[Olympus]

For me, I rarely consider Kimber in my buying decisions. In my opinion, Kimber produces a nice gun at an overly high price. And their 1 year warranty for the original owner only puts them near the bottom in terms of warranty compared to other makers. And they are not know for their great customer service either. They have some really nice models, but they're over priced when you compare their overall quality with other makers.

I'm a big fan of Sig 1911s. My brother has two and my FIL has one. I've shot all of them quite a bit. Sig gives you a lot of features and a great overall build quality for a rather modest price. They get the "best bang for your buck" award in my opinion. But I see them more as contenders in the $700-$900 price category. Once you get to looking at guns over $1000, I think there are some better choices than Sig.

I'm a Colt fan too, but I just can't get on board with some of their new models. If I'm going to buy a Colt, its going to be an older National Match Gold Cup and that's really all I'm interested in. Or a Delta Gold Cup too.

But if you're looking at spending $1200, that puts you in range for a Dan Wesson and in my opinion, they blow Kimber, Sig, and Colt out of the water in terms of overall build quality. You can get a nice used DW Guardian in either 9mm or .45 for $1200. That's a commander model with an alloy frame to reduce weight. That will also put you in range for the DW CCO, which is an officer size frame with a commander size slide. Another great choice for carry.

[Overkill0084]

1) Colt. The original & still the one by which all others are judged. They are typically cheaper than you'd think too. Properly good warranty with a reputation for decent, if not always brilliant, customer service.
2) Sig. Their standard 1911 are a bit "take it or leave it" as far as styling goes. The Traditional models are better looking to me. Appearance wise, I'm not a fan of the external extractor, YMMV. In recent years, IMHO,Sig has gotten a bit gimmicky with some of their offerings. (Diamond Plate. really? And that weird Rainbow finish. To be fair, I don't necessarily believe these apply to the 1911s. They just leave the impression that Sig's stylists are trying too hard sometimes) AFAIK, their quality is fine. If they appeal to you, you will probably be happy. Decent warranty & CS doesn't seem to inspire rants.
3) Kimber. Good looking guns of "normally" decent quality. However, they have gained a reputation for hit or miss quality control on occasion. Couple that with a reputation for spotty customer service & a 1 year warranty and you will occasionally see the odd Kimber hate rant. Happy Kimber owners tend to be a vocal group. But, then so are the unhappy ones. FWIW, those people I know that own them, are happy.

If you are 1911 shopping, I would recommend that you add Springfield armory & Dan Wesson to your short list.
Springfield, IMHO, has something for nearly everyone. From lower cost to higher end Custom Shop stuff. Oh, Springfield's Custom shop is real and not just a roll mark. Their customer service has a great reputation as well. I have a Trophy Match, it's been problem free.
To me, Dan Wesson is pretty much the last stop in "off the rack 1911s," after them you are looking at Baer, Brown Wilson & Nighthawk, with their associated wait times. I have two DWs and they are outstanding. Their CS is responsive and helpful.

[twobilly]

A Colt is a 1911 the others are just copies of the Colt

[rhyno13]

Originally Posted by danf_fl

With so many japanese motorcycles on the road that are made better than Harleys, why do so many buy a Harley?

I buy Harley because I like Harley. I like the way it sounds, I like the way it feels, I like the way it handles.

To get back to the original question, It's all personal preference. I have used Colts, Kimbers, and Sigs. I prefer the sig over any of them

[kryptar19]

Originally Posted by twobilly

A Colt is a 1911 the others are just copies of the Colt

Yea??
An Armalite is an AR15, all the others are just a copy of the Armalite.

The Needle Rifle is a bolt-action, all the others are just a copy of it.

The S&W 64 is a revolver, all the others are just a copy of it.

Your logic is flawed. They are all 1911's, and it is stupid to say otherwise.

[Overkill0084]

Originally Posted by twobilly

A Colt is a 1911 the others are just copies of the Colt

I think that owners of Remington Rand, US&S, Singer, and the other WW2 builders would disagree. Colt was the original contractor, not the only one. The 1911 & 1911A1 are for all intents, a specification to comply with.

[jwalsh66]

Originally Posted by Overkill0084

1) Colt. The original & still the one by which all others are judged. They are typically cheaper than you'd think too. Properly good warranty with a reputation for decent, if not always brilliant, customer service.
2) Sig. Their standard 1911 are a bit "take it or leave it" as far as styling goes. The Traditional models are better looking to me. Appearance wise, I'm not a fan of the external extractor, YMMV. In recent years, IMHO,Sig has gotten a bit gimmicky with some of their offerings. (Diamond Plate. really? And that weird Rainbow finish. To be fair, I don't necessarily believe these apply to the 1911s. They just leave the impression that Sig's stylists are trying too hard sometimes) AFAIK, their quality is fine. If they appeal to you, you will probably be happy. Decent warranty & CS doesn't seem to inspire rants.
3) Kimber. Good looking guns of "normally" decent quality. However, they have gained a reputation for hit or miss quality control on occasion. Couple that with a reputation for spotty customer service & a 1 year warranty and you will occasionally see the odd Kimber hate rant. Happy Kimber owners tend to be a vocal group. But, then so are the unhappy ones. FWIW, those people I know that own them, are happy.

If you are 1911 shopping, I would recommend that you add Springfield armory & Dan Wesson to your short list.
Springfield, IMHO, has something for nearly everyone. From lower cost to higher end Custom Shop stuff. Oh, Springfield's Custom shop is real and not just a roll mark. Their customer service has a great reputation as well. I have a Trophy Match, it's been problem free.
To me, Dan Wesson is pretty much the last stop in "off the rack 1911s," after them you are looking at Baer, Brown Wilson & Nighthawk, with their associated wait times. I have two DWs and they are outstanding. Their CS is responsive and helpful.

Thanks guys for your replies. They have brought insight to my decision. Yeah I wish I could afford an ed brown. I got a job offer from him and his sons recently but had to decline due to family stuff. I tell ya those guys have it together over there. I was surprised how small the shop is though. Anyways back to the topic. I was told awhile back that colts fit and finish just wasn't as good as some others that's why I asked. I have looked at the DW before I love the stainless v-bob. I might take a look into them again. Springfield wasn't even on my radar. I guess with so many manufacturers they muat have alipped through the cracks with me.

[Ultimate_sig]

Originally Posted by jwalsh66

Thanks guys for your replies. They have brought insight to my decision. Yeah I wish I could afford an ed brown. I got a job offer from him and his sons recently but had to decline due to family stuff. I tell ya those guys have it together over there. I was surprised how small the shop is though. Anyways back to the topic. I was told awhile back that colts fit and finish just wasn't as good as some others that's why I asked. I have looked at the DW before I love the stainless v-bob. I might take a look into them again. Springfield wasn't even on my radar. I guess with so many manufacturers they muat have alipped through the cracks with me.

Think of this colts are very well built but the msh is plastic. Why the put plastic on a high end gun is beyond me

Sig comes stock with;
Mag shute
Extended mag release
Extended thumb safety
Frame stembling for better grip
Very bright night sights
And the grips are all very nice all of them are made for better gripping
Also has top notch match parts

Imho i think theyre in the same category as wilson, nighthawk, Wesson without the inflated price. Thing of it as getting a nighthawk for a third of the price....need more be said

[jwalsh66]

Originally Posted by Ultimate_sig

Think of this colts are very well built but the msh is plastic. Why the put plastic on a high end gun is beyond me

Sig comes stock with;
Mag shute
Extended mag release
Extended thumb safety
Frame stembling for better grip
Very bright night sights
And the grips are all very nice all of them are made for better gripping
Also has top notch match parts

Imho i think theyre in the same category as wilson, nighthawk, Wesson without the inflated price. Thing of it as getting a nighthawk for a third of the price....need more be said

Does anyone else feel this way? I mean I have shot an ed brown but not a sig. I just can't believe the quality is the same. Maybe the same features but I can't see the quality being the same

[drvsafe]

Originally Posted by jwalsh66

Does anyone else feel this way? I mean I have shot an ed brown but not a sig. I just can't believe the quality is the same. Maybe the same features but I can't see the quality being the same

When deciding on a 1911, I looked at most of the sub $1,000 options, even after checking out SA's TRP and drooling, I was still not convinced it was worth the extra $$ for it. Then I checked out the SIG 1911 and I have to say, it made it easy to not spend the extra $400-500 on the TRP. I felt the SIG had what I really needed and I could always swap out some parts in the future (i.e., ambi thumb safety, magwell, upgraded sights). Add to that the lifetime warranty, and SIG's great fit and finish and very good CS and it was a no-brainer.

SIGs 1911 line are not Custom guns by any sense of the word, but they make enough of a variety that you can really pick and choose the options you want and find the model already built that way.

I am a tried and true SIG fan, so I am super happy that they make a kick ass 1911!