Let’s talk 1911s, whatcha got, whatcha want?

Don’t have one, don’t really want one. I’m a polymer, double stack, mostly striker fire kind of guy :man_shrugging:

So Glock 1911 fits you… :joy:

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beautiful 1911!! 4000 is a little to expensive for me but if I had it I’d probably get it…lol

I have shot a Firehawk. Great guns, the 45 feels almost like shooting a 9mm. NHC guns are spendy though.

Updated Kimber Custom II. I carried this gun about 6.5 years, just started carrying sig 365xl, but now, I may just go back to carrying this one.
Anyway, got it new 7 years ago I think. Since then, put a titanium Firing Pin, heavy FP spring, a Wilson Combat magwell on it, this is 2nd grip change and I like the smooth ones cause palm of my right hand is hypersensitive due to a burn injury. Also temporarily changed barrel bushing, slide lever to blued from SS, now back to SS originals, and have only had to change the recoil spring 3 times even though I’ve put a LOT of rounds through it. Couldn’t even guess how many.
At any rate, here’s the fresh tritium sights and Indian Rosewood grips that are tempting me to put the Sig away and carry my 1911 again. God knows I’ve plenty of holsters here for it :wink:

20200903_155208

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Nice looking Kimber. I had heard a lot of bad about Kimber, but am really liking mine.

Fred_G

I’ve heard that too but about their micros (pocket 1911’s).

I picked up my first Kimber (full size stainless, 10mm) earlier this year and have put HUNDREDS of rounds through it w/o incident.

After around 20 years I finally got around to making internal changes to my Kimber 10mm. List below pic:


Internal changes:

-Fitted solid aluminum trigger (medium; hidden overtravel stop)
-25lbs mainspring
-Reduced radius FPS
-WC BP sear spring
-EGW FW 20lbs RS (testing)

External changes (some from 15 years ago):

-Pearce FG insert
-Custom G10 grips (forgive me Colt DE)
-Blued, arched MSH

I need to put a couple hundred rounds through it and a WC 9 round magazine to ensure reliability, but I just ran a box of PMC 200gr FMJ without a hiccup.

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@Fred_G & @Sheridan

I’d never heard anything bad about Kimber anywhere, but I’ve never discussed anything but 5" 1911 Kimbers with anyone either. This one I posted the pic of is the only Kimber I currently own, and it’s been my EDC for years, with probly a couple thousand rounds through without problem, which is why I removed the Sig 365xl I was carrying while the sights on this one was changed, and grabbed a 1911 holster yesterday. Gotta say, I can shoot it more accurately and faster for that first 9 rounds than I ever could any polymer gun I’ve tried. I’m comforted having it back on my belt.

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A long time ago (1988 ish) in a land not too far from here Kimber was brandy new on the 1911 gun market, they were on par with Raven as far as quality went. I’m not kidding, they were that bad. Where ever they were getting parts from had crap QC. I have personally SEEN 2 hammers break off within the first 50 rounds and more than a couple broken slide stop pins as well as other internal parts failures. We had an old saying for when customers brought in their guns in a box disassembled “RONCO Gun in a Box” it was normally reserved for Remington Nylon 66’s as they are a PITA to put back together and way too easy to get apart. We started getting Kimber 1911’s in the same way.

Fast forward to 3 months ago and my oldest Son was 9 kinds of giddy that he was going to pick up his first pistol the next day, he was doing the lay away thing. The next day he brings over this pretty 1911 Stainless Steel Kimber. He was proud as a peacock. He asked if I had any ammo and I did and gave him some. About 3 hours later I get a couple photos on a text “Is it supposed to do this?” The slide was forward from lock back about a 1/4" and the cartridge wouldn’t go home. The other photo was of SEVERAL 45 rounds with the boolits pushed WAAAYYYYY back into the case. (He’s hard headed, dunno where he got it from, must be his mother :roll_eyes: ) I tell him to bring it by tomorrow. I get said critter and try to chamber a round and it stops, just like the picture. 5 second field strip and I look down the tube. Clean, smooth and shiny. There were three things missing though, a chamber, lands and grooves. No kidding it was a smooth bore. I looked at my Son, “What did I tell you about Kimber’s?” It took three trips back to Kimber to make it right. NOW, he has a nice pistol. Truth be told I don’t think I would have caught it at the counter either, that is just something you don’t expect.

That said I love my military marked Kimber 82-G with the Ford F-250 truck axle for a barrel.

Cheers,

Craig6

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Wow! Thats ALL news to me dude. This Custom II SS is my only experience. Shot great out of the box, and I frequently cut bullet holes with it. Have experimented with a LOT of ammo. My carry ammo is Hornady Critical Duty 220gr tipped JHP’s, and I use 230gr Remington field loads for just goofin around at the range. Not once have I had a malfunction that wasn’t cleared within 5 seconds. So, again, wow - a surprise to me, esp a barrel with no rifling.

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Wait!!! I just lied there, sorry. Forgive my brain’s RAM.

I DID have a Kimber Tactical II that screwed up on me. Somehow, the hole where the thumb safety goes through the frame corroded out to twice the original diameter. However, Kimber covered postage both ways, and replaced the entire frame, and gave me a couple of magazines I’d told service I liked. They also changed all springs. So I essentially got an entirely new 1911 because of that. I don’t know what caused it, a bad nitride finish or what, but they replaced it very quickly with no argument. I later sold it. So I only had that one about a year or so & forgot about it altogether.

Kimbers are a crap shoot. You either get one that is great or you get a lemon and it’s about 50/50. You get a good one and they are great. But the problem ones show up way too often and their CS doesn’t always get it right the first time. Craig6, your son’s barrel, that is not the first I have heard of that issue. In fact I saw it at the range about two years ago.

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I just picked my first 1911 today:


I’ve only put 50 rounds through it so far. I shoot it as well as I do my .40 S&W, but with a MUCH nicer trigger.

Somehow I think this is the first step in a long-term love affair.

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Welcome to the club!

I bought my first 1911 in January and now have 2 LOL

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LOL! I think its either going to be while, or I may have to resort to sneaking it past the Boss. She commented on how many I had compared to what she had.

Edit: … hmm… I may have to look into a .380, or 38 super version for her.

Yup!! You’ve been bitten. Yer done!

Now put some Houge Grips on it and really enjoy it.

Cheers,

Craig6

I ordered them today. They should be here in a day or 3. It still shoots nice with the cheap bakelite like grips, but I knew I was probably going to want nicer grips.

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Argh, broke the front fiber optic sight on my Kimber Stainless II 10mm AGAIN. Not sure why it’s happening but the sight! It doesn’t seem very robust.
IMG_20200919_143151179_HDR~2|596x500

Kimber will replace but curious what suggestions everyone has. I’m thinking a Trigicon night sight like I have on my Glock G34 (hasn’t failed me yet). I’d would like something more “tactical” than the typical ramped 1911 rear sight so I can do one-handed reloads (cycle the slide on my belt or shoe/boot).

Suggestions?

AGAIN? :thinking: Kimber China? :joy:

Check these:

However from tactical perspective, Trijicon tritium sights seems to be better option.

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