Kimber vs. Springfield

[agdrummer]

Looking into buying my first pistol and I am torn at the moment. On one hand I am looking at a Kimber Custom II that comes with a few extras. Or there is a Springfield Loaded that I was just introduced to that looks quite nice. Any advice, insights, pros or cons would be appreciated in order to maybe tip the balance.

Thanks,
agdrummer

[agdrummer]

PS. There is a high possibility it will also be used as a carry.

[msuman]

Im sure people will start hating on kimbers pretty soon. But my Custom II has never let me down. It has my vote.

[Sturmgewehre]

You might want to try the search feature. The Springfield vs. Kimber thread gets started at least twice a week.

Search is your friend.

[Captain Bligh]

You can take your choice: the gun with the dreaded swartz safety or the gun with parts glued together.

As for me, I'll take the Kimber, thank you very much.

[BanditSRT8]

Speaking from personal experience... run from Kimber.

Speaking from reading countless Kimber issue threads... run from Kimber.

Enjoy your Loaded, they have an excellent track record.

[RickB]

Springfield supports the shooting sports and shooters, and Kimber, well, doesn't. My dollars go to Springfield.

[glockman19]

Both make great 1911's. I would only buy 1911's from 5 companies, Colt, Kimber, Springfield, Les Baer, Ed Brown.

I own 5 kimber sand have had only minor issues with one of them that was resolved.

[rogertc1]

Kimber is made in the USA. Springfield is imported from Brazil.

[Kreyzhorse]

I'd go Springfield over Kimber. I own a Springfield TRP and it's been an outstanding gun. Very accurate and reliable and I thought the fit and finish on it was better than on the Kimbers I was also looking at.

If you do a search on here, you'll find lots of threads on Kimbers and it seems some of their QA is hit or miss. Their customer service seems a bit lax as well. Springfield's customer service is rated very highly. Overall though, I think Kimber still makes a good 1911.

As far as Springfield, the guns (slide and frame) are made in Brazil. However, depending on the model, the gun is then assembled and finished in America. My TRP was made in America. Some of the Loaded models are finished in the states and some aren't. Check the frame to see where it was made.

Any model below the Loaded version I believe is completely made and finished in Brazil.

[Sturmgewehre]

Kimber is made in the USA. Springfield is imported from Brazil.

Only some SA's are made in Brazil. It's easy enough to buy a US made Springer as I do it all the time. I bought one last week.



Find a gun that lacks "made in Brazil" and has the serial number prefix "NM" and this gun will have been made right here in the US.

The steel will have come from Brazil as a raw forging, but all the machining is done in Geneseo Illinois. If the source of the steel bothers you that much, then you might want to investigate where Kimber gets their steel. It's likely not American steel used in their guns either. But then again, Kimber does all of their machining so who cares where they dug the ore out of the ground?

Any model below the Loaded version I believe is completely made and finished in Brazil.

As you can see, they make Mil-Specs in the US too.

[Dash]

springer

[jdncsu]

limited experience with kimber...

but i did just order a SA Loaded stainless.. should be in today or tomorrow!

[Kreyzhorse]

As you can see, they make Mil-Specs in the US too.

I thought the Loaded was the cut off (although I've seen a Loaded with the made in Brazil stamp) but clearly your Mil-Spec was made in the USA.

I think its pretty cool that some of the Mil-Specs are made here I've often thought of buying a Mil-Spec but was turned off by the made in Brazil thing. I'll keep that in mind when window shopping another 1911.

[Sturmgewehre]

Yup, the GI, Mil-Spec and Loaded can be built either in the US or in Brazil. Once you get into the mid-tier SA's like the Operator, TRP or any custom pistol, they're all built in the US.

If you're shopping for a Mil-Spec you'll have to really look for the US made ones. I tell my dealer to ask their distributors if they have any SA's in stock with the prefix "NM" in their serial number. SA makes them in runs, and since they only make about 5,000 handguns a year which includes runs of all their models, there are few US made guns to go around of any particular model.

I buy every US made Springer I run across at my local shop. They only get a couple in a year, but when they do I grab them. I've never had a problem with a US made gun and their fit and finish is noticeably superior to the Brazilian made guns.

[MK11]

I've got two first generation Kimbers that are wonderful shooters and pretty reliable (not as reliable as my Sigs, though).

That said, these days I'd look at Springfield, S&W, Dan Wesson and maybe even Sig before any of the others as first choice in a 1911.

[shepherddogs]

I'd take the Kimber over Springfield anyday. I just sold my Springfield, still got Kimbers.

[Sturmgewehre]

After several bad go-arounds with Kimbers, I won't touch them again until they focus less on mass production and more on QC... and customer service.

[flight954]

Neither, go Colt

[Sturmgewehre]

Neither, go Colt

Unless I misread something, the OP said "Kimber vs. Springfield".

I'm just waiting for someone to jump in here and say "Glock".

[bikerbill]

I've got one of each, a Kimber Ultra Carry II and a Springfield Loaded Champion. Both are failure-free and totally reliable ... but ... if I had to pick just one, it would be the Kimber, because it could serve the Springer's job as nightstand gun and also handle the reason I bought it, to carry. Springer's a bit of a load holstered, while the Kimber really disappears. Add to that, the Kimber is more accurate in my hands than the Springer ...

[P99AS9]

IMHO, Kimbers are way overpriced and have some issues. Out of the two, I would get a Springfield.

[Cerick]

Colt is good. This one functions flawlessly but has had extensive work done to it. Best shooting .45 i've shot hands down.

[MTMilitiaman]

I don't have any experience with Kimber, but I have a little experience with a couple lightly customized MilSpecs, one of which is my brother's, and with a Springer Loaded. All of them are superb firearms that just feel and shoot right. None of them have any problems with reliability.

Only time I've ever seen my brother's MilSpec have problems was when he first bought it shooting my dad's handloads. My dad has these loads he's cooked up that shoot a 230 gr bullet at a tad under 1000 fps from the 4.5 inch barrel of his Ruger P90 (chronoed). Those loads had problems with ejection as the slide velocity was way too high. It even battered his front sight loose. He sent it back to Springfield. They replaced the front sight and completely refinished his slide for free and paid for return shipping. Very friendly service from people with obvious pride in their products.

My experience with Springer 1911s has me a couple paychecks away from an MC Operator.

[newtexas2006]

Go with what your gut said...... at the end you are the one pay for it. I like Kimber more, that's just me.