kimber vs S&W

[Timberland]

Im trying to decde between Kimber custom II and the S&W kimber S1911sc. I like the finish betteron the Smith, which is more reliable, accurate? They are both similar in price.

[damon1272]

Is there even a question? Kimber all the way.

[Exiledviking]

I prefer the Smith & Wessons. Love my Scandium 4.25".

[glockman19]

I'd get the Kimber

[tcp]

i really like that s & w, but i would get the kimber first. i have a kimber eclipse that i absolutely love. really accurate and reliable.

[whlgun]

+1 for Smith and Wesson.

[Timberland]

I leen towards smith just because its stainless and I have had enough of black guns, also I think the sights are better. I just want to know if there are any problems with smith IE external extractor. They are both entry level custom 1911, the kimber is 650, smith 700. Im just worried ill pay more to make the kimber apear more like the smith. I havent done a close inspection of the smith yet, but id like to do so tomorrow.

[eviioiive]

Kimber... when i worked at a gun store for 6 months 3 s&w display models broke in one way or another and they didnt make it out of the case nearly as often as the kimbers...

[cho034442]

There is no problem with S&W's external extractor design, so don't worry about that.
I haven't look at the S&W 1911 .45, but have a Kimber Custom TLE II, which I like very much, except the little creep on the trigger. It is also accurate right out of the box.

[SnWnMe]

If you ever have problems with the gun, Smith will be the most painless firm to deal with among all gun makers. Free shipping back and forth for legit issues for guns made after 1989. I just got done dealing with them over a gun made in the 70s. They only charged me for the part, labor and return shipping. Shipping to them was free. I hear Kimber are hit and miss in the CS dept.

Just for S&G, and you can reference the Kimber room in forums.1911.forum.com. The first thread is about Kimber problems and how to fix them. Ominous sign I have some posts in that thread myself with big photos to match about how I fixed some of my Custom Tgt II 10mm issues.

[FCinCA]

Don't own a Smith but do have a Kimber Pro CDP II. I have had no issues with it. Have you thought about Springfield's? I also have a TRP and Lightweight Operator that are terrific pieces.

FC

[Greenspartan117]

Dan Wesson PM-7? :-P I hear great reviews on them. and they are pretty close to custom guns as far as parts go :-D

[63 tango]

i dont know which is better, but i do like my kimber stainless target II .45 acp.

[gottarollwithit]

You're kinda comparing apples to oranges here. The Smith is a lightweight, and the Kimber is not.

From the Kimber's i've toyed with, they have a little bit better build quality than Smith's. They're fit was just a little better overall. It's kinda vague to say ether one is more accurate/reliable than another. Both are good pistols and are pretty darn accurate. You can easily cut a 3" hole at 25 feet with either.

As much as i love my Smith, from the factory you get a bit more bang for you buck with a Kimber. What you don't know, is that Smith's have a nasty tendency to have barrels with crappy crown's. S&W is super nice to deal with over the phone and will recrown your barrel for you free of charge. It's just a hassle to deal with. The S&W 1911's also use the Smith 9mm sights, so the slides don't have true Novak low mount cuts. The Kimber on the other hand can come with night sights, but their customer service when i called them wasn't exactly friendly. I was looking at the internals for the Smith and they seemed a bit loose and not of excellent quality. Right out of the factory packaging, i could shake the rear of the gun and the trigger and grip safety would rattle around.
I leave you to draw your own conclusions.

[scorpucla]

Good prices

I just want to know if there are any problems with smith IE external extractor. They are both entry level custom 1911, the kimber is 650, smith 700. Im just worried ill pay more to make the kimber apear more like the smith. I havent done a close inspection of the smith yet, but id like to do so tomorrow.

Those are pretty good prices for both guns. If you don't already have a 1911, go with a kimber or springfield steel frame. I like springers over kimbers in their entry guns (springfield loaded). If you already have some 1911's to play with, I'd buy the Smith scandium, and not look back. They're really great guns, and reliable.