1911's

[Atrain1]

Very nice I am not a Kimber guy but those are very nice looking guns, I look at that 38 super ever time I am one CGM that is a very nice pistol thanks for posting the pictures.

[Bailey Guns]

I'm pretty partial to Kimbers myself. I was one of 19 Master Dealers on their Dealer Advisory Board in 2006 and 2007. They'd fly us out to Vegas once a year for a big banquet and to fondle guns and we got to tour the factory in NY. They'd always make a big deal out of asking all of the dealers on the board what they should do, what models would we like to see and so on.

Then they'd go and do whatever they wanted. But, I got 2 free trips to Vegas with a helluva lot of free food and booze and a free trip to NY to tour the factory. So, it was worth it.

I love reading what some of the Kimber haters say online...most of it isn't true and is downright funny.

They must be doing something right. They sell every gun they can build 3 months before it's even built.

[Scanker19]

Here's mine:























Really though I'm not a fan of the 1911, but you guys have some nice guns there. Especially that Remington Rand (drool).

[Atrain1]

I'm pretty partial to Kimbers myself. I was one of 19 Master Dealers on their Dealer Advisory Board in 2006 and 2007. They'd fly us out to Vegas once a year for a big banquet and to fondle guns and we got to tour the factory in NY. They'd always make a big deal out of asking all of the dealers on the board what they should do, what models would we like to see and so on.

Then they'd go and do whatever they wanted. But, I got 2 free trips to Vegas with a helluva lot of free food and booze and a free trip to NY to tour the factory. So, it was worth it.

I love reading what some of the Kimber haters say online...most of it isn't true and is downright funny.

They must be doing something right. They sell every gun they can build 3 months before it's even built.

There is always someone out there that has to hate on some ones gun no matter what brand it is, look what happened when I put up my pictures some one said it was a bunch of crap when half of them you cant even tell what they are in the picture, that is just the way it is I dont hate Kimbers and I dont exactly like them either I would not own one but that is me and I have been known to bash kimbers from time to time, everyone has there 1911's that they like, I like S&W there is people out there that think S&W should not make 1911's I like the Kimber guys that say that, then I have to explain to them that S&W used to make there frames slides and some small parts anyone remember when kimber could not get the external extractor down that was when S&W was making there parts, I have got into it with my die hard Kimber friends and they will say things like buy a Kimber and you will have a real 1911 at that point we go out to the range and that SS PT1911 has not let me down yet, all the people I have come across think cause they have a high dollar gun they automaticly can shoot, I put in hours apon hours with my guns and thousands of dollars in ammo, for along time every time I got mad I would go shoot until what ever was bothering me was gone it is amazing how well you can become acquainted with your firearm. I have had Desert Eagle Para Ordnance RIA S&W Taurus Sig 1911's and alot of other 1911's I could keep going on but what is the point I have been very pleased with all of them, I have not owned a 1911 that I have not liked yet. I was shooting a hand soap container at 100 yards with my GSG 1911-22 yesterday it was pretty sweet.

[Graves]

AFAIK S&W never built slides and frames for Kimber, they were involved yes, but they simply sent raw forgings to an outfit owned by Kimber called Jerico where they were made to resemble slides and frames then sent to Kimber to be finished.

[Atrain1]

AFAIK S&W never built slides and frames for Kimber, they were involved yes, but they simply sent raw forgings to an outfit owned by Kimber called Jerico where they were made to resemble slides and frames then sent to Kimber to be finished.

Thats what alot of people think cause no Kimber owner wants to believe he has a Smith but I dug deep and got to the point were they shipped the frames and slides ready to be assembled and Kimber assembled them, and they also made some small parts or maybe the MIM parts not to sure about that yet, it all stopped in 2001 I heard only a few years ago that they stopped I have not checked into it yet. and what I like about Smith is the external extractor works. I dont know if it is a coincidence that Kimber had a external extractor that did not work that well at all for a while, and S&W all have externals and rumor is that S&W made there slides but who knows maybe it is just a big fat coincidence. Here is part of some of the research I have done, just had to find it in my CP.


Smith & Wesson--once again American-owned--is committed to building what shooters want, and shooters want Government Model .45s. And it's a relatively easy pistol for S&W to make. For several years the company has had excess manufacturing capacity and has been making all kinds of different parts for other firearms companies. It is not well known, but this traditional maker of top-notch revolvers also makes bolt actions for Remington and Weatherby, pistol receivers and slides for other well-known manufacturers.

[Graves]

Dwight Van Brunt of Kimber Manufacturing went on record in an issue of gun tests (Nov. 2003) and said "Kimber does not and never has used 'castings' for slides and frames"
"Kimber does not and never has sourced the machining of slides or
frames. We have always done it ourselves in Yonkers."
"Our relationship with Smith and Wesson has been limited to
purchasing raw forgings - little more than a brick of steel. Further,
S&W is just one of several sources for forgings we have done business
with in the past."

ETA: Do you have a source on those claims Atrain?

[Bailey Guns]

I can't speak as far back as 2001. When I was there in 2007 Kimber made everything in house except some grips.

I was under the impression that the only thing they got from S&W was the forgings...just like Graves said. That's all I've ever heard of.

Besides...what difference does it/would it make anyway? Lots of gun makers get parts from outside sources. It's not like it's something new.

And re: Kimber's attempt at an external extractor. The whole thing over the external extractors wasn't so much that they didn't work. Very few of the guns had issues. The real problem was the customer didn't like them because real 1911s have internal extractors. After almost a year, Kimber listened to their customers and switched back. Not only that but due to all the bitching they replaced the slide of any external extractor gun for any customer that wanted it at no charge.

Not too many companies are that responsive.

[sneakerd]

Hey Train- the offer to meet you to shoot (I might learn something) still stands. I took the Meanstreets Advanced Handgun course last weekend, me and TDYRanger are scheduled to go up to the Pawnee Grasslands this Thurs to do some longer range shooting during the day. FYI

[PSS]

Here's my secondary or even third tier 1911. LOL Metroarms AC Commander. I have run about 2500 relatively trouble free handloads thru it. 230gr lead bullets. I had to adjust the slide catch and adjust the tension on the extractor when new. Bullets feeding up thru the mag would bump the slide catch and cause it to randomly hold the slide open. I adjusted the extractor tension and ejector to stop the cases from being thrown in my face. For $275 + tax it's a good shooter. Super accurate. Bluing virtually nonexistent. Recommend it to anyone that wants a great shooter for a super low cost and isn't worried about tweaking a couple things on the pistol. I bought some cheap grips from http://ultimate-equipmentstore.com/b...for101911.html when they were 20$. Grip screws keep walking out so they will get locktited in. See a trend?