BigEd

If were talking a new gun, for the money get a Springfield mil-spec.

BTW-If you get a NEW Kimber Series II it will come with a firing pin safety system in it.

driftrider

So? Does it really make a difference? Personally, I don't mind having a firing pin block considering that this pistol is meant to be carried locked-and-cocked. I don't fancy the idea of blowing my head off should the gun, God forbid, ever fall to the ground on the hammer and shear off the hammer sear. The firing pin blocking safety virtually eliminates that concern. Besides, doesn't Kimber state that the design of their pin safety doesn't effect the feel of the trigger at all?

Mike

akbound

Hi again ugly dog,

If you ever intend to get a consensus on this site.....on this subject....good luck!

If you stick with the better known brand names.....decide which features you absolutely can't live without (another way of saying "features you are willing to spend money on") and pick the model that appeals to you most! There is no such thing (okay, okay, nearly no such thing) as a bad 1911! Only degrees of better.....

Good luck with your decision.

Dave

P.S. One other thing to consider. If it's your first 1911.....consider buying a "basic" model, made by any company known for quality, go get some experience on the range.....and then determine "from your own experience"....how you'd like to "trick it out"!

Briman

Kimber can claim on their series II and Colt can claim that their series 80 triggers are not effected by the firing pin block, but the pressure of the trigger is what deactivates them. If theier was suposed to be a firing pin block in a 1911, John Moses Browning would have designed them that way.

I just ordered one of these this week http://www.springfield-armory.com/im...9109LLarge.jpg

For under $700 its hard to find a better value. I don't like the serrations at the front of the slide, but I can live with it. I chose this one after looking at colts and kimbers and shopping around for several weeks. Kimber would have been my second choice behind the wwII springfield model, which only costs around $400, but I would have had to pay another $100 for a KImber above and beyond what I paid for my Springfield. Colts dont do much for me- it seems that you are paying alot for the name more than anything else. Just my opinion.

driftrider

Well, the topic of the Kimber firing pin block has been on my mind, so today I decided to swing by my favorite little gun store (and Kimber dealer) and ask about it. What I found out was that Kimbers pin block is actually deactivated by depressing the palm safety, not the trigger. This means that the pin safety and trigger aren't directly associated, and the pin block doesn't effect trigger pull. But, what he did say was that the trigger system in the model II's did have to be modified to accomodate the pin block system and new palm safety design, with the result being that the newer triggers are harder to adjust than the old ones.

Just FYI.

Mike

Briman

That doesn't sound too bad then if its deactivated by the grip safety. It still seems like an answer to a problem that doesn't exist though to me.

driftrider

I forgot to mention the other thing he told me about the model II Kimbers. Apparently the 3" bbl. versions (the Ultra II's) have
a spotty reputation for reliability...or to put it as he did, "they don't work, but Kimber won't tell you that." He did say that the 3"
model I's work fine. Since he deals guns for a living, and I trust and even admire is honesty regarding the products he sells, it
looks like I won't be getting that Eclipse Ultra II someday after all. I'm not paying $850+ for a gun that isn't completely reliable.

But the 4" version of the Eclipse...!

Mike

Sam Adam165

I'd look at the Dan Wesson 1911. GREAT buy for the money. Cheaper than Kimber and Springfield.. same quality gun

toledo joe

I think they guys who say you can't buy a bad 1911 are pretty close to correct. Never fired a Kimber but have a Series 80 1991 A1 from the Colt Custom Shop that I love dearly. I think the increased safety factor is important. Also have a Concealed Carry Officers that shoots well.

icthruu

Yes, there ton's of 1911 options just in manufacturer, then you get into all the bells and whistles. I have a Para-ord 13.45 that I really like, except for the finish it has started to wear off on the grip area, so I'm going to have it refinished. I really like the Kimbers also, but never shot one. My local shop has several, and they say that IF they get a used one(which is rare) it usually won't last out the day once it's in the case. Anyway, I'm sure you can find a good new gun for a good price, and then after you've had it for a while, decide what you like, and don't like, and then you can begin the process of changing what you don't like.