Range Officer Discontinued

First topic message reminder :

Now that Springfield Armory has discontinued the Range Officer line, is there a recommendation for a different model or brand of beginner 1911?

https://www.springfield-armory.com/1911-series-handguns/1911-range-officer-handguns/

Maybe something new is coming down the pike?

bihammond wrote:

jaws4316 wrote:I just bought a very lightly used Range Officer's Target model from the Cabela's gun library.

@jaws4316 did you get the one out of Mitchell, SD? ‘Cause I’m eyeing that one right now.

I did, but I'm still waiting for the guy to ship it. I just saw a new one at the Cabela's in West Virginia for $849. The only difference being I believe it is a 4&1/2 inch barrel.

Stainless/carbon aside, how are Kimber's offering in terms of out of the box accuracy? The Stainless Target, for example, has adjustable target sights and can be had around $1000. Could you take one from the store to a match and expect to make sharpshooter or expert with it?  Put another way, Kimber Target or Ruger Target ?

desben wrote:Stainless/carbon aside, how are Kimber's offering in terms of out of the box accuracy? The Stainless Target, for example, has adjustable target sights and can be had around $1000. Could you take one from the store to a match and expect to make sharpshooter or expert with it?  Put another way, Kimber Target or Ruger Target ?

I've got no personal experience with Kimber, but have heard bad things from a friend who worked for the Unified Government in Kansas City Kansas (where Kimber's factory is located)for years. So he knows all of the Police in the County and City, and according to him, most of them went out and bought Kimbers because of the hype surrounding them. None of them liked the guns and most of them sold or traded them because they don't live up to the quality that Kimber advertised. Their manufacturing process is shoddy and not conducive to quality or accuracy. For example, while companies like Colt, Ruger and Springfield will machine the lower receiver and the slide on each gun from one piece of steel, Kimber buys mass produced receivers and slides or at least contracts out the manufacturing of those components, and then assembles them to produce a firearm. Needless to say that is not a recipe for fit and finish, or accuracy. Of course, I can't verify the accuracy of all that, it's just what I heard from a friend, but I don't have any reason to doubt him. So personally, I would stay away from Kimber, because I believe the are overpriced and overrated. I would imagine that their target models are at least a little better quality than their other offerings, but if I want to buy something that's accurate out of the box, I'm going with one of the traditional American gun manufacturers who have been doing it for 100+ years.

Couple guys (more casual, SS shooters) in the club shoot older, steel Kimber 45s and keep em in the black.  For what it's worth even my carry 4.25" kimber raptor II stainless with combat sights can keep em ~8 ring on a 25yard sustained fire target.  That's a very tight gun and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Kimber for a fun or defensive gun.

If you're just getting started, it might shoot as well as you can.  But I think you're going to see a lot of discouragement, and I agree, because if you stick with and are serious about the sport you'll end up outgrowing it.  Buy once, cry once.  Or at least, buy only a few instead of lots along the way And if the gun wears out around 10K cartridges (seen some claims on this board to that affect), that might be just about time you are outgrowing it but scores plateau because the pistol's going the other direction.

Hello,

I have had a very poor experience with Kimber, their warranty, and their service. While I hope that everyone is more successful than me in their Kimber equipment dealings, I cannot recommend a Kimber to anyone and refuse to purchase one ever again.

I'll attach the photo of the cracked breachface from a Custom Target II that I purchased many years before I took up bullseye. Of course, Kimber only has a one year warranty, and since I hadn't really used the pistol in that first year, I was SOL according to the representative on the phone. Kimber did say that if I paid to send it in they'd see what it cost to fit and purchase a new slide. How generous, I thought.  Maybe I didn't store the gun correctly- my fault the gun caught slide rot in the meantime, I'm sure.



Apparently, this was somehow my fault from shooting approximately 10-15K rounds. I've come to the opinion that Kimber currently builds guns for people who aren't really going to shoot them very much. Perhaps that wasn't always so; quality has varied with them over time. However, please remember this: Kimber doesn't sponsor a shooter. Why? Because they know their guns can't hold up to a diet of use like Glock, Springfield, etc., can.

Again, I hope you are happy with your pistol, whatever kind you have. I got a lemon and am glad I got a little credit from David Sams when he took in the lower as credit on a new build. 

Kimber is trash.

Thanks,
Chase

jaws4316 wrote:

bihammond wrote:

jaws4316 wrote:I just bought a very lightly used Range Officer's Target model from the Cabela's gun library.

@jaws4316 did you get the one out of Mitchell, SD? ‘Cause I’m eyeing that one right now.

I did, but I'm still waiting for the guy to ship it. I just saw a new one at the Cabela's in West Virginia for $849. The only difference being I believe it is a 4&1/2 inch barrel.

Good news maybe, if you are still interested in that gun from Mitchell SD. Since they haven't shown any interest in shipping it to me in almost 3 weeks and they still have not charged the money off of my Cabela's gift cards, I'm thinking I might just go across the River to West Virginia and buy the gun they have over there. I can probably get it faster that way, so the one in Mitchell might be back on the shelf. I'm thinking those Cabela's gun library guys like to save certain guns for their friends collections. IDK, it's just frustrating that you're trying to spend $1000 in their store and they think it's okay to jerk you around for 3 weeks and not take your money or ship what you ordered.

Hmmm, I've not had issues with Cabela's although I've only bought new firearms either online shipped to store or in-person. I certainly don't need another pistol but if I'm going to up my participation in CMP, a good .45 makes sense. I'll give the SD store a call and see what happens. No big deal either way.

re the Kimbers, 

I'm in the firearms business,   we have had more broke Kimber's arrive new in the box than any other brand, 
granted, the biggest issue is the mag release is not seated correctly, or not cleaned before inserted, (take it out, clean it up, and put it back usually works)


sent a few back (more than Colt, SA, Ruger or Dan Wesson) as well after they were sold, 

in this area we have a saying, 
friends don't let friends buy Kimber

I’ve seen RO’s break factory MIM hammer, sear, disconnector and hammer strut. 99% of the time during builds I replace those parts. RO is a great platform for building a nice BE pistol.
The DW, SIG and Kimber pistols I have built, I replaced the same parts as well as rebarreling. New Colts are MIM as well.
They all build into good BE pistols, the only variable is frame to slide fit. Some can be used as is and others laser micro welded.
Jon