Guys, I don't want to sound like a cheap skate and I agree with you that Kimber makes a great handgun. But so does Wilson and a few other outfits.
But what are you using this gun for. Is it going to be for competition shooting?
Or is it going to be for occasional carry and self defense? If its the former, by all means, get the best you can afford. If its for the latter, I'd say get something a bit less expensive if you can't afford the high end models.
A few years ago I was paging through the Shotgun News and came across an ad for a .45 (Balister Molina). These guns are made in Argentina I believe and used by the poice and military there. They were used but refurbished. I paid $125 for it. It looked like crap when I got it but the bore was clean and crisp and the action was tight. Took it out and shot it and it worked flawlessly and was more than accurate enough for its intended use. It was shooting 3" groups at 25 yds. I buffed it up with some steel wool, cold blued it and put a set of black rubber wrap around grips on it. I'd wouldn't heaitate on buying another.