[firefighter4884]

Ahh... I had a great night at the range tonight!!!

OK, so I'm taking the NRA pistol safety class. I couldn't seem to hit crap with my USPc, so I figured I'd go take this class. The guy who is teaching it is giving me a discount, and it's fun. Anyway, after shooting the USPc for about 3 weeks with the guy, we figured out that my sites are all messed up (I posted last week), I have new sites on the way from the company (Ameriglo) at no charge

So this week, to keep going with class, he brought some other toys for me to play with. I asked him to bring a 1911, and he said he was going to bring a few Glocks also. He let me shoot his G27, and I actually really really liked it, for it's size

So he shows up tonight with a G17 (range rental), an HK USP .40 (range rental), a Ruger P85 9mm (rental as well), his G27 and his Kimber TLE II. I got to shoot the G17 (generation 1, I think), and it slid around my hands all kind of different ways. Put about 50 rounds downrange through the G17 and the Ruger. I put about 35 rounds through the full size USP, and a box of 50 rounds through the Kimber.

Ruger, G17... so so...seemed like big guns for the amount of firepower (bulky I mean...) and I dont' like loading 9mm mags (I dunno why exactly). The USP was nice, but it felt like it was weaker (more flex, cheaper construction almost) then my USPc. It was OK.

Now, the Kimber. Oh, the Kimber. When I bought my USPc and my Ruger 22/45 M3, I thought about just buying a Kimber and adding the .22LR conversion to it. Ultimately, didn't go that route because I wanted to be able to introduce new people to the sport (which I've done, more then once) and wanted to be able to shoot multiple different guns without having to swap out parts, etc. So I ended up with the USP and the 22/45.

I shot a 1911 for the first time tonight. I've been drifting between wanting a Springfield XD-40, a Glock (40 or .357) and a Sig 226 or 226, and of course the Kimber that I've known I wanted for awhile. It depends on the day of the week, and I figure I'll have them all eventually anyway. And multiple 1911s

After shooting the Kimber tonight, it almost seemed like a match made in heaven...

It fit my hands, the recoil wasn't too bad, and the rounds went where I aimed the gun. I LOVED IT.

Now... who can send me about $1k, or donations towards that goal, so that I can buy my TLE II / RL from Kimber?

LOL...just kidding guys, about asking for donations.

Bruce, I've been converted, although I still want a few Glocks

 

[Bud White]

I find the older glocks not to my likeing but my 3gen with finger groove glock 17 is ..

1811's are a good thing though im no fan of kimbers use of bad MIM(yes i know springfield and every other 1911 maker pretty much use it but theres doent seem to break as much) Nor the external extractor they use nor the swartz(sp) safety system they use that colt dumped in the 20?30's? becuse they could never get it to work right either


That Said if you can find a Kimber series I buy it but if not i would look else where im partial to Springfield mySelf ..

Glad ya like the 1911 .. Best thing to do is not to buy one though they multply i think i have 7 right now..

 

[Bruces45]

Jim,
Save your $$ and buy a Springfield or a Colt. I love my springfield mil-spec, it hasn't missed a beat in over 3,000 rounds.

 

[Euclidean]

XD40... you know you want one. It's calling you... It borrows the 1911's grip angle and grip safety and combines it with the Glocks you want...

 

[Greymoor]

Bud,

My TLE II does not have an external extractor. It's internal and comes right out the back by pulling the firing pin stop as usual. As for the MIM issue I have not seen it. I admit I only have about 1500 rounds through my TLE II but it has been a great pistol with nary a malfunction. The only MIM piece I would even consider changing out is the slide stop as the others small pieces do not take the pounding the slide stop does.

Much of the Kimber bashing is simply unfounded rhetoric and personal dislikes. I personally dislike paying an extra $100+to have a prancing pony on my pistol. They all have MIM unless you are dropping the $$$ for a custom weapon.

 

[Bruces45]

I personally dislike paying an extra $100+to have a prancing pony on my pistol.

That pony is worth all of the extra $100.

 

[firefighter4884]

XD40... you know you want one. It's calling you... It borrows the 1911's grip angle and grip safety and combines it with the Glocks you want...

Euc, I love my friends XD-40, and I definately want one. It's a very nice shoot gun. I also really like my other friend's Sig 226 9mm. And I liked the Kimber. Glocks are ok, but at the moment, I'm attempting to get into the Federal Air Marshals Service after I get out of school, and from what I understand they are armed with .357Sig Glocks. If I can confirm this, I'll probably buy a .357Sig Glock (service or compact along w/ the subcompact for a BUG), if I get declined, I'm not so sure, but the 1911 sure has appeal as a nice house gun.

Jim,
Save your $$ and buy a Springfield or a Colt. I love my springfield mil-spec, it hasn't missed a beat in over 3,000 rounds.

Bruce, for some reason, I like the idea of a Kimber, and I'm willing to pay the money for one. Nothing against Springfiled, or Colt, but, personal preference.

--Jim

 

[P95Carry]

Time to start saving Jim!! :wink:

 

[Bumper]

I have a Kimber TLE II and a Nighthawk Enforcer. The Nighthawk, of course, shoots much better than the Kimber and it should, it cost $1000 more. But the Kimber has been a very reliable, accurate gun. IT always goes to the range with me, always gets shot and frequently gets carried. I wish it was one of the earlier models that had the internal extractor because I like 1911's to conform to the original design in that area, but the gun has never had any FTF or FTE problems. It is a good choice for a 1911.... :wink:

 

[firefighter4884]

Bumper... aren't you one of the guys who says that any choice in a 1911 is a good choice

LOL

Chris..yeah...definately have to start saving, but I have a job interview for part time EMS work, which will be a nice little bit of income

--Jim

 

[P95Carry]

I have a job interview for part time EMS work, which will be a nice little bit of income

Way to go Jim - hope you get it.

 

[Bud White]

Bud,

My TLE II does not have an external extractor. It's internal and comes right out the back by pulling the firing pin stop as usual. As for the MIM issue I have not seen it. I admit I only have about 1500 rounds through my TLE II but it has been a great pistol with nary a malfunction. The only MIM piece I would even consider changing out is the slide stop as the others small pieces do not take the pounding the slide stop does.

Much of the Kimber bashing is simply unfounded rhetoric and personal dislikes. I personally dislike paying an extra $100+to have a prancing pony on my pistol. They all have MIM unless you are dropping the $$$ for a custom weapon.

Sorry i though all the kimbers series II had external extractors all the ones ive seen do i dont keep up with them as for a long time we couldnt get them round here

 

[Bruces45]

Bruce, for some reason, I like the idea of a Kimber, and I'm willing to pay the money for one. Nothing against Springfiled, or Colt, but, personal preference.

Thats cool with me, whatever it takes to get you that much closer to realizing that the 1911 is the only way to fly. Once you own one I will give ya a week and you'll have changed your mind and want to be top on my "list"

 

[OD*]

That pony is worth all of the extra $100.

Exactly and they do not use near the MIM parts others do.

Much of the Kimber bashing is simply unfounded rhetoric and personal dislikes.

I'm sure some of it is, but many accounts of them breaking MIM parts (by owners, not bashers) can be found on the 1911 forums.

 

[Greymoor]

Heya Fellas,

To actually do it right you would have to buy a new 1911 and take the time to replace all the MIM parts. In the colt the sear, disconnect, mag catch, plunger tube, etc... would have to be replaced to make it MIM free. This process would be the same for all the 1911s. I think my TLE II have 1 or 2 more MIM parts than the colt, but I will leave the exact amount up to the expert 'cause I am not one

Some say that in any 1911 you should replace the high impact parts with good steel if you plan to CCW the weapon. I can see their point however most MIM parts if they are going to fail will do so early in their "life". Usually by about 2000 rnds you are good to go. Some items do not get used all that much, such as the thumb safety" and may not be exposed in the initial "burn in" of the weapon.

Colt, Kimber, Springfield, they would all have to be disassembled and have multiple parts replaced to be MIM free. MIM is MIM either the weapon has it or not. If MIM parts are bad then even a single one could cause a failure. To say that one has less MIM than another is to say one has only 5 types of cancer compared to 7. . . With either you'll still be dead.

I will give a Colt 1911 one bonus. You can usually get a better price when selling a used Colt pistol. But since you paid more for it in the first place it's a wash.

I guess it comes down to the fact that I dislike blind adherence to any brand. Usually such adherence creates a hate for anything not of the favored brand. I do not currently have two center fire handguns from the same manufacturer. When it comes to me getting to buy and fire weapons it's all good!

 

[OD*]

Recent Colt parts

MIM
sear
mag catch
disconector
plunger tube

CAST
safety lock
grip safety

FORGED
slide
receiver
barrel
slide stop

MACHINED from bar stock
hammer
all pins
bbl link
bbl bushing
trigger fingure piece
ejector
firing pin
firing pin stop
extractor

This process would be the same for all the 1911s.

Not true of the Norinco's, sadly.

 

[A1C Lickey]

I realize that this will expose my ignorance, but what does MIM mean? And what are the disadvantages of a part being MIM?

A1C Lickey

 

[rfurtkamp]

Once you own one I will give ya a week and you'll have changed your mind and want to be top on my "list"

I used to own two. I sold one to get my first Glock. I shoot the Glock a heck of a lot more.

I did a 45 shoot last week. The 1911 wasn't as pleasant to shoot as my S&W 4506 or the HK USP, although I can hit what I want with any of 'em.

I've owned one for years and haven't been converted. Ditto with the Browning Hi-power.

They're nice guns and deserve a place in my collection as historical landmarks, but they're like my top-break Webley and the Schofield clone: interesting pieces of history that I can shoot.

No way do I want to bring any of 'em to a gunfight.

 

[OD*]

Metal Injection Molding

http://www.megamet.com/tut.htm

 

[A1C Lickey]

Okay, so I understand what MIM is, but I'm not too sure if I see the disadvantage.

A1C Lickey