Posted: 4/19/2011 12:28:51 PM EDT
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Plain Kimber Custom II or Plain Springfield Loaded ?
Discuss? |
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I just can't bring myself to like Kimbers, not sure why honestly but there's something about the company that turns me off. It might be the 1 year warranty or the reports that they want you to fire 500 rounds through their pistols before they will deem them defective and service them under warranty. I've got 4 Springfields now and all 4 of them have been trouble free. I don't have a metric shit ton of rounds through them yet but it's still nice to have them run 100% after being turned off to 1911s by a Para Ordnance. By all accounts, Springfield's warranty and customer service is one the best in the business and would sway my decision to the SA. Oh and they make some nice pistols too.  |
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I just can't bring myself to like Kimbers, not sure why honestly but there's something about the company that turns me off. It might be the 1 year warranty or the reports that they want you to fire 500 rounds through their pistols before they will deem them defective and service them under warranty. I've got 4 Springfields now and all 4 of them have been trouble free. I don't have a metric shit ton of rounds through them yet but it's still nice to have them run 100% after being turned off to 1911s by a Para Ordnance. By all accounts, Springfield's warranty and customer service is one the best in the business and would sway my decision to the SA. Oh and they make some nice pistols too.
I'm with you there. Colts or Springfields for me. |
I bought my Loaded last year. Haven't once batted an eye either. I have right close to 2k rounds through it, and not a SINGLE malfunction. The warranty did it for me. Although I don't know how people can say that Springfield's customer service is so great....they can't get too many sent back for repairs. 
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| Springfield. Great warranty and customer service if there's ever anything wrong with it, night sights, and no extra retarded firing pin safeties (other than the ILS that can be ignored or easily disabled with $5 in parts or replaced with a non-ILS MSH). It will also have a stainless barrel unlike the in-the-white carbon steel barrel in the Kimber. |
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Springfield, hold out for an NM serial number though. Yes, this precisely. +1 Quoted:
Springfield. Great warranty and customer service if there's ever anything wrong with it, night sights, and no extra retarded firing pin safeties (other than the ILS that can be ignored or easily disabled with $5 in parts or replaced with a non-ILS MSH). It will also may have a stainless barrel and bushing unlike the in-the-white carbon steel barrel in the Kimber. if you're lucky Fixed it for you.  I got my stainless barrel & bushing NM prefix gun for $50 LESS than an N-prefix "standard" Loaded. Happy Hunting.
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Springfield. Great warranty and customer service if there's ever anything wrong with it, night sights, and no extra retarded firing pin safeties (other than the ILS that can be ignored or easily disabled with $5 in parts or replaced with a non-ILS MSH). It will also may have a stainless barrel and bushing unlike the in-the-white carbon steel barrel in the Kimber. if you're lucky Fixed it for you. I got my stainless barrel & bushing NM prefix gun for $50 LESS than an N-prefix "standard" Loaded. Happy Hunting.
New production Springfield Loaded pistols come from the factory with stainless barrels. Period. The bushing material (and quality of fitting) varies. My Loaded that was bought new in Nov. of 2008.  Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Springfield. Great warranty and customer service if there's ever anything wrong with it, night sights, and no extra retarded firing pin safeties (other than the ILS that can be ignored or easily disabled with $5 in parts or replaced with a non-ILS MSH). It will also may have a stainless barrel and bushing unlike the in-the-white carbon steel barrel in the Kimber. if you're lucky Fixed it for you. I got my stainless barrel & bushing NM prefix gun for $50 LESS than an N-prefix "standard" Loaded. Happy Hunting.
New production Springfield Loaded pistols come from the factory with stainless barrels. Period. The bushing material (and quality of fitting) varies. My Loaded that was bought new in Nov. of 2008. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile My first "Loaded" bought in March did not have a stainless barrel and it was a new production pistol. The chamber was polished but the rest of the barrel was a dull flat finish. |
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I just can't bring myself to like Kimbers, not sure why honestly but there's something about the company that turns me off. It might be the 1 year warranty or the reports that they want you to fire 500 rounds through their pistols before they will deem them defective and service them under warranty. I've got 4 Springfields now and all 4 of them have been trouble free. I don't have a metric shit ton of rounds through them yet but it's still nice to have them run 100% after being turned off to 1911s by a Para Ordnance. By all accounts, Springfield's warranty and customer service is one the best in the business and would sway my decision to the SA. Oh and they make some nice pistols too.
I'm with you there. Colts or Springfields for me. Me too. I don't own a springfield, but I definitely would. My dad just bought a CDP Custom II and I wish he would have bought a stinking TRP instead... |
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My first "Loaded" bought in March did not have a stainless barrel and it was a new production pistol. The chamber was polished but the rest of the barrel was a dull flat finish. As in a dull flat SILVER finish? No, as in NOT SILVER at all. It looked exactly like my Mil-Spec barrel that I had apart side by side each other. ETA: I see where your getting at. It was a stainless barrel but is certainly wasn't the polished "Match Barrel", that my second Loaded came with if that what you mean. The polish stainless match barrel comes on some Loaded models and doesn't on others. I wish I knew why. My first Loaded had a "N" prefix and the second one a "NM" prefix but I don't know if that necessarily is the determining factor. The "NM" prefixed one also has the polished bushing too. |
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Springfield Loaded.
Both are the "entry level tactical" pistols that either brand offers, but the Springfield has a couple of advantages, some of which have been mentioned. (BTW- I am referring to the parked Loaded with NS, versus any of the other "Loaded"'s Springfield sells, as this is generally considered to be the "baseline" pistol.) 1) Springfield uses a standard Novak rear dovetail, unlike the proprietary one Kimber uses, meaning that if you want to change sights, you will have far more readily available options with the Springfield. 2) Springfield Loaded comes with night sights already installed - Novak low-mount types (some are authentic, some are Springfield "faux-vaks") which are, IMHO, superior to the factory Kimber sights on the Custom II. 3) The Springfield does not utilize a firing pin safety system. 4) The Springfield will come with a steel mainspring housing, rather than a polymer one. Though some will argue that polymer MSHs work just fine, it doesn't change the fact that the Springfield has better "value" in this regard. Nevertheless, some will argue - perhaps correctly, that the steel MSH housing on the Springfield comes with the ILS system, so either would "need" to have their MSH replaced anyways. 5) The Springfield comes with an ambidextrous thumb safety- again, like the above, some will say that this is not necessary, however, in terms of "factory upgrades" it is a leg up "out of the box" for the Loaded. 6) Warranty and customer service as has been discussed. Finally, the Springfield actually comes with some pretty decent wood grips, instead of the cheap rubber grips the Kimber comes with. Not that I would know anything about this- I don't think a single 1911 I own wears the grips it came with from the factory- including the custom gun I had built by the Springfield Custom Shop! 
ETA- If you don't need it "right this moment," I would definitely hold out for an "NM" serialed pistol versus the "N" pistols. Everything just seems "more better" on my NM-serial pistol than the N-serial pistols I've seen, plus, it's assembled in the U.S. versus Brazil. If nothing else, the fit and finish tends to be overall cleaner and more crisp on the NM pistols. Plus, the better barrel/bushing, ect. make the NM Loadeds a great value. ~Augee |
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have a "loaded" lightweight compact, circa 2003, and a gi champion, circa 2007. about 12,000 rounds out of the compact with no malfunctions except for a few failure to feeds with some cor-bons i bought one time. any other hollowpoint without a huge ogive feeds 100%.
also no fps on the springers, which is in itself is reason enough. the lwt compact replaced a micro compact (my first 1911) that refused to run correctly. springfield took it back and gave me a choice of any loaded model i wanted, no charge. mark in the custom shop even called me up before shipping to ask if i wanted anything done to it before it went out. i requested a standard safety instead of the ambi-model, and that he smooth up and lighten the trigger. done...again with no extra charge. still can't say enough about the gun and the company. my only complaint is that the bake-on finish hasn't help up real well on the aluminum frame. i would like a black anodized finish instead, but seeming how it doesn't have any bearing on function, i live with it. springfield all the way. |
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Kimber's are nice but pricy. I think you get more gun for the money with the Springfield Loaded. Undoubtedly. All 5 of my 1911's have run straight and true out of the box. Last week I picked up another TRP, as well as a Loaded. 100-rnds through each of them so far with different ammo and mags without a hiccup, and each were providing me number of close groupings and several consistent bulls-eyes at 40, 50 and 60 feet. One can't really expect more of a firearm. For the money, Springfield's reputation delivers, and though I've never needed factory assistance, I know it's there. |
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In my experience, you are more likely to be happy with a Kimber out of the box, but if you do have issues, getting them corrected may be more of a hassle.
Springfield seems to be screwing up some basic things more often these days, but they are better about taking care of the issue. |
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have a "loaded" lightweight compact, circa 2003, and a gi champion, circa 2007. about 12,000 rounds out of the compact with no malfunctions except for a few failure to feeds with some cor-bons i bought one time. any other hollowpoint without a huge ogive feeds 100%. also no fps on the springers, which is in itself is reason enough. the lwt compact replaced a micro compact (my first 1911) that refused to run correctly. springfield took it back and gave me a choice of any loaded model i wanted, no charge. mark in the custom shop even called me up before shipping to ask if i wanted anything done to it before it went out. i requested a standard safety instead of the ambi-model, and that he smooth up and lighten the trigger. done...again with no extra charge. still can't say enough about the gun and the company. my only complaint is that the bake-on finish hasn't help up real well on the aluminum frame. i would like a black anodized finish instead, but seeming how it doesn't have any bearing on function, i live with it. springfield all the way. That is the same kind of customer service I received from Springfield. I bought my first "Upgraded" 1911 about 4 weeks ago. It was an "N" marked "Loaded" pistol. I was all proud and happy and got it home, cleaned it, lubed it, and the day before I planned to take it to the range to put 200 through it I decided to load a magazine with some ball ammo, locked the slide back, inserted the loaded mag, used the slingshot method and the damned thing would not chamber ball ammo. I did the same thing again but this time just used the slide release a different bullet took a nose dive. I threw in some Hornady HP's and the same thing. It kept destroying bullets. I couldn't get the first round to chamber. I was LIVID. I take it apart again, right beside my Mil-Spec to compare parts and the Loaded barrel was mis-cut at a slant and totally fucked. I called up Springfield and let them know. I sent the gun to them and they sent me a new gun. My new "Loaded" was a "NM" prefix pistol. It had the stainless steel match barrel and matching bushing, a 4lb trigger, checkered MSH and three 7 round magazines. 400 flawless rounds later I am happy as hell with their customer service and this pistol. They didn't bother fixing the first one and make me wait until they did. They just gave me a new "upgraded" pistol that I absolutely love. The first one did not have the stainless steel match barrel. Its chamber was polished and shiny as hell but the rest of the barrel looked exactly like my Mil-Spec. It certainly wasn't the stainless match barrel with target crown and it didn't have the polished bushing, no checkered MSH, the trigger wasn't as good, it was a base gun. They took a Mustang and gave me back a Cobra. They went above and beyond what I expected. Kimber sure as hell won't do that. Nuff said. |
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I have been fighting over this decision myself. I am actually going with the Kimber Custom II. Its made in America. ALL, I mean ALL Springfields are made off Brazilian frames. Some are "finished" here, but still is a core Brazilian frame. That does not sit right with me. Im going with Kimber and just going to replace the barrel with a stainless steel barrel. Ill agree, Kimber is cocky about their product. Springfield is not made to any higher standards than Kimber.
I dont know about the rest of you, but Im not ok with an American designed pistol being made overseas. Nothing against the Brazilians, I bought the PT92 over the Beretta. But will NOT buy a NON American 1911. Thats the problem with alot of you, certain things mean nothing to you. You put "customer service" over quality of product. Most of you would buy Chinese pistols if the company was nice enough. Thats just stupid. Customer service should not be the most important thing when it comes to buying any type of tool or machinery. Thats just stupid people not buying something because the company treated them exactly how they are, stupid. |
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I have been fighting over this decision myself. I am actually going with the Kimber Custom II. Its made in America. ALL, I mean ALL Springfields are made off Brazilian frames. Some are "finished" here, but still is a core Brazilian frame. That does not sit right with me. Im going with Kimber and just going to replace the barrel with a stainless steel barrel. Ill agree, Kimber is cocky about their product. Springfield is not made to any higher standards than Kimber. I dont know about the rest of you, but Im not ok with an American designed pistol being made overseas. Nothing against the Brazilians, I bought the PT92 over the Beretta. But will NOT buy a NON American 1911. Thats the problem with alot of you, certain things mean nothing to you. You put "customer service" over quality of product. Most of you would buy Chinese pistols if the company was nice enough. Thats just stupid. Customer service should not be the most important thing when it comes to buying any type of tool or machinery. Thats just stupid people not buying something because the company treated them exactly how they are, stupid. Have fun with your Kimber then. Hopefully it works. If not, good luck with customer service. Your going to need it. There is a reason in your poll that Springfields win out 3 to 1. |
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Quoted: I have been fighting over this decision myself. I am actually going with the Kimber Custom II. Its made in America. ALL, I mean ALL Springfields are made off Brazilian frames. Some are "finished" here, but still is a core Brazilian frame. That does not sit right with me. Im going with Kimber and just going to replace the barrel with a stainless steel barrel. Ill agree, Kimber is cocky about their product. Springfield is not made to any higher standards than Kimber. I dont know about the rest of you, but Im not ok with an American designed pistol being made overseas. Nothing against the Brazilians, I bought the PT92 over the Beretta. But will NOT buy a NON American 1911. Thats the problem with alot of you, certain things mean nothing to you. You put "customer service" over quality of product. Most of you would buy Chinese pistols if the company was nice enough. Thats just stupid. Customer service should not be the most important thing when it comes to buying any type of tool or machinery. Thats just stupid people not buying something because the company treated them exactly how they are, stupid. Kimber is made in Ney York. Yonkers to be exact. These are the very same people that keep sending Chuck Schumer to the Senate. |
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I have been fighting over this decision myself. I am actually going with the Kimber Custom II. Its made in America. ALL, I mean ALL Springfields are made off Brazilian frames. Some are "finished" here, but still is a core Brazilian frame. That does not sit right with me. Im going with Kimber and just going to replace the barrel with a stainless steel barrel. Ill agree, Kimber is cocky about their product. Springfield is not made to any higher standards than Kimber. I dont know about the rest of you, but Im not ok with an American designed pistol being made overseas. Nothing against the Brazilians, I bought the PT92 over the Beretta. But will NOT buy a NON American 1911. Thats the problem with alot of you, certain things mean nothing to you. You put "customer service" over quality of product. Most of you would buy Chinese pistols if the company was nice enough. Thats just stupid. Customer service should not be the most important thing when it comes to buying any type of tool or machinery. Thats just stupid people not buying something because the company treated them exactly how they are, stupid. Kimber is made in Ney York. Yonkers to be exact. These are the very same people that keep sending Chuck Schumer to the Senate. Atleast they still support America. Springfield supports Brazil. Im not ok with that. If you are, so be it. I care not for politics, I doubt the guys at Kimber are the ones putting a Socialist in the Senate anyways. I buy my American designed firearms from companies that make them in America. Thats just how I feel. It just feels morally wrong to buy a 1911 not made in America. Made in America should stand for something. I would put money on that the majority of the "bad" customer service from Kimber, comes from people being assholes off the bat. Here in Texas, every company has the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason. If Kimber feels they dont need to fix a gun you fucked up, they have every right to do so. And Im pretty positive the guns that came from the factory fucked up, Kimber will fix it. As long as youre not a dick to them. Customer courtesy wll get you far better customer service than expecting the company to do what you need. |
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Kimber has some very nice looking 45's, but just from research on customer service
and as a company overall, in comparison, I would get the Springfield every time. I'm not bashing Kimber, whenever I see a full sized Raptor or SIS at a gun show, I stop to check them out. |
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I have owned both a Kimber Custom II or Springfield Loaded, Still have the loaded. I dont miss the kimber. I needed to put $300 into the kimber for it to work right & I had problems with my barrel rusting. The rusting barrel is bullshit. I dont understand why Kimber does not use stainless steel. Thats my only problem with Kimber, Id replace the barrel with stainless steel or a GI style parkerized one. Im not bashing Springfield either, every gun of there's I held have fit my hand perfectly. I have nothing bad to say about Imbel's machining capabilities, I just dont like the fact Springfield imports all their 1911s. IT does not matter if they finish them off here, the frame and slide, are marked Made in Brazil. They even hide it on their higher end models. That just really gets to me. They took the Springfield name, and outsourced it. I wouldnt be surprised in the M1A's were from Brazil as well. |
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Quoted: Quoted: I have owned both a Kimber Custom II or Springfield Loaded, Still have the loaded. I dont miss the kimber. I needed to put $300 into the kimber for it to work right & I had problems with my barrel rusting. IT does not matter if they finish them off here, the frame and slide, are marked Made in Brazil. They even hide it on their higher end models. That just really gets to me. They took the Springfield name, and outsourced it. I wouldnt be surprised in the M1A's were from Brazil as well. They "hide" it on their top end models because they've got more than 50% of the work done in the USA. Acording to the ATF, that makes it an American made pistol. Good God man, you must walk to work because there's not a single vehicle in existence that's 100% Made in the USA these days. |
| So because "these days" there is not a vehicle made in America means I dont own one? My 1999 Dodge truck has more American made parts than either Chevy or Ford of those years, and even more than today. I would NEVER own a vehicle of any kind made AFTER 2001. So you are right, I will walk or ride a bike to work before I waste my money on today's Auto Industry. Atleast I try to buy American, alot of you are just ok with buying Chinese or Brazilian. Im not. My money has more of a chance of staying here and helping our economy than if I bought a Springfield or Rock Island. |
