After much research, I am finally a 1911 owner.
Based on my requirements (which was for a .45 that was smaller than my SIG P220 I usually carry) I finally decided upon the Kimber SIS Ultra. A 3″ barrel, night sights, ambi thumb safety…nice gun.
Once I get to the range, a full report will follow.
Nice buy. I still only have my SW M&P9.
I’ve had a Kimber Pro Carry for almost ten years and I love it. enjoy
Hopefully your Kimber won’t have the feeding/extraction problems others have had with theirs.
Congrats, BR! Welcome to 1911-land. Let us know how it goes.
tb – I have spent a lot of time at the m1911.org Forums as well as 10-8.org. It is very difficult to determine the actual number of failures when you are looking at a very narrow segment of the overall owners (I do this in my job–evaluate warranty and failure rates for an automotive OEM).
I picked the SIS because it does not have a Swartz safety and because it has an internal extractor. Additionally, the forum commenters seem to have had generally positive results with the SIS series. I also acknowledge that with less than a 5″ barrel in a 1911 you have an increased chance of reliability issues.
I also realize that this gun is about the same size as my Glock 19. I just like the .45 ACP better.
Like I said, I will let everyone know once I get to the range how it goes (won’t be next weekend due to drill).
Ahhh, a 1911, that does an Old Tankers heart good!! I have not purchased one of those but my old Army issue Colt didn’t have an ambi safety which was a pain in the ass…I shoot lefty…..
Bull,
Its water under the bridge now, but you’d have been far better off getting a Glock 21. 14 rds of .45 in a Glock just can’t be beat! I’ve staked my life on it.
tb – I looked at the Glock 30 and Glock 36. The grip did not feel right.
As far as 14 rds of .45 ACP, I agree that is a great way to go. I was looking for more concealability in this case, however, so that is why I went with a smaller gun.
When I carry my SIG, I carry 8+1–not quite 14, but it feels great and shoots quite well. Not to mention it is extremely reliable.
Excellent choice. Steel frame and slide. I wouldn’t own anything other than steel. I own a Kimber Custom TLE II in .45 with a 5″ barrel; not the smallest .45 available but I do carry it concealed. I’ve read “reports” of endemic Kimber misfeeds with a variety of ammo but I never actually met anyone who experienced a misfeed. Personally, I have not experienced any. The accuracy of the gun is phenomenal. Lots of good ammo out there but I would suggest giving the 230 grain Remington Golden Saber a try; I believe it’s excellent; but not cheap…but then neither is your life.
Cheers,
Jack
Bull,
Yeah, the G-36 feels like crap. The G-30 is better, but the G-21 (especially the new SF mod) is the proverbial BOMB!
My 1911 isn’t a Kimber, but the 1911 style just can’t be beat. Feed it good, lube it right, and it’ll take care of you. My 1911 has a soft spot for Federal Hydra shocks.
Beware of Glockers, the guns are nice, but the gun owners are more irritating then the Hare Krishna kids at the airport. :)
I don’t dislike Glocks: they have a specific function and place. Glocks and SIGs are great because you can abuse the shit out of them…