1911 selection process - The Firearms Forum

jeffroalpha700 · 11-30-2006, 06:43 AM

I have a Colt 1911 Gold cup that I used to use in IDPA matches. I cannot use it as my duty pistol (adjustable sights, trigger job, stainless finish I don’t want to ruin, etc.). I currently have a G21 that I use on duty, as mentioned in my other post, but I want to switch back to a 1911 for various reasons.

My question is that I can choose from three manufacturers for 1911's: Colt, Kimber, and Springfield. I see a lot of positive feedback from people on here with Kimbers, but here has been my experience.

I have fired two different Kimbers that were manufactured within the last two years. In both cases, I had numerous malfunctions (mainly stovepipes). They fed pretty well with hardball, but that doesn't do me any good when we use Speer Gold Dot 230 Grain rounds for duty. The Denver police department had the same problem with them and actually banned their use in their policy and provided replacement pieces.

Has anyone else experienced these problems? I really would like a high capacity 1911, but these issues have kept me away from trusting my life with one. This is the main reason for wanting a Springfield, as I have had good experiences with the few I have fired, but Springfield does not offer a higher-end high-cap.

I also need to clarify that my purpose isn't to "bash" Kimber. I just am looking for honest feedback, as my experiences with them haven't been that great. Maybe someone knows what would cause these malfunctions and has some solutions.

Country101 · 11-30-2006, 07:50 AM

I have the Kimber Gold Combat Stainless and haven't had a problem at all with it(had one, but found out it was operator error, so the guns record has been set straight.). It has no problem feeding any kind of ammo I load it with. I've shot several hundred rounds of Federal Hydrashok, various ball ammo and one or two other hollow points from it with no problems at all from the gun. I've had a few bad casings that caused it to jam. Those were some of the dirt cheap shells I shot. Shot along side Wilson tuned guns and my Kimber shot as good or better. The tuned Gold Cup actually stove piped several times. I dont have any experience with the high capacity jobs, but there's my experience.

45Smashemflat · 11-30-2006, 02:04 PM

Gotta echo the above. I have had two Kimber 1911's (and two other Kimber products.) Both are older. One old enough to be pre-extra safety. Both run flawless using all types of ammo. Here is what I think MIGHT be key - stay away from the external extractor models, I've heard the most bad news about those. The two that I have are a Custom Classic (plain jane Guvmint model - "Series 70" style safeties.) and a Ultra Eclipse II. This one has the extra grip activated hammer block. It works fine, the extra parts just make disassembly a bit tricky from time to time when I forget and activate the grip safety while trying to install/remove the slide. I have since traded the Classic in as partial payment on a Nighthawk Custom - it runs great too.

Shooter45 · 11-30-2006, 06:27 PM

I have owned quite a few Kimbers and have had great luck with all of them.

What kind of mags were you using and was the pistol cleaned and lubed before shooting ??

southernshooter · 11-30-2006, 11:04 PM

I would pick the Springfield out of you choices.
Just my .02

jeffroalpha700 · 12-01-2006, 05:03 AM

Thanks for all of the comments. Now to answer a few of the questions.

The magazines were Kimber magazines. Two different individuals owned the two guns. Both were well cleaned and lubed. Maybe the Kimber magazines are part of the problem. I tend to like Chip McCormick's and Wilson’s.

45Smashemflat. That may be it. There was a reason I mentioned the age of the pistols in my original post, because I have fired some of the older Kimbers and they tend to function better. That's also the reason I asked about the issue, since this would be a new pistol.

I am leaning towards the Springfield, just based on recent experiences and posts, but I am always open to suggestions.

Once again, thanks for all of the comments.

Shooter45 · 12-01-2006, 05:14 AM

The problem could have been mag related. It's a shame you didn't have a Wilson Mag to try.

45Smashemflat · 12-01-2006, 08:03 AM

I'll jump on the Mag bandwagon too. My first Kimber - Custom Classic purchased way back during the "model one" days came with the cheapest looking mag around and it was a real POS. Switched to some "already owned" Wilsons and never looked back. I have picked up a couple of newer Kimber mags when I bought the Eclipse and they have worked OK. Point of reference - the older Kimber mags were not marked Kimber in script - the newer ones are. Mags are key and you need to mark them for reference. True story - Nighthawk Custom mags are made by MecGar. I own 4 other MecGar 8 rnd mags. They work great in my two Kimbers. One of the "regular" MecGars does NOT work in the Nighthawk. Works in all other 1911's that I own. The Nighthawk marked MecGars work in all 1911's that I own. I have since gotten rid of this mag.

By the way - the Eclipse is a stainless gun with a "greyed out" finish. I like it. Mine is a custom shop Ultra with ambi safety, front strap checkering, etc. Its heavy enough for the 3" gun to be managable.

JohnK3 · 12-01-2006, 10:47 AM

I own a Kimber Compact Stainless II. (See avatar.)

I own *1* Kimber mag. It is my mag of last resort. My other mags are Wilson.

No stovepipes.

durk · 12-01-2006, 11:36 PM

That seems kinda screwed-up to me. The mag that it made for and is shipped with the kimber doesn't work as well as a mag from another company? Hmmm. (Mind you-all I am still pretty new to this 1911 stuff).

berto64 · 12-02-2006, 03:13 AM

My AMT SS 1911 came with a generic blued magazine of not much consequence.

I now run it with 2 SA SS mags and it runs fine.

blackhawkkid308 · 12-02-2006, 03:54 AM

i have 2 kimbers, a super match II with external extractor, a grand raptor II with internal extractor. both run 100% with all ammo. but now both are single stacks. i have 3 springfields, a custom built, a ss gi with adjustable sights added, and a loaded target ss in 9mm. all run 100% with all ammo. the only time i have problems is when the ammo loaded doesn't match the spring i have in the pistol. too heavy a spring with too light a load tends to create all kinds of stovepipes and jams of all kinds. that will happen with all makes low and high end. just my $.02. all 9 of my 1011's are single stacks.
bhk308

1911Kid · 12-03-2006, 07:53 PM

Look into Para-ordinance 1911's. great pistols with 10 + 1 rounds on the hicap models. Springfield makes great pistols but with my personal experience i prefer the Paras.

1911Kid

southernshooter · 12-03-2006, 09:34 PM

Welcome 1911Kid

358 winchester · 12-04-2006, 06:23 AM

There are many different 45 autos out there but if I was going into a fire fight and had my choice, of pistols, I would always grab my Springfield. That is just my bottom line. Worked just fine for me in while working for Uncle Sam.

Mark · 12-04-2006, 07:31 AM

You might want to have a gunsmith that has 1911 experience look at the pistols. Magazines are usually suspect number 1, but it might be something like the need to replace the recoil spring with one of a different weight.
A pound or 2 either way could make a difference.

The basic 1911 has been around for almost 100 years. So much is known about this pistol, it's surprising a top quality pistol is having problems. I guess I'd schlep the pistol and the ammo off to a .45 guy and see what he says.
Mark

11-30-2006, 06:43 AM	#1
jeffroalpha700 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 4	1911 selection process I have a Colt 1911 Gold cup that I used to use in IDPA matches. I cannot use it as my duty pistol (adjustable sights, trigger job, stainless finish I don’t want to ruin, etc.). I currently have a G21 that I use on duty, as mentioned in my other post, but I want to switch back to a 1911 for various reasons. My question is that I can choose from three manufacturers for 1911's: Colt, Kimber, and Springfield. I see a lot of positive feedback from people on here with Kimbers, but here has been my experience. I have fired two different Kimbers that were manufactured within the last two years. In both cases, I had numerous malfunctions (mainly stovepipes). They fed pretty well with hardball, but that doesn't do me any good when we use Speer Gold Dot 230 Grain rounds for duty. The Denver police department had the same problem with them and actually banned their use in their policy and provided replacement pieces. Has anyone else experienced these problems? I really would like a high capacity 1911, but these issues have kept me away from trusting my life with one. This is the main reason for wanting a Springfield, as I have had good experiences with the few I have fired, but Springfield does not offer a higher-end high-cap. I also need to clarify that my purpose isn't to "bash" Kimber. I just am looking for honest feedback, as my experiences with them haven't been that great. Maybe someone knows what would cause these malfunctions and has some solutions. -->

11-30-2006, 07:50 AM	#2
Country101 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Dardanelle, AR Contributor Posts: 2,028	Re: 1911 selection process I have the Kimber Gold Combat Stainless and haven't had a problem at all with it(had one, but found out it was operator error, so the guns record has been set straight.). It has no problem feeding any kind of ammo I load it with. I've shot several hundred rounds of Federal Hydrashok, various ball ammo and one or two other hollow points from it with no problems at all from the gun. I've had a few bad casings that caused it to jam. Those were some of the dirt cheap shells I shot. Shot along side Wilson tuned guns and my Kimber shot as good or better. The tuned Gold Cup actually stove piped several times. I dont have any experience with the high capacity jobs, but there's my experience. __________________ Gainfully employed= shooting somebody elses bullets and getting paid for it Country101

11-30-2006, 02:04 PM	#3
45Smashemflat Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 1,494	Re: 1911 selection process Gotta echo the above. I have had two Kimber 1911's (and two other Kimber products.) Both are older. One old enough to be pre-extra safety. Both run flawless using all types of ammo. Here is what I think MIGHT be key - stay away from the external extractor models, I've heard the most bad news about those. The two that I have are a Custom Classic (plain jane Guvmint model - "Series 70" style safeties.) and a Ultra Eclipse II. This one has the extra grip activated hammer block. It works fine, the extra parts just make disassembly a bit tricky from time to time when I forget and activate the grip safety while trying to install/remove the slide. I have since traded the Classic in as partial payment on a Nighthawk Custom - it runs great too.

11-30-2006, 06:27 PM	#4
Shooter45 Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001 Contributor Posts: 8,749	Re: 1911 selection process I have owned quite a few Kimbers and have had great luck with all of them. What kind of mags were you using and was the pistol cleaned and lubed before shooting ??

11-30-2006, 11:04 PM	#5
southernshooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Deep South Mississippi Posts: 5,943	Re: 1911 selection process I would pick the Springfield out of you choices. Just my .02 __________________ Only you can see this

12-01-2006, 05:03 AM	#6
jeffroalpha700 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 4	Re: 1911 selection process Thanks for all of the comments. Now to answer a few of the questions. The magazines were Kimber magazines. Two different individuals owned the two guns. Both were well cleaned and lubed. Maybe the Kimber magazines are part of the problem. I tend to like Chip McCormick's and Wilson’s. 45Smashemflat. That may be it. There was a reason I mentioned the age of the pistols in my original post, because I have fired some of the older Kimbers and they tend to function better. That's also the reason I asked about the issue, since this would be a new pistol. I am leaning towards the Springfield, just based on recent experiences and posts, but I am always open to suggestions. Once again, thanks for all of the comments.

12-01-2006, 05:14 AM	#7
Shooter45 Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001 Contributor Posts: 8,749	Re: 1911 selection process The problem could have been mag related. It's a shame you didn't have a Wilson Mag to try.

12-01-2006, 08:03 AM	#8
45Smashemflat Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 1,494	Re: 1911 selection process I'll jump on the Mag bandwagon too. My first Kimber - Custom Classic purchased way back during the "model one" days came with the cheapest looking mag around and it was a real POS. Switched to some "already owned" Wilsons and never looked back. I have picked up a couple of newer Kimber mags when I bought the Eclipse and they have worked OK. Point of reference - the older Kimber mags were not marked Kimber in script - the newer ones are. Mags are key and you need to mark them for reference. True story - Nighthawk Custom mags are made by MecGar. I own 4 other MecGar 8 rnd mags. They work great in my two Kimbers. One of the "regular" MecGars does NOT work in the Nighthawk. Works in all other 1911's that I own. The Nighthawk marked MecGars work in all 1911's that I own. I have since gotten rid of this mag. By the way - the Eclipse is a stainless gun with a "greyed out" finish. I like it. Mine is a custom shop Ultra with ambi safety, front strap checkering, etc. Its heavy enough for the 3" gun to be managable.

12-01-2006, 10:47 AM	#9
JohnK3 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,636	Re: 1911 selection process I own a Kimber Compact Stainless II. (See avatar.) I own 1 Kimber mag. It is my mag of last resort. My other mags are Wilson. No stovepipes.

12-01-2006, 11:36 PM	#10
durk Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 2,026	Re: 1911 selection process That seems kinda screwed-up to me. The mag that it made for and is shipped with the kimber doesn't work as well as a mag from another company? Hmmm. (Mind you-all I am still pretty new to this 1911 stuff). __________________ Durk

12-02-2006, 03:13 AM	#11
berto64 VMBB Admin Staff Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Owyhee County, Idaho Contributor Posts: 7,385	Re: 1911 selection process My AMT SS 1911 came with a generic blued magazine of not much consequence. I now run it with 2 SA SS mags and it runs fine. __________________ Be who you are & say what you will, Those that matter won't mind and those that mind don't matter. I'm a bitter clinger, One Nation Under God.

12-02-2006, 03:54 AM	#12
blackhawkkid308 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: pensacola florida Posts: 871	Re: 1911 selection process i have 2 kimbers, a super match II with external extractor, a grand raptor II with internal extractor. both run 100% with all ammo. but now both are single stacks. i have 3 springfields, a custom built, a ss gi with adjustable sights added, and a loaded target ss in 9mm. all run 100% with all ammo. the only time i have problems is when the ammo loaded doesn't match the spring i have in the pistol. too heavy a spring with too light a load tends to create all kinds of stovepipes and jams of all kinds. that will happen with all makes low and high end. just my $.02. all 9 of my 1011's are single stacks. bhk308 __________________ 9-11-01 lest we forget AMEN

12-03-2006, 07:53 PM	#13
1911Kid V.I.P. Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: NC Posts: 56	Re: 1911 selection process Look into Para-ordinance 1911's. great pistols with 10 + 1 rounds on the hicap models. Springfield makes great pistols but with my personal experience i prefer the Paras. 1911Kid

12-03-2006, 09:34 PM	#14
southernshooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Deep South Mississippi Posts: 5,943	Re: 1911 selection process Welcome 1911Kid __________________ Only you can see this

12-04-2006, 06:23 AM	#15
358 winchester TFF Admin Staff Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Pensacola Fl. area Posts: 7,335	Re: 1911 selection process There are many different 45 autos out there but if I was going into a fire fight and had my choice, of pistols, I would always grab my Springfield. That is just my bottom line. Worked just fine for me in while working for Uncle Sam. __________________ Administrator & Owner RangeDay.com Proud, White, Heterosexual, Gun Owning, Southern American, Christian. Any question about where I stand?

12-04-2006, 07:31 AM	#16
Mark V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 314	Re: 1911 selection process You might want to have a gunsmith that has 1911 experience look at the pistols. Magazines are usually suspect number 1, but it might be something like the need to replace the recoil spring with one of a different weight. A pound or 2 either way could make a difference. The basic 1911 has been around for almost 100 years. So much is known about this pistol, it's surprising a top quality pistol is having problems. I guess I'd schlep the pistol and the ammo off to a .45 guy and see what he says. Mark