Kimber vs. RIA a friendly comparison :)

[KandyRedCoi]

Pretty much all of those features actually do do something, though I guess their individual benefit depends on the person shooting the gun. For instance, the full length guide rod helps keep a smoother and more evenly distributed recoil. Essentially it "cleans up" wobbly recoil and helps you make follow up shots a bit faster. You hand will thank you for having a beavertail as well. The main reason the commander hammer was introduced is because, well, try fitting a spur hammer with a beavertail, lol.

Also, very few (But yes some) GI slides have dove-tailed sights which allows you to swap the sights. This isn't really common, especially on cheap guns.

I don't mean to be rude, and I say this in the nicest way possible for comparison purposes.. but the finish on that RIA is downright horrid compared to Kimber's already lack luster finish. Granted, the RIA doesn't apear to be brand new.. so who knows what kind of mileage it has on it to get to that point. Does that trigger even have an overtravel adjustment?

probably for the 1911 aficionado those minor things might make a difference, but people in that level would never look to buy either of my guns anyway so in this price range both guns performed very very well for me ymmv.

and i got the ria new but 'floor' sample so it does have some handling wear n tear, my dslr makes the little scratches look a lot worse than they do, on top of that its hard to keep a polished 'anything' look perfect and i do shoot my guns and not just look at them

Fiber optic front and 10-8 sights back!

where, how, how much? thanks!

[KandyRedCoi]

Nice comparison and thanks for sharing! Very informative.

nice comparison

thanks, its just a comparison of my 2 current 1911s

and nothing more

[RIA1911er]

To compare a RIA GI to a kimber is like comparing a apple to a orange. Yea they are both fruit but taste diffrent. Depending on what you want and how much you want to spend determines the flavor you pick. I looked at all the 1911's did my research and went with the RIA 2011 full railed tatical. Gun has been flawless. I can't see spending another 600 bucks just to say "yea I have a kimber". It slings 230gr lead just as good as a kimber. I hope the finish on a kimber is better for the extra couple hundred more you pay for it. Apples to apples the ria has all the same features at half of the price. Just my 2 cents

[KandyRedCoi]

To compare a RIA GI to a kimber is like comparing a apple to a orange. Yea they are both fruit but taste diffrent. Depending on what you want and how much you want to spend determines the flavor you pick. I looked at all the 1911's did my research and went with the RIA 2011 full railed tatical. Gun has been flawless. I can't see spending another 600 bucks just to say "yea I have a kimber". It slings 230gr lead just as good as a kimber. I hope the finish on a kimber is better for the extra couple hundred more you pay for it. Apples to apples the ria has all the same features at half of the price. Just my 2 cents

never said one was BETTER than the other, but more to show people a nice side x side comparison of a $500 1911 to a $1300 1911

im no gun snob, i own both 'cheap' and 'pricey' firearms ... as long as they work and are accurate enough for my own standards they will find a home in my safe

[daybreak]

I am very sad to say that I have to sell my RIA. Somebody screwed me on a lens package that I sold (unrelated to calguns), and now I am short funds. With a SP01 awaiting DROS and getting screwed by this dude, I am stuck in a crappy situation.

[Sam]

The Kimber's differences are features that enhance the shootability of the gun. The front cocking serrations on the other hand are an abomination and are work of the devil!

[KandyRedCoi]

I am very sad to say that I have to sell my RIA. Somebody screwed me on a lens package that I sold (unrelated to calguns), and now I am short funds. With a SP01 awaiting DROS and getting screwed by this dude, I am stuck in a crappy situation.

sorry to hear that, hope u get things sorted out asap...i recently got back into shooting DSLR and would probably slow down the gun hobby and pick up a few lenses

The Kimber's differences are features that enhance the shootability of the gun. The front cocking serrations on the other hand are an abomination and are work of the devil!

hahaha, thanks for the input

couple more pics