To the OP, that is a fine gun but it is worth closer to $1200, not $1500.
To those who feel a 200 or 500 round "break in" for any gun is stupid, well, all I can say is you are going to shoot it anyways! If it works 100% after the break in all you did was shoot ammo you were going to shoot anyways. You would not carry a new gun anyways without putting 200-500 rounds thru it anyways so all the point is you want the factory to break it in and then you'd complain that it isn't "new" any more. Really, what is the big deal? You're going to shoot it anyways!
To the guy with the blog link. I understand you saying that having issues with an $800 gun is not what you want. However, if it needed a new recoil spring and a new or tuned extractor (which Kimber would have sent for free) then why would you want to send it off to Kimber, have them pay $100 to ship round trip only to do something you, or someone familiar with the 1911 platform, can do in 10 minutes and wait 6-8 weeks to get it back? Kimber gave you the hard time because they probably knew that it was just a minor tweak and they wished to save the time and money. I know it's a matter of principle but who suffers in the long run? The consumer pays the bill. Sure, QC should have caught it but any 1911 owner should know how to change a recoil spring and tune an extractor. It's part of the platform. Sure, send it back on their dime but it will be our dime on our next purchase. There's principal, there's common sense and there is being bull headed.
As to those who made the comment that for a few dollars more you get a 1911 without MIM. Is that a good thing or is it subjective? If it works fine for 20,000 rounds and has some MIM parts does that mean it still sucks? The MIM bashers just jump on a bandwagon without just cause. Internet old wive's tales is all it is. Kimber/Mimber, what a joke.
I don't know any maker of 1911 pistols that doesn't have occasional extractor issues or whatever. However, their great CS is what makes them cost $2500 or more. Sure, you can say Brand X stands behind their 1911s but all that means is you paid for their service up front. You don't mind sending your beautiful 1911 back to Maker X because they were so wonderful on the phone. However, the fact remains that you had to send it back. Send back a Kimber and their QC sucks. Send back a known name brand and it was just a minor tweak which they fixed for no charge. You forgot the extra $1000 it cost up front, though. Ah, the price we pay for quality. I bet Mercedes Benz, BMW, Acura, et al, have the best customer service out there. They probably kiss your backside from here to eternity to make you feel warm and fuzzy. However, you think they did it for free? LoL, I bet you do!
