rear sight. Take out the spring and plunger and it's all over. You leave the activator in the frame. The Series 80 is a bit different from the Scwartz and won't effect trigger pull.

That being said, I feel Kimbers are the most accurate 1911's under $1000. I have a couple. They are fitted very tight and the external extractor models had some issues on certain pistols. The lower end models tend to shoot just as well as the more expensive guns and you can add bells and whistles later if you want.

$1300 huh? Another $300 and you're in double stack 1911/2011/STI range.....or a Wilson.....or a Baer.

[lexington86]

Skuggi, have you looked at the Taurus 1911?

A lot of people on here are saying that those guns are perhaps one of the best values in 1911 pistols these days. The MSRP is ~$700, but almost everywhere I've seen has them listed for $500-something.

Link: http://taurususa.com/products/produc...ategory=Pistol

They also have a stainless steel one if you don't like the black.