Tom
In a way I agree that I might have been taken advantage of, re: postage twice. However I look at it this way - I only paid $400 for the gun. If I had bought a Colt/Springfield or some other decent gun, I'd still have more $$$ out of my pocket to begin with than with the ROCK. I knew what I would get when I paid that bargain-basement price for the POS (as my good friend, PTBarnum said - you get what you pay for. Or was that Mark Twain ? ). I got what I expected and am not the least disappointed. I didn't expect 100% flawless operation, but now I only use it now for punching holes in paper to keep my trigger finger smooth. However, their lifetime guarantee is some reassurance and I will always be able to recoup most of my money. PLUS, I've had plenty of fun with it in the meantime. The only exception was the ROCK Hi Cap, which I never did fire bcuz it was SO bad. I unloaded it and got my money back from it. So I'm not THAT upset about it.
You have to realize, which I am finally learning, that the 1911 was designed around the 38Super, which is the same length as the 45 ACP. The ARMY wanted something that would stop the Flips so JMB invented the 45 ACP and redesigned his 1905 into the 1911 that we now know. (all right, some of this might have some errors but it's generally correct)
Subsequently, the 1911 was bastardized to work with the 9MM, which is way shorter than the 45 so you're going to have some jams (typically, nose-diving) when it TRIES to feed. Even the Colt New Agent 9MM does not correctly address this problem. Springfield (and maybe others) redesigned the 1911 by shortening the magazine and grip assembly so the cart will feed without nose-diving. I bought Springfield's EMP specifically bcuz of this design/solution. It feeds hollow points all the time. And while SOME people claim that the 9 is not a reliable self defense round, if you HIT YOUR TARGET, you will stop him. But you DO have to AIM.
Like you, I'd heard good and bad about the Kimber which is why I went with the Springer. I don't look back, either. I also have a Colt Compact Office 45ACP that eats anything I put thru it. It's the same size as the EMP and has the same sight picture and feel so it doesn't matter which one I put in my belt.
Oh, yeah. They all fit the same holster. I can hit with either the 9 or the 45 so I know I can defend my loved ones and myself if necessary.
And one more thing -
If you are going to carry more than one gun (this gun Monday, THAT gun Tuesday, etc...), they ALL should be the same basic type, like all Glocks or 1911s or xxxxs. It is well known that when you're under stress, you tend not to be able to think rationally. In fact it's not tend to think. YOU WILL NOT EVEN BE ABLE TO THINK AT ALL. That is a known fact. So if you have two different types of gun, with different types of safeties, you WILL screw up. And it may just cost you your Life when, NOT IF, you fumble around trying to make the thing shoot.
Listen to pilots who fly for the airlines. SO MANY of them will tell you that they have flown this plane (say, a 757, DC9, or whatever else) for ALL their career. Sound boring ? Maybe so. But when you, the passenger have your life in his hands, you want him to be able to handle anything/EVERYTHING, emergency-wise without breaking a sweat. And how do you do that ? It's called practice. You do the same thing over and over; time after time, to the point that you can do it without even thinking about what you're doing, no matter who's banging you in the ear with a huge bell. Got someone/something distracting you ? Got somewhat of an EMERGENCY happening ? No big deal. You have had it INGRAINED to the point that it happens without you even thinking about what to do.
You get what you pay for,
or
you do what you've practiced....