Originally Posted by SeanB1986

I was at my local gun store recently and I told the "1911 guy" I had purchased a Colt Gold Cup Trophy in stainless. He then proceeded to tell me how Kimbers were so much better and far improved. I mean good lord man the name says it all 1911 how much can really change. I feel I made an investment and excellent purchase in my Colt but are there any Pro's and Con's? I'll be patiently listening.

And P.S please leave all biased opinions outside this thread

You made an excellent choice. A factory weapon from Kimber will typically be a tad tighter "fitted" and FROM A REST might shoot a tad better...but that doesnt mean the Gold Cup should be used as a "pry bar" or anything.

Unfortunately in todays world the "name" doesnt say jack squat....its the "FIT" thats most important

Kimbers come better equipped from the factory and offer a wider range of packages. You can't get a Colt that's not special ordered that will match a Kimber in features. I would say that Colt has better small parts but the guns themselves are too edgy from the factory and could use a good dehorn. Kimber does a pretty good job on breaking the edges, especially on the ones where they do a melt job like the CDP line.

Colt offers a limited lifetime warranty, Kimber offers a limited 1 year warranty.

Kimber mandates a 500rd break in period, and some guns may or may not need it. Colt has a better reputation in guns running right out of the box, except where 3" guns are concerned those can be a toss up if they are going to work right or not. A lot of Colt Defenders need extractor tuning even at the time of purchase...I have no reasonable explanation why.

Factory mags from both leave a lot to be desired, I really just don't understand why higher end 1911 makers still ship guns with sub-par magazines.

Kimber uses one version of a firing pin safety, Colt uses another. I prefer the Colt design.

The Gold Cup is what it is. It's a bulls eye shooters gun that will keep value. It's not really a carry gun, although many have carried one, but it would not be my choice for a carry 1911.

The Colt will keep value better than a Kimber provided it is well maintained and kept original, if you find you don't like "X" about your Gold Cup, leave it alone and buy something else.

Is one really better than the other? It really depends on what models we're talking about. There are some Colt models I wouldn't purchase and there are lots of Kimbers I wouldn't purchase.

Currently I don't own any Colt 1911s, but I've had a couple. I currently own one Kimber and have had four total. My next 1911 probably will be a Colt as they are finally putting out something I'm really interested in other than the Special Combat line. Right now Kimber isn't offering anything that wow's me. The SIS line looked interesting, but it's been discontinued. The Warrior has been of interest, but for the cost I'd rather have a TRP from Springfield. The new Super Carry line might be OK but it looks like Kimber is using a different style bobtail than everyone else so a majority of grips may not fit....

TBC.

Own several Colts and Kimbers (carried a "Lightweight Commander" over seventeen years) and for a lot of reasons, Kimbers are my everyday carry.

I have not had any Colts, I and many others felt Colt has been a little behind in coming out with new and exciting 45's.. and Kimber has taken the shooting world by storm the last few years.. mainly due to the many diff configurations of 45's and that appeals to a lot of shooters, and they have been pretty reliable..
I have had 4 kimbers and only had a problem with one, and it may have been the ammo i was using.. (bulk federal) switched to reg box PMC and American Eagle and it was fine..
Colt seems to be turning the corner with new products in both carry size and full size.. i wouldnt be afraid to buy one now.
I like the Kimbers but here is some good advice...
dont be fooled into thinking one is better than the other.. its mostly cosmetics from everything i have read, seen and experienced.. Except for the High End Super Match and Team Match they all shoot the same... and have the same stuff inside.. I had the cheapest Ultra Carry and it shot just as good as my much more expensive (by approx $500.) Eclipse.. My brother has the CDP and my Ultra shot just as good or better..
They are accurate guns though as you can get them touching at 15 yrds with practice..
Im sure the new Colts are pretty tight as well.. cant go wrong either way.. but i would get a used Kimber but not an older Colt.. the quality just wasnt there the last few years but the new stuff is nice..
Good luck.

Originally Posted by VAMarine

Kimber mandates a 500rd break in period, and some guns may or may not need it. Colt has a better reputation in guns running right out of the box, except where 3" guns are concerned those can be a toss up if they are going to work right or not. A lot of Colt Defenders need extractor tuning even at the time of purchase...I have no reasonable explanation why.

Is the break-in period for the Kimber possibly due to the generally tighter fit of the Kimber? Just a thought.


For the original poster, I have a Kimber Custom Stainless II on order. The reason that I ordered a Kimber over a Colt (and several other brands) is that I could get a full-size pistol in 9mm. As best I can tell, Colt doesn't offer any 1911/1991's in 9mm these days.

Originally Posted by flieger67

Is the break-in period for the Kimber possibly due to the generally tighter fit of the Kimber? Just a thought.


For the original poster, I have a Kimber Custom Stainless II on order. The reason that I ordered a Kimber over a Colt (and several other brands) is that I could get a full-size pistol in 9mm. As best I can tell, Colt doesn't offer any 1911/1991's in 9mm these days.

So they say, but I can think of quite a few makers of 1911s that are tighter than Kimber that run just fine. Kimbers are snug, but they're not that tight.