I bought one of the first Kimber Compacts, based only on the writings from gun rags like Guns & Ammo, Handguns, Soldier Of Fortune etc.. I was the first person I knew who owned one. The first time I took it to the range, I put 6 rounds into a sub 3" group at 25 yards. The guy shooting a $2500 rebuilt Colt next to me, almost through his pistol down range after he saw what I did after taking it out of the box for the first time. I let 6 friends shoot my Kimber Compact and now 7 friends own a total of 8 Kimber 1911 variants. Our picture is hanging in the Kimber Custom Shop and we got VIP treatment when the NRA convention was in Charlotte, NC two years ago. All I can say is that I wished that I had bought one sooner! The Springfield Armory pistols are supposed to be nice, but the results that the Kimber pistols that I have shot was extraordinary right out of the box. Why buy another 1911?