[G schütze]

Originally Posted by MinervaDoe

Thanks for the replies. Keep 'em comin'...


This is reassuring. I've heard enough people say this, that I was willing to try a Kimber.


This is probably good advice.


Always good advice.



I would have bought either a Range Officer or an STI, but neither one is California "approved." The Kimber has a match grade barrel, bushing, frame, and slide. I thought I'd see if it can outshoot my Springfield 1911.



That's more or less what I'm thinking.

Thanks gusy. I'm obviously using the forum as a sounding board. I've had my Springfield Armory OEM 1911 since 1987. It's been very reliable. Recently, I put a Wilson bombproof sear and connector into it (as well as a Bar-Sto barrel). My gunsmith tested the Rockwell hardness of the wilson parts at 58, and my old Springfield parts at 52. Meanwhile, there was a broken Kimber sear on his press that tested at 14 .
It got me to thinking.... since I have my old Springfield Sear and connector, why not buy a few more parts and put them in the Kimber.

The only things match grade on your Kimber are the stamp on your barrel and the type in the advertising saying that it is.

[G schütze]

Originally Posted by faawrenchbndr

I've installed $350k+ aircraft parts.

No one biOtches abou cast frames & slides. A properly made MIM
part is more structurally sound than a properly made cast part.

I love my Pratt MIM turbine blades. The problem is that Kimber's MIM is not quality MIM. Hence the name MIMber.

[MinervaDoe]

Originally Posted by G schütze

The only things match grade on your Kimber are the stamp on your barrel and the type in the advertising saying that it is.

Yeah, I know. Take a look at the list of 1911s that can be sold in California. My first choices would have been an STI, or a Range Officer, but neither is sold here.

Originally Posted by G schütze

OBTW, there is nothing "custom" about your custom target II.

I never thought it was custom. I can only imagine the groupthink at Kimber as the marketing guys came up with that name.

I've only put 200 rounds through it, with only one jam (using a specific aftermarket magazine and some anemic reloads which wouldn't cycle in my G21).
The accuracy is decent. The lack of any index points on the sights bugs me. The trigger feels smooth and drops clean.

All in all, it feels like a decent gun. But, I'd have no problem swapping some parts on it. A new set of sights seems like a swap I'd really like to do. I'll finish breaking it in first.

[G schütze]

Originally Posted by MinervaDoe

Yeah, I know. Take a look at the list of 1911s that can be sold in California. My first choices would have been an STI, or a Range Officer, but neither is sold here.




I never thought it was custom. I can only imagine the groupthink at Kimber as the marketing guys came up with that name.

I've only put 200 rounds through it, with only one jam (using a specific aftermarket magazine and some anemic reloads which wouldn't cycle in my G21).
The accuracy is decent. The lack of any index points on the sights bugs me. The trigger feels smooth and drops clean.

All in all, it feels like a decent gun. But, I'd have no problem swapping some parts on it. A new set of sights seems like a swap I'd really like to do. I'll finish breaking it in first.

That sucks that you live in a communist state. Good luck with your Kimber. I personally wouldn't own one even if they were the only option in a 1911. I'd choose another type of gun if that was the case. I wouldn't give Kimber a penny of my money.

[GVFlyer]

I believe the issue that many of us have with metal injected molding parts (also know as powdered metal or sintered metal parts) is not the frequency of their breakage, but the mechanism by which they break. Tool steel parts tend to "work" (to a greater of lessor degree depending on hardness) before they break, where MIM parts break instantly with no warning of impending failure.

[okie]

I don't think it would wise to take out the firing pin block safety. If you do and you ever have to defend your self, that pistol will be taken from you temporarily and gone over with a fine tooth comb, when they see that the safety has been removed they may use that against you in court

[MD357]

Originally Posted by okie

I don't think it would wise to take out the firing pin block safety. If you do and you ever have to defend your self, that pistol will be taken from you temporarily and gone over with a fine tooth comb, when they see that the safety has been removed they may use that against you in court

Can you cite a case where this happened?

[MinervaDoe]

Originally Posted by okie

I don't think it would wise to take out the firing pin block safety. If you do and you ever have to defend your self, that pistol will be taken from you temporarily and gone over with a fine tooth comb, when they see that the safety has been removed they may use that against you in court

I don't remember anybody mentioning that.

[silversport]

attorneys might bring up ANYthing to get a foot hold but if the shoot was good, I wouldn't be so concerned with the delivery system...

Bill

[okie]

Originally Posted by MD357

Can you cite a case where this happened?

I haven't heard of any cases, but I was going to take those parts out of the Kimber I owned and that's what I was told by the gun smith

[tim12232]

Originally Posted by MinervaDoe

Yeah, I know. Take a look at the list of 1911s that can be sold in California. My first choices would have been an STI, or a Range Officer, but neither is sold here.

Having lived in CA, I can tell you that you have more options. I would rather buy a used Dan Wesson then a new Kimber. I wont own another just based on my own experience with them a number of years ago, when they switched to the external extractor. My TLE-RL was sent back twice before I dumped it for half of what I paid. Guns only have to be on the roster for "new sales".

[MD357]

Originally Posted by okie

I haven't heard of any cases, but I was going to take those parts out of the Kimber I owned and that's what I was told by the gun smith

FWIW, it's more internet lore than anything. Sounds like he just didn't want to do it.

[fasteddie565]

Originally Posted by MD357

FWIW, it's more internet lore than anything. Sounds like he just didn't want to do it.

I agree.

Your lawyer can say I am unsafe be removing it and mine can say I was trying to ensure accuracy to prevent stray shots or some other lawyereze.

[1911Tuner]

No one biOtches abou cast frames & slides.

Oh, I will. While a good cast frame is neither here nor there, the slide is a different matter. Everybody worries too much about the frame and not enough about the parts that really catch hell...the slide and the upper barrel lugs. The slide and barrel assembly is the "gun." The frame is little more than the gun mount.

As far as MIM goes, it can be quite good...or it can be worse than junk. It depends on the vendor...what the material is and how closely the adherence to proper technique and QA is held.

I have a pair of early 1991A1 Colts that I bought strictly for range beater duty. The pair is approaching 400,000 rounds, about evenly split. One is still functioning on the original MIM sear and disconnect. The other, on the original sear. I replaced the disconnect during the 75,000 round refitting...not because it broke or malfunctioned...but just because it was looking a little worn and I wanted to nip any potential problems in the bud.

The problem with MIM is that...barring an obvious defect...it's hard to tell if it's good or bad. It generally works fine right up to the point that it fails. Generally, a bad MIM part will fail early. If an MIM part survives a thousand cycles, it'll likely hold up for 50,000.