I'd have to go Springfield, they just tend to run better. I don't like that goofy Swartz safety on the Kimbers, I don't like the break in period, I don't like that the barrels rust out quicker than...well just quick.

No matter which you get, axe that stupid full length guide rod. I'd probably swap the main spring housing on the Springer as well...stupid lawyer locks.

While I do not have those exact models, I own and shoot both Kimbers and Springfields.

I found them both to be very well made and dependable.

I personally have never had a failure of any kind on either gun.

I'd suggest the you shoot them both if possible and see which one you like best.

I do not own, nor have I ever had an opportunity to shoot a Trophy Match, so I cannot say which one is better. I do own a Team Match II, and it is one of my best guns. I am surprised that I do not hear much about them.

VA Marine I have mine for about a year now, and my barrel has no rust. A matter of fact, none of my 3 Kimbers has any rust whatsoever.

Originally Posted by Red-5

I do not own, nor have I ever had an opportunity to shoot a Trophy Match, so I cannot say which one is better. I do own a Team Match II, and it is one of my best guns. I am surprised that I do not hear much about them.

VA Marine I have mine for about a year now, and my barrel has no rust. A matter of fact, none of my 3 Kimbers has any rust whatsoever.

Congratulations.

Google Search Results: Kimber Barrel + Rust

I've had four Kimbers, three of them were "custom shops" the pre series IIs were fine, the one series II we bought had the barrel issues. At some point in time Kimber started skimping on the barrel steel and switched to carbon steel IIRC and they don't fair very well. I've seen mnor to major rust issues and even when cleaned there's a lot of discoloration on the barrel once the rust is removed, if any one has this issue, try FLITZ or Reniseance Wax to treat the barrels, that seemed to do the trick on the one gun I had with barrel rust issues.

I checked out the link to some of the rusting posts and it is really ugly (pitures and all).

One person posted the following but I don't know how accurate it is.

"Basically the only Kimber pistols that come with Stainless Match Barrels are as follows. Team Match II (.45), Gold Match II (.45), Stainless Gold Match II (.45), Raptor II, Stainless Raptor II, Grand Raptor II, Gold Combat II, Gold Combat RL II, Gold Combat Stainless II and the Super Match II. If yours isn't on this list, it comes with a Carbon Steel Match Barrel and is not Stainless. Therefore you MUST keep it lubed with something or surface rust WILL form."

Even though the Team Match II may come with a SS barrel I think I'll stick with the Springfield.

Originally Posted by Cary Keshen

I checked out the link to some of the rusting posts and it is really ugly (pitures and all).

One person posted the following but I don't know how accurate it is.

"Basically the only Kimber pistols that come with Stainless Match Barrels are as follows. Team Match II (.45), Gold Match II (.45), Stainless Gold Match II (.45), Raptor II, Stainless Raptor II, Grand Raptor II, Gold Combat II, Gold Combat RL II, Gold Combat Stainless II and the Super Match II. If yours isn't on this list, it comes with a Carbon Steel Match Barrel and is not Stainless. Therefore you MUST keep it lubed with something or surface rust WILL form."

Even though the Team Match II may come with a SS barrel I think I'll stick with the Springfield.

My wife's former manager at a gun shop she worked at had issues with a Gold Match II barrel rusting, sent it back got a new barrel, that one rusted up worse, he axed the gun and stopped stocking Kimbers for a while after that. I don't know if that was before they went back to the stainless barrels on those models or not, but it makes me wonder. Personally I think it's a load of crap that they sell "Custom Shop" guns and models that are supposed to see hard use IE TLE, Warrior, Tactical, SIS, etc that will rust up like that.

I really, really want to be able to recommend Kimber, they make some sharp looking guns and I'd love to have a Warrior and an SIS Pro and Ultra, but until they start putting barrels that don't rust into their guns, I just can't do it. I'm willing to over look the past issues I've had with three out of four guns, but there's no excuse for rust issues of that extent.