Model 1911 45 acp

DBCinID · Post by **DBCinID** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 10:21 am

Not a lever gun question, but I figure many of you own a model 1911 45 acp. I am getting the hankering for a new pistol and really like the model 1911. I am trying to get my arms around all the different makers and what might be the best value. I have looked at Remington, Taurus, Colt, Para and Kimber. Thus far the Kimber Raptor II looks to be my favorite. Right now I don't do any combat shoots, but that looks like it would be fun. Mostly I want something fun to shoot and possibly a CCW.

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

86er · Post by **86er** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 10:36 am

Personally, I like the Colt's (especially 70's) and S&W's.

Idiot · Post by **Idiot** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 10:43 am

Take a good look at Ruger, they make one with just enough bells and whistles to get the job done, and at a darn good price. If I was to buy a new 1911, it would be Ruger.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 10:46 am

If it wasn't for the small, hard to see sights, I would have been more than happy with a GI grade Springfield.....as it was, the Para 1911 caught my eye and has been a good shooter. I want a small one, now....Maybe a Para Warthog.

Charles · Post by **Charles** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 11:07 am

I have not been without one or more 1911 (45 ACP) since 1961. I still prefer the basic 1911A1 with good sights and a decent trigger pull. So all of the gee-gaws and do-dads they stick on the pistols today leave me cold. John Browning did it right the first time and effort to guild the lily have not improved the basic use of the pistol.

Today I have three 1911 pistols. A 2005 vintage Colt GM and two Norinco 1911A1s. I have replaced the sights on the Norincos. These Norincos are great basic pistols and cost very little if you can find one.

So, if I were shopping for a new pistol, I would buy a Colt again. The Smith and Wessons get good press and on the low end the Taurus is a very good pistol. You would never find me buying a high end 1911 pistol.

foxtrapper · Post by **foxtrapper** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 11:14 am

Springfield Range Officer great piece and price

Streetstar · Post by **Streetstar** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 12:23 pm

foxtrapper wrote:Springfield Range Officer great piece and price

x 2

olyinaz · Post by **olyinaz** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 1:07 pm

Da best 1911 effer made vas made by the Norvegians!! Getjerself an M1914 and put a wimpy Sveedish style grip safety on it (we Norvegians yust laff at the pinchyness of da original 1911 grip safety) and you'll learn what dos Yerman fellers learned: Norsk Rules!! Now excuse me, I haff to butter my lefse.

Cheers,
Ole [BURP!] Uff da, dat lutefisk is comin' back at me dis mornin'...

olyinaz · Post by **olyinaz** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 1:13 pm

On a less "vintage" note, I have a Kimber and mine has been flawless. That Raptor looks simply awesome and I like the Super Carry models also:

Cheers,
Oly

TomD · Post by **TomD** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 3:18 pm

Canada on leverguns is basically as free as the US, and on pistols basically as free as the UK. So I don't have much practical experience on 1911s other than retail sales, and now make holsters for them. Now that Wild Bunch shooting is gaining popularity in some areas, there is a drive back to more classic guns. Which is kinda cool. It's fun to own a gun that gets others excited as well as yourself, and that hasn't been as true of the classics since the IPSC thing got going.

Wild bunch seems a good fit with this board:

http://www.curtrich.com/01wildbunchfordummies.html

Idiot · Post by **Idiot** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 3:24 pm

olyinaz wrote:Da best 1911 effer made vas made by the Norvegians!! Getjerself an M1914 and put a wimpy Sveedish style grip safety on it (we Norvegians yust laff at the pinchyness of da original 1911 grip safety) and you'll learn what dos Yerman fellers learned: Norsk Rules!! Now excuse me, I haff to butter my lefse.Cheers, Ole [BURP!] Uff da, dat lutefisk is comin' back at me dis mornin'...

Your Oriental accent is great!

tman · Post by **tman** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:41 pm

RIA's go cheap and go bang everytime. Mine is accurate and reliable with Ranger 230 jhp's out to 25 yards. That's all I ask of it

MrMurphy · Post by **MrMurphy** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:54 pm

Several high-end, exceedingly knowledgeable gunsmiths will no longer work on Para-Ordnance or Kimber simply because their QC has fallen so far it's not worth their time fixing the mistakes before they even start the real work.

Kimber made it's rep with the Series I guns, but the Series II has fallen far, far down from where it started.

Neither Kimber, Para-Ordnance or Taurus are ones i would use for anything but pure plinking.......if they were free.

Colt, Springfield, Dan Wesson, S&W all have solid reputations. Ruger's still new, but looks to be doing ok.

olyinaz · Post by **olyinaz** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 6:53 pm

Idiot wrote:
olyinaz wrote:Da best 1911 effer made vas made by the Norvegians!! Getjerself an M1914 and put a wimpy Sveedish style grip safety on it (we Norvegians yust laff at the pinchyness of da original 1911 grip safety) and you'll learn what dos Yerman fellers learned: Norsk Rules!! Now excuse me, I haff to butter my lefse.Cheers, Ole [BURP!] Uff da, dat lutefisk is comin' back at me dis mornin'...
Your Oriental accent is great!

My buddy Swen iss lookin' over my shoulder and he don't know whatcher talkin' about. (Lena told me, but I aint tellin' him!)

Ole

jhrosier · Post by **jhrosier** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 7:25 pm

BlaineG wrote:If it wasn't for the small, hard to see sights, I would have been more than happy with a GI grade Springfield........

That is exactly why I selected the Remington 1911r1 for my most recent 1911 purchase. It has the appearance of a pretty much stock GI 1911 with a bit better finish and a set of nicely visible sights.
The 1911r1 worked flawlessly right out of the box and shoots as well as I can hold.
My only complaint is that the trigger is a little scratchy but I will smooth it out after I get the gun broken in a bit more.

Jack

JerryB · Post by **JerryB** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 7:42 pm

My son has a Rock Island, My grandson has Springfield GI and a Rock Island. I enjoy shooting the Rock Islands as much as the Springfield. They all will run anything we feed them without a problem, even my reloads since I got the Lee FCD from Midway.
All three guns for less than some of the super models. All three are carried for CCW also.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 7:46 pm

tman wrote:RIA's go cheap and go bang everytime. Mine is accurate and reliable with Ranger 230 jhp's out to 25 yards. That's all I ask of it

Of OEM pistols, I'd LIKE the Ruger. I HAVE an RIA.

But Ideally, I'd build my own as no one combines the features I like at a price I can afford... (can't afford to build it either...)

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 7:49 pm

Big time Colt guy but going to get one of those New Remingtons.

Another great 1911A1 pistol is the Argentine System 27s.
Made in Argentina under Colt license.
I have two now but have had at least a dozen.
Outstanding quality and really accurate.

jb

Lastmohecken · Post by **Lastmohecken** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 7:54 pm

Wow! I don't even know where to start. I have owned quite a few 1911's and still own several. I shot IPSC for several years back in the 80's mostly, and later shot IDPA some in the 90's. Since then I have done mostly just CCW with the 1911.

Kimber makes a wide sellection of 1911's. I have owned 3 different models, and worked on several others for friends. Personally, I would stay away from the the Kimbers that have a II on them, because I don't like the Swarts firing pin safety, and I still own one that had it, but I removed mine, because I seen a couple of my friends guns develope problems, and ended up with bent firing pins. I replaced my firing pin with a good after market, and did away with the safety bar in the slide, but it leaves a gapping hole I don't much care for. But I keep mine, because it's a reliable (so far) light little gun for CCW.

If your are just starting out, I would probably stick with a 5 inch Colt, or Springfield. The high dollar semi-custom guns like Wilson Combat, and others are usually very fine weapons, and a cut above the stock Springfields, Kimbers, even Colts, etc. If you can afford one, espacally if you have shot the cheaper guns a lot, you will probably appreciate it, at least that's been my experience.

But on the other hand, I can also appreciate a plain old GI model. And I do like the series 70 models the best, vs. any kind of added firing pin safety, like the Kimber II's have, or even the Colt Series 80's, and many others also have it. The only reason for having a firing pin safety on a 1911 is the Lawyers.

Lastmohecken · Post by **Lastmohecken** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:04 pm

Also, unless you are left handed, as I am, don't bother with an Ambi-safety. If you are a lefty, then by all means you probably will want one, but if I was right handed I would not want one.

And You really don't need an extended slide release lever, or extended magazine release button, And frankly I don't place much value on the night sights, or those light rails either.

However, a good set of sights is pretty important, but once again it sorta depends on the gun. There is a place even for the tiny GI sights, and CCW is not such a bad place for at least one gun like my Springfield GI 4 inch Lightweight, which has the tiny sights and on that gun I love them, because of their extreme no snag qualities.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:08 pm

Back when they were available, I actually liked the ChiCom Norincos. They were dead solid, zero frills GI 1911A1s.

ceb · Post by **ceb** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 11:14 pm

For just a bit more than what that Raptor will set you back, you can get into a semi-custom such as a Les Baer Premier II. I ordered mine with a single side safety and no front cocking serrations, 3" at 50yd gun.

Or you can get the Springfield Range Officer mentioned above and still have a great 1911 and have 5-600 dollars left to buy accessories and ammo!!

1894c · Post by **1894c** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 12:54 am

Idiot wrote:
olyinaz wrote:Da best 1911 effer made vas made by the Norvegians!! Getjerself an M1914 and put a wimpy Sveedish style grip safety on it (we Norvegians yust laff at the pinchyness of da original 1911 grip safety) and you'll learn what dos Yerman fellers learned: Norsk Rules!! Now excuse me, I haff to butter my lefse.Cheers, Ole [BURP!] Uff da, dat lutefisk is comin' back at me dis mornin'...
Your Oriental accent is great!

+1

DBCinID · Post by **DBCinID** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 10:08 am

I stopped by my favorite gun shop yesterday and looked at their 1911s. I looked at the Remington, Springfield, Desert Eagle and Smith & Wesson. All 4 were nice moderate priced guns. From just looking them over and comparing trigger pull, fit & finish, smoothness of action, I eliminated the Remington and Springfield. The Desert Eagle and S & W were both nicely equipped for the price, $799 for the Desert Eagle and $899 for the S & W. The Desert eagle was blued and the S & W was stainless. I think I would be happy with both and from what I can research, both are considered to be very good guns. I think I am leaning toward the S & W. Now I need to check my piggy bank to see if it has a few extra pennies.

Don

COSteve · Post by **COSteve** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 10:16 am

Deleted

Charles · Post by **Charles** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 4:36 pm

Back around 2004 I bought a new Springfield GI. It never would group better than 5" at 25 yards, no matter how much I shot it, or what kind of ammo I fed it. In installed a Colt barrel and the groups shrank in half! So, there was something no right about that 2 piece barrel. I swapped it for my second Norinco, but pulled the Colt barrel and reinstalled the factory Springer barrel before it was swapped. The Nork shot rings around the Springer.

That was my one and only Springfield 1911 experience.

DBCinID · Post by **DBCinID** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 4:40 pm

Well, the winner was the S & W 1911E in stainless. One of the gunshops in town had them on sale to mark the centennial of the model 1911 and for the price, I couldn't pass it up. Bad part was I went and picked it up at lunch, but had to come back to work so I couldn't shoot it. Now to be patient.

Thanks,

Don

OJ · Post by OJ » Wed Nov 30, 2011 6:14 pm

FWIW - I can give limited help in that , while I don't have any experience with other brands, my experience with Colts has bee good. Here are my Series 70 Government Model 45 ACP pistols - the first one was made in 1970 and the one with the double diamond grips is a second generation "repro" . Colt made the series 70 models from 1970 - 1983 when they went to the series 80 - which had an additional safety on the firing pin the lawyers convinced colt they needed to prevent the pistol from accidentally firing if dropped. Colt lovers didn't go for that nonsense in great numbers so Colt started producing the Series 70 model again in 2002 - about the only difference being in a different bushing.

My original when new -

And now - it's been carried daily and shot weekly - for most of the past decade

and - my second generation I've shot weekly and alternated carrying the past six years -

Not fancy like some but accurate, reliable, and reasonably priced - around $900 -
If I'm wearing clothes, one or the other is with me.

piller · Post by **piller** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 10:21 pm

I like my RIA. Due to my eyes, I will be contacting Novak later, as in after Tax time, and having them mill the slide and install a set of their sights. My RIA still keeps all 8 in a circle that I can cover with a silver dollar when I am in bright sunlight so that I can see the sights well. A better shooter would probably make that a much smaller group, but I am not as good as I could be simply due to not getting much practice time in. I am not sure that I could ever be as good as some of the folks on here, even with the time, but my lack of practice time is starting to show. I do hope your new 1911 never fails you, EVER!

olyinaz · Post by **olyinaz** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 1:49 pm

COSteve wrote:Since then, I've put over 800rds down range and to my astonishment, I've not had a single failure, not even one! Not a failure to feed, fire, eject, nothing. That is something most Kimber owners can't say as they tend to need to go back to the factory for 'fixin.'

"MOST" Kimber owners?? BOLLOCKS. I've got approximately the same number of rounds down range out of my ten year old Kimber (I haven't owned it for ten years, I'm just making the point that it's an older production model) and have also had NOT ONE failure to feed or malfunction of any sort. And it's a tight target model! Most accurate pistol I've ever owned.

But here's the deal, every guy I see at my local pistol club who actually HAS a Kimber loves his. Amazing given all the hoo haa I read here on the internets! I never seem to hear about actual problems with a Kimber from anyone who actually owns one. Why is that? And I've asked at my local shops and they all say that while EVERYONE thinks that Colts are the best and they usually steer folks towards Springfields if money is a concern, none of them has any problem with Kimbers and they sell a lot of them to very happy customers. If they were junk they sure as heck wouldn't be stocking them because I'm not talking about big box stores here - these are local dealers who wont recommend junk.

Para USA is a good example - most of my local shops wont recommend them and sure enough, I've got one and it's been finicky.

Look, anyone else's mileage may vary. I'm just sayin' that in MY experience of actually owning a Kimber it's been great and everyone I know at the range or at work who has one likes theirs. A LOT. Strange how that doesn't seem to jibe with the scuttlebutt on the internet...

Oly

Streetstar · Post by **Streetstar** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 2:11 pm

olyinaz wrote:
COSteve wrote:Since then, I've put over 800rds down range and to my astonishment, I've not had a single failure, not even one! Not a failure to feed, fire, eject, nothing. That is something most Kimber owners can't say as they tend to need to go back to the factory for 'fixin.'
But here's the deal, every guy I see at my local pistol club who actually HAS a Kimber loves his. Amazing given all the hoo haa I read here on the internets! I never seem to hear about actual problems with a Kimber from anyone who actually owns one. Oly

I've also heard the phrase "Don't buy a new Kimber" several times in a couple of local gunshops --- I don't know what happened recently - or in the last 3-4 years because i don't keep up with all the industry scuttlebutt , but almost universally in the shops i frequent , people sing the praises of the earlier Kimbers and trash the newest ones--
I worked at an indoor shooting range 15 years ago when Kimber was a new name and everybody universally was proclaiming them to be the best thing since sliced bread --- due to this, when i was in the market for one 2 years ago, naturally my fond memories caused me to go shopping for a Kimber , but was dissuaded when i was told their QC went way down or something --- i went with a Springfield instead

I'll try to find out what the big complaint is --- i thought it was a firing pin issue, plus heavy use of MIM parts, but i could be very very wrong

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 5:29 pm

Ah yes, a good old 1911 argument!

I had to decompress a little after the events of the week so I spent about 2 hrs at the range today with a few toys. One was my Para LTC. As usual, it ran just fine. I've fed it premium stuff, Blazer Brass (and maybe even aluminum at some point), WWB and today I finished off a 250rd box of Ultramax remanufactured ammo I've been shooting up for a couple of years. Not a single issue of any sort. Well, other than when practicing point shooting double taps, I was low on the paper at 7yds but I can guar-on-tee it's a loose trigger nut.

I've owned 2 RIAs with no problems. When I get to where I can get another 1911, I'll look at one of their .38 Supers since it looks like they might be the only one in my price range that's not all blinged out.

I have access to a 1918 Colt that was rearsenaled at Augusta (IIRC). Other than not being as tight as the newer ones I have owned, I don't notice any significant differences when shooting them.

Here's the Para wearing a now departed Tac-Sol .22 conversion:

But here's something that can bring us 1911 types together:

tman · Post by **tman** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 6:20 pm

2ndovc wrote:Big time Colt guy but going to get one of those New Remingtons.

Another great 1911A1 pistol is the Argentine System 27s.
Made in Argentina under Colt license.
I have two now but have had at least a dozen.
Outstanding quality and really accurate.

jb

Sweet guns! Mine has no grip safety.

Lastmohecken · Post by **Lastmohecken** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:06 pm

Streetstar wrote:
olyinaz wrote:
COSteve wrote:Since then, I've put over 800rds down range and to my astonishment, I've not had a single failure, not even one! Not a failure to feed, fire, eject, nothing. That is something most Kimber owners can't say as they tend to need to go back to the factory for 'fixin.'
But here's the deal, every guy I see at my local pistol club who actually HAS a Kimber loves his. Amazing given all the hoo haa I read here on the internets! I never seem to hear about actual problems with a Kimber from anyone who actually owns one. Oly

I've also heard the phrase "Don't buy a new Kimber" several times in a couple of local gunshops --- I don't know what happened recently - or in the last 3-4 years because i don't keep up with all the industry scuttlebutt , but almost universally in the shops i frequent , people sing the praises of the earlier Kimbers and trash the newest ones--
I worked at an indoor shooting range 15 years ago when Kimber was a new name and everybody universally was proclaiming them to be the best thing since sliced bread --- due to this, when i was in the market for one 2 years ago, naturally my fond memories caused me to go shopping for a Kimber , but was dissuaded when i was told their QC went way down or something --- i went with a Springfield instead

I'll try to find out what the big complaint is --- i thought it was a firing pin issue, plus heavy use of MIM parts, but i could be very very wrong

I have owned several Kimbers, and I still own one of the little 3 inch barreled models, and I have friends that own them. They are generally pretty good guns, and often very accurate.

However, IMHO, It helps to know how to work on them a little bit, or at least have a friend that can work on 1911's. I have had some of the MIM parts break even on the older guns. I have seen thumb safetys break, and slide stops are know to break, I have replaced bent firing pins, and I don't like that firing pin block safety system in the Kimber II's. I also remember having to replace a broken magazine latch button on my first Kimber. If I was to purchase another Kimber, I would get something like the Super Carry which does not have a II on it, and does not have the firing pin block safety.

Frankly if I wanted a 1911 and come accross a good deal on a Kimber that I liked, I would not be scared to buy it. But I would expect to change out a few parts. The slides, frames, and barrels are usually very good, but some of the smaller parts are prone to break under moderate to heavy use. I have seen several parts break in less then 800 rounds.

olyinaz · Post by **olyinaz** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:45 pm

Lastmohecken wrote:Frankly if I wanted a 1911 and come accross a good deal on a Kimber that I liked, I would not be scared to buy it. But I would expect to change out a few parts.

Well that was my opinion when I bought mine and it was also my opinion when I bought my Para. The Kimber has been flawless but the Para sure 'nuff needed some work to get running right. No matter - that work is done and it DOES run right now. Para is another brand that gets a lot of bad press but like you say, if I find one I like I'll buy it without hesitation and just make it work if it doesn't, but frankly most of them probably DO run just fine or they wouldn't be selling so many. Or at least that's what common sense is whispering in my ear...

The Ruger is the one I'm interested in at the moment, but finding one is like searching for unicorn sheds or pegasus feathers. Why Ruger doesn't actually make enough for months and months on end just flabbergasts me. Their ridiculous AR-15s are catching dust on racks all over the U.S. while their highly sought 1911s cannot be found. That's some great management!

OK, sorry for the ranting. This place is more polite than I'm feeling this evening (lousy day) so I should just shut up.

Oly

hammerman · Post by **hammerman** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 9:45 pm

I've got the kimber warrior and desert warrior. They don't have the Series II firing pin block like most of the others.

So far they've been very good guns with a couple thousand round through each. A lot of guys recommend STI guns as well, but I think they are ugly.

damienph · Post by **damienph** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:31 pm

I bought my Kimber new in 1999. I can only guess at the round count but it has been a bunch. I have never, ever had a failure to feed or eject with this pistol.

The only parts that I have changed were changed just because I wanted to. I replaced the full length guide rod with an Ed Brown Gov't rod and a Wilson Combat plug (because I do not like FLRs)

The slide stop looks new because I, immediately after purchase, replaced it with a Wilson Combat extended slide stop/release and just put the original back on this past summer.

I replaced the flat mainspring housing with a Colt part because I prefer the feel of the arched housing when I grip the pistol, it just seems to naturally point better for me than the flat ones do.

Also, this past summer, I replaced all of the springs with a Wolff spring kit just because after a few thousand rounds, I thought it was probably time to.

Also, I replaced the black rubber factory grips with these Herrett full checkered Coco Bolo grips because I believe that wood and steel just naturally go together.

As I've said in at least one earlier 1911 thread, this isn't my favorite 1911 out of the four that I currently own, (2 Colts, 1 Springfield Armory, this Kimber) but it is by far the most accurate 1911 that I have ever owned.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:32 pm

There's always this one: RazorCat.

damienph · Post by **damienph** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:38 pm

Griff wrote:There's always this one: RazorCat.

And best of all, it's only $8599.95!

Streetstar · Post by **Streetstar** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:42 pm

damienph wrote:
Griff wrote:There's always this one: RazorCat.
And best of all, it's only $8599.95!

Sexy ---- in a Star Wars, single purpose kind of way . I'm not prepared to sell my Jeep just yet for a pistol though

(but if i needed one, i'd probably already have one

)

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 11:48 pm

damienph wrote:
Griff wrote:There's always this one: RazorCat.
And best of all, it's only $8599.95!

Wait, is that NZD or USD?

Either way, I could see one of those blued and a little less decked out in .38 Super sitting in my safe...

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 10:41 am

GoatGuy · Post by **GoatGuy** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:41 pm

Hey now, awp101. NO MONKEYING AROUND WITH JB'S FINEST! It's borders on irreverence, I tell ya'.

grouse · Post by **grouse** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 10:40 am

I own two Colt goverment models one a series 70 one a series 80 the series 70 will be left stock as it was my Dads the series 80 is a "combat goverment model" thats had some custom work (trigger job soild bushing bomar sights commander hammer) been shooting the heck out of it since '84 or so & its held up very well!

In a trade last year I acquired a Kimber Pro Raptor( Pro means commander length barrel).
It had not been shot much & was very tight. It took me over 800 rounds of hardball before she felt broke in enough to trust for a carry gun. Right after that I dry fired it & I dont dry fire any of my guns much, and when I dry fired it the hammer BROKE IN HALF!

Took the thing to my gunsmith & we found the hammer the sear the disconnect & maybe even he hammer strut were all that mim stuff! So we replaced it all with Ed Brown tool steel "hardcore" parts. While we were at it I had the gunsmith Install an Ed Brown extractor and an Ed Brown "bobtail".

The Kimber is my daily carry gun now and it is both reliable and accurate.
But he money I paid to get this Kimber to where I could trust it (read MIM parts) makes me wish I just would have bought a Colt Commander (old or new) to begin with!!!

Lastmohecken · Post by **Lastmohecken** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 10:06 pm

grouse wrote:I own two Colt goverment models one a series 70 one a series 80 the series 70 will be left stock as it was my Dads the series 80 is a "combat goverment model" thats had some custom work (trigger job soild bushing bomar sights commander hammer) been shooting the heck out of it since '84 or so & its held up very well!

In a trade last year I acquired a Kimber Pro Raptor( Pro means commander length barrel).
It had not been shot much & was very tight. It took me over 800 rounds of hardball before she felt broke in enough to trust for a carry gun. Right after that I dry fired it & I dont dry fire any of my guns much, and when I dry fired it the hammer BROKE IN HALF!

Took the thing to my gunsmith & we found the hammer the sear the disconnect & maybe even he hammer strut were all that mim stuff! So we replaced it all with Ed Brown tool steel "hardcore" parts. While we were at it I had the gunsmith Install an Ed Brown extractor and an Ed Brown "bobtail".

The Kimber is my daily carry gun now and it is both reliable and accurate.
But he money I paid to get this Kimber to where I could trust it (read MIM parts) makes me wish I just would have bought a Colt Commander (old or new) to begin with!!!

That's what I am talking about! A Kimber can be made into a good trustworthy gun, but be ready to replace some of those MIM parts sooner or later. The're kinda like motorcycle riders, there's two kinds the ones that have been and the ones that are going down, with Kimbers it's between the ones that have had an MIM part break and the ones that are going to have an MIM part break.

olyinaz · Post by **olyinaz** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:24 am

Lastmohecken wrote:That's what I am talking about! A Kimber can be made into a good trustworthy gun, but be ready to replace some of those MIM parts sooner or later. The're kinda like motorcycle riders, there's two kinds the ones that have been and the ones that are going down, with Kimbers it's between the ones that have had an MIM part break and the ones that are going to have an MIM part break.

Well I certainly wont argue that point. Heck, I've known quite a few folks who've shot out and just flat out broke good old Colts so there's no doubt MIM stuff is going to break at some point and I don't think anyone is going to argue that cast or injection molded is as good as forged steel (although I keep reading that it can be...just not sure I buy that).

One great thing about a 1911 is that it's like an AR-15 in that you can really have some fun swapping parts and tinkering with it. What are the Rugers made of? MIM or some other sort of casting process? I don't think they're forged, but Ruger seems to know how to make long lasting firearms using newer technology processes. I've been seriously considering one of the new Rugers, but so far they're all hype and no hardware in my neck of the woods.

Oly