[Illinoimike]

WOW, finally, after years of searching, another Stainless Gold Match II with the Kimpro finish that's almost exactly like mine. I had Kimber install high vis front site as well.
I'm selling mine for only 1350.00
I really love it but I don't shoot it. I use the pros and ultras.....

[Icelander513]

Originally Posted by Snaps

true, I'd still prefer a gun from NY over a gun from brazil

Springfield's Custom Shop guns are all hand made in Geneseo, IL.

[crazymoose]

Originally Posted by Icelander513

Springfield's Custom Shop guns are all hand made in Geneseo, IL.

From Brazilian forgings, and MIM parts probably made by Taurus. That said, Springfield's MIM part QC seems pretty stringent, as I hear of very few problems with them.

[MD357]

If the wannabe nationalists had any conviciton, they wouldn't be posting on a GLOCK forum. I doubt EVERY Kimber part has US roots.

[Jason D]

There is nothing wrong with buying American good.
Can you give us a list of the foreign parts that are in a Kimber?

[Snaps]

Originally Posted by Icelander513

Springfield's Custom Shop guns are all hand made in Geneseo, IL.

People keep getting this bad information and I don't know how. According to the custom shop (not somebody on the net) they are the frames and slides are all brazilian. In fact if you have to get something changed, the wait is longer as they have to ORDER a new slide from brazil (imbel) and wait for it ot be shipped.

The parts are MIM, made by another well known brazilian gun maker. Please tell whoever lied to you to stop.

Now they are assembled here if that counts as made to you? Sort of like saying you're the farmer if you threw the steak on the grille



Not a nationalist by any means, but i try to buy American. And if I'm spending thousands of dollars on something it's not gonna be imported from Brazil.

[Snaps]

Originally Posted by Jason D

There is nothing wrong with buying American good.
Can you give us a list of the foreign parts that are in a Kimber?

damn near everything for a kimber is made in house. NY

[MD357]

Originally Posted by Snaps

Not a nationalist by any means, but i try to buy American. And if I'm spending thousands of dollars on something it's not gonna be imported from Brazil.

Nobody is lying, SACS guns are in fact made here in the US. They may get their unfinished frames and slides from Brazil but Springfield actually has a true custom shop that will build you anything you like, unlike Kimber.... who BS's you into thinking they have one. I'll take US made 1911s with Brazilian steel over something that is significantly overpriced and "US" made and basically assembly line fluff. Not to mention, Kimber's CS is a joke relative to SA.

Now spend money how you like, but a $1500-$2000 Kimber doesn't have any significant upgrades in parts or fit over a base model and it's funny how many fall for it.

[FLAWLS1]

Uh oh... did this turn into another Kimber bashing thread? LOL! I've only had 1 Kimber and I still own it AND it's been 100% since day 1. I hate how people bash on MIM yet no one can ever really elaborate on why MIM parts are "bad". I wonder why Kimber sells the most 1911's out of all the other brands. I have a cousin and 2 other friends with Kimber's and there's also function 100%.

I think with as many guns as they sell of course they're going to have the most complaints you see, but I'm sure it doesn't compare to the others that run great. I have nothing negative to say about Colts, SA, Sigs, etc. because I've never owned one or shot one. When I was looking for a 1911 I checked out Colts, Sigs, & SA and the Kimber's and Sigs quality felt the best to me. So between those 2 I chose my Kimber and my next 1911 will be a Sig. I would love to have a SA TRP, but for $1,600-$1,800... HELL NO, I'd rather buy a Les Baer.

[crazymoose]

Originally Posted by FLAWLS1

Uh oh... did this turn into another Kimber bashing thread? LOL! I've only had 1 Kimber and I still own it AND it's been 100% since day 1. I hate how people bash on MIM yet no one can ever really elaborate on why MIM parts are "bad". I wonder why Kimber sells the most 1911's out of all the other brands. I have a cousin and 2 other friends with Kimber's and there's also function 100%.

I think with as many guns as they sell of course they're going to have the most complaints you see, but I'm sure it doesn't compare to the others that run great. I have nothing negative to say about Colts, SA, Sigs, etc. because I've never owned one or shot one. When I was looking for a 1911 I checked out Colts, Sigs, & SA and the Kimber's and Sigs quality felt the best to me. So between those 2 I chose my Kimber and my next 1911 will be a Sig. I would love to have a SA TRP, but for $1,600-$1,800... HELL NO, I'd rather buy a Les Baer.

Kimber uses the same business model that SIG now uses (not a coincidence given the Cohen factor): compete on price by sacrificing quality. Most people won't shoot enough to break them or know the difference, and for those that do, it's easier to replace the broken parts/guns than to put out a consistently good product. Kimber uses a whole lot of poorly quality-controlled MIM parts that break at a far higher rate than those from other manufacturers like Colt or SA.

[FLAWLS1]

Originally Posted by crazymoose

Kimber uses the same business model that SIG now uses (not a coincidence given the Cohen factor): compete on price by sacrificing quality. Most people won't shoot enough to break them or know the difference, and for those that do, it's easier to replace the broken parts/guns than to put out a consistently good product. Kimber uses a whole lot of poorly quality-controlled MIM parts that break at a far higher rate than those from other manufacturers like Colt or SA.

You have any facts to this?

[MD357]

Originally Posted by FLAWLS1

You have any facts to this?

[MD357]

Here's a different gun. This one was the local guy I spoke of earlier......happened in under 100 rounds. Kimber merely sent him a replacement hammer and basically said "good luck son."

[MD357]

There are several pics of mag catches and thumb safeties breaking available also.... someone might wanna ask Nighthawk about the luck they've had with Kimber ambi safeties.

[FLAWLS1]

Haha... well that really sucks and I'm happy nothing has happened to mine. However, like I said earlier they sell the most 1911's out of everyone else so I would expect them to have more problems/complaints. Also, there are parts that are forged or non MIM on 1911's that also break. I truly believe if they were crap like most people make them out to be on the forums then they would be out of business by now or actually LONG time ago. It's kinda like how there's so many Glock haters, but obviously Glock is doing something right.

[Jason D]

Originally Posted by Snaps

damn near everything for a kimber is made in house. NY

That I know.

Originally Posted by MD357

Originally Posted by MD357

Here's a different gun. This one was the local guy I spoke of earlier......happened in under 100 rounds. Kimber merely sent him a replacement hammer and basically said "good luck son."

These pictures prove nothing other than they have a broken hammer. No one has any idea but the guns owners how the hammer broke. Maybe it was the MIM parts at fault. Maybe the owners were just idiots and dropped their guns.

I have owned three Kimbers of various ages. From a very early Target model, Super Match Series 1, and the Gold Match Series II. The oldest being the Target model.

None of them ever broke anything and other than grips were all factory stock. I understand that with anything. A company can't have a 100% track record when it comes to how happy a consumer is with their products.

Just one person getting an off product and deciding to piss in the punch bowl can garner a lot of negative feedback. While others that have never touched a Kimber in their life takes those words to heart and repeats them over and over as gospel.


As I said I have owned three of them of varying ages. I have handled and fired many more. I have never in the history of Kimber found myself holding a bad one. Not that that makes me a Kimber lover or defender. If a company makes a bad product they should answer for it and fix it. It's just my experience with them leaves me with nothing to ***** about.

As to custom shop... If they have one man with tools that knows what he's doing. They have a custom shop. It may not be as big or fast any others. They doesn't mean they are incapable of working on guns.







We all know when it comes to Springfield they are tops in customer service and do top notch custom work. We also know that all slides and frames are forged in Brazil. We also know that some of them have their finished work done here state side and for that reason are not marked made in Brazil.

I have quite a few Springfield among other M1911's.
They age great guns to be sure, but not the end all guns.

It should probably be pointed out that just about everyone uses MIM parts nowadays. Even a look through the Brownells catalog can find MIM parts being sold with major maker names on them.

[Ruggles]

Wow my late night ramblings about a gun I was not going to buy anyways (which I stated in the OP) has turned into a Kimber bash. God bless the internet

I would still buy it just for the record...

[MD357]

These pictures prove nothing other than they have a broken hammer. No one has any idea but the guns owners how the hammer broke. Maybe it was the MIM parts at fault. Maybe the owners were just idiots and dropped their guns.

We can only go on the words of the owners of the guns, which is no better or worse than those that say they have perfect Kimbers? Funny how someone asks for proof and nothing will be accepted any proof will ultimately be dismissed with excuses and what ifs. I do find it interesting that I've had two different guys stating that Kimber didn't send a call tag when they had fire control issues, they merely sent the parts to fix.

Just one person getting an off product and deciding to piss in the punch bowl can garner a lot of negative feedback. While others that have never touched a Kimber in their life takes those words to heart and repeats them over and over as gospel.

This argument is pretty tired now. Personally, I've owned a Kimber and I've definately seen several problems with their small parts including a schwartz safety failure. In which I will no longer own a 1911 with that type FPS because it has too many variables for failure for me.

As to custom shop... If they have one man with tools that knows what he's doing. They have a custom shop. It may not be as big or fast any others. They doesn't mean they are incapable of working on guns.

Sorry my friend, there are people who assemble 1911s from a parts bin and then there are those that do honest custom work. If you still disagree, then by all means post the contact information for Kimber's custom shop and lets start pricing TRUE custom work from Kimber's shop. I get all the other stuff is purchase validation but cmon.... it's a bit delusional to believe they are or have a TRUE custom shop.