WHICH 1911? light weight?

[manta8888]

Hi, looking for a lite weight 1911 (for wife) 45 acp

good quality, about 700-950$ range.

SW PD felt real good, worries about SW MIM

Kimber has a good rep, but don't know about it's manufacturing process.
Kimber procarry II 28 oz, tactical pro ** 28 oz but haven't felt grip.

Sig Sauer too big/ Colt too heavy series 80

? haven't seen springfield or browning,

hows the Taurus "custom featured" model came out in late 2005? worried about quality and MIM process, good price though.

any input/suggestions appreiciated.
plannign to have nite sites, crimson trace, want to get a tactical picanitty rail if avail

thanks.

[Japsican]

What size?

Are you looking for a full size 1911? Or something more compact? What will it be used for?

[aplinker]

Hi, looking for a lite weight 1911 (for wife) 45 acp

good quality, about 700-950$ range.

SW PD felt real good, worries about SW MIM

Kimber has a good rep, but don't know about it's manufacturing process.
Kimber procarry II 28 oz, tactical pro ** 28 oz but haven't felt grip.

Sig Sauer too big/ Colt too heavy series 80

? haven't seen springfield or browning,

hows the Taurus "custom featured" model came out in late 2005? worried about quality and MIM process, good price though.

any input/suggestions appreiciated.
plannign to have nite sites, crimson trace, want to get a tactical picanitty rail if avail

thanks.

From my experience light weight guns are a negative for women. I take lots to the range and all of them very much prefer the moderate weight, lower recoil handguns.

Lightweight guns are designed to reduce the weight for carry. You'll drop about 8 ounces in a full-sized 1911.

I would mull over that decision.

I would also suggest you go with the Kimber. I'm not the biggest Kimber fan, but they're excellent for the price.

[Knauga]

The SA Lightweight Loaded Champion is a great gun if you can get your hands on one. like this one

[Miltiades]

comments

I saw these clues to what you want in your posting:

- 1911 for wife (no mention of carry)
- light weight
- don't like MIM parts
- Kimber Pro (4 inch barrel clue)
- night sights
- up to $950
- possible tac rail

You might have to compromise on some of your requirements, as it is difficult to think of a CA approved 1911 that meets every one of your specs. For example, many 1911 manufacturers, including Kimber, use some MIM parts on their guns. I would suggest ignoring this spec on your original purchase, and replacing any MIM parts later with steel aftermarket parts if you wish. That will widen your possible gun choice considerably.

Another possible conflict is "light weight" which implies aluminum frame, and tac rail. Only a few 1911 models have tac rails, and most of them have steel frames rather than aluminum. So you might have to pick either "light weight" or "tac rail" and not get the other.

Most 1911 guns are available with night sights at extra cost, or you can have them installed later by a gunsmith after you own the gun.

Additionally, if your wife is not going to use this gun for carry (you didn't mention carry), I would suggest that light weight may not be a big advantage, as a heavier steel 1911 handles the recoil of .45 ammo better, allowing faster, more accurate shooting. Most normal women are strong enough to handle a 38 ounce full size steel 1911 quite well, in my opinion.

Having said all this, I would suggest the Kimber Custom TLE/RL II for your application. It is all steel with 5 inch barrel, and comes with night sights and a tac rail for mounting lights or whatever. It should be priced at your upper price point, and is CA approved.

[Greg-Dawg]

Sorry to steal your thread subject, but have you thought about .45ACP pistols with Polymer frames? You'll be surprised with how light they are.

[Stuka]

I really like the Kimber Custom II TLE/R, it feels very balanced and the kick is minimal. My mother owns one and loves it. Although she had a light trigger assembly put in (3lb trigger).

But I also really like the SW1911PD with its scandium frame. Its lighter than the Kimber so it kicks a little more, but I prefer the lighter weight myself.

A Pistol like the XD45 is pretty light since it doesn't have near as much steel in it, but I still have not been convinced of their durability/longevity.

[BigDogatPlay]

What is not mentioned is her experience level. If she is new to the game I would not go with a light weight 1911. My bride, who enjoys shooting +P+ from my .357s can handle a light weight .45, but doesn't at all like them.

Having said all that, it is hard to go wrong with a Kimber. If cost is a concern you may want to look at a Charles Daly 1911 clone. Very reasonably priced and a good set of features out of the box. They are going about 1/3 less than a comparable Kimber in my neck of the woods.

[bwiese]

SW PD felt real good, worries about SW MIM.... {snip}
Kimber has a good rep,

S&W 1911s of all variations have good reputations. The 1911PD I handled had a great trigger - i.e, the right tradeoffs for defensive and target shooting. I have heard of few returns/problems and I also have not seen much bitchin'n'moanin on the S&W Forum about functionality/jams, etc.

MIM parts really should not be a concern to you whatsoever. They are in fact BETTER, as they allow consistency of manufacture/reduced variation and avoid variations due to handfitting. The only people that get disturbed by their presence are the 'pinned and recessed' revolver traditionalists who refuse to buy new S&Ws largely out of what seems to be sentimentality/ collector reasons.

I have zero problem in betting my life/safety on any current S&W product using MIM parts. There are more S&W wheelguns w/MIM parts in my near future, I sleep on a S&W 1006 10mm, and since I'm bored w/Glock 21 45ACP I'd consider replacing it with a 4.25" S&W 1911PD.

I have heard of far far more issues with Kimber 1911s (and Sig GSRs) than S&Ws. Kimber and Sig may have resolved some of their issues, but I just have heard of too many 'send back to factory to get it right' issues from a variety of sources, dealers included. Admittedly the Kimbers are nice, 'refined' guns (but then so is the S&W 1911!) - whatever issues may be present may be because tolerances are too tight, which is not a good thing, in some ways, for a defensive handgun.

If I hadda buy a 1911 and had a choice of S&W or Kimber, S&W would win hands down. And while Kimber may or may not (i.e, I have no idea) have timely/good warranty support, I do know S&W to be very, very good and has a de facto lifetime warranty, maybe plus or minus shipping cost one way. The support S&W gives folks for out-of-production handguns is legendary.

As far as alloy vs. steel in 1911s and shootability, I can't speak to that. To me, though, 45ACP is a mild round and it doesn't have the sharpness associated with other calibers - just a 'strong push' instead of 'sharp crack' on recoil. I note that folks shooting Sig P220s - with alloy frames - don't complain about these issues.

[M. Sage]

MiM = Metal injection molded?

If you don't like that, you better not get in your car...

[manta8888]

Hi, Thanks for all your input,
very helpful
my wife likes the SW PD in grip, and weight.
Been doing some reading.
Have to agree with B Wiese whose input is always so helpful.
There seems to be issues with the Sig and QC issues with Kimber.

Some concern with the external extractor but it does not seem to be a big issue with PD owners.

any other input is much appreciated.

thank you

[Stuka]

Hi, Thanks for all your input,
very helpful
my wife likes the SW PD in grip, and weight.
Been doing some reading.
Have to agree with B Wiese whose input is always so helpful.
There seems to be issues with the Sig and QC issues with Kimber.

Some concern with the external extractor but it does not seem to be a big issue with PD owners.

any other input is much appreciated.

thank you

Only issue I have seen with Kimbers is that the mags are complete crap. You have to leave a round out to keep them from causing jams. Going with a better mag from some other company fixes those issues.

[xenophobe]

MiM = Metal injection molded?

MIM= Made In Mexico

[mic214]

I carry a LW Springfield Armory Champion that has all the qualities you are looking for with the exception of the tactical rail. Springfield Armory makes the LW Champion Operator that has a tactical rail on it. I think they are running somewhere in the $800.00+ range. The nice thing about the SA LW pistols is that they use a integral feed ramp, so you don't have to worry about the frame getting messed up by steel magazine followers....

[50ae]

How about an HK USP Compact in 45. It is a little smaller than a Colt Commander but a bit thicker in the grip though not so much as to make it hard for any women I know to get a good grip on. It is light, has about the same grip angle as a 1911 and the safety/decock setup are natural to use if you are a 1911 shooter.