Considering selling off my Kimbers for a Les Baer - advice/comments

[r0gue]

I know about the MIM parts on the Kimbers. In fact, I look at the top of the hammer and see the bugger where the mold seam is. Same for the slide stop. Mold seam there too. Still a great gun, but it doesn't fill me with a sense of "no substitutes" that my old HK P7 did (that was before I became a fan of the big holes!!!).

So I'm considering a used Les Baer, and I have to ask... Is there anything that is not machined on them? Are there any shortcuts on them, that might make me wish I'd bought a Brown or a Wilson?

I also posted a thread to find out what modifications they made to please the CA anti-gunners (or should I say, placate for a small time until they want more concessions).

Thanks for your help guys!

[gpo1956]

I've owned three Les Baers. As far as I know, and I could be wrong, they're all forged/machined. I know there are no MIM parts. They are a very high quality gun. Definitely a step or two above the Kimbers. To me, they are worth the extra money.

[doc45]

Before my TRS I'd owned a 1911 from every major company. The last one was a Kimber TLE. After some hard thinking, sold the Kimber and an extra Colt and bought the LB. Not a single regret. I've since had it Bear Coated & you can see it on the post. I've fired Wilson's & Brown's 45s. Nothing feels like the TRS, shoots better or makes me sorry I got it. This or a LW Commander (summer time mostly) are my daily carry and I only wish I could get another Les Baer right now! I can't imagine you'd be sorry for getting rid of the Kimber and getting the LB. Good luck, 45fan.

[Melkor]

Dude , had 6 Kimbers,11 Colts, 5 Springfields, 1Thompson, and now I have 2 Kimbers , 2 Les Baers , 2 Wilsons. My answer is simple , keep 1 Kimber I kept 1 45 and 1 38 super. The Colts are just Colts , Springfield is a joke, and Les Baer and Wilson or an Ed Brown , all 3 are excellent. Les is the best Value, Ed Brown the most attractivel, and Wilson the most combat practical. :cool:

[r0gue]

Why do you say the Wilson is more combat practical than the Les Baer or Ed Brown? Just curious...

Do any of the Big 3 names use MIM?

[Melkor]

Well, Wilson is ready to go right out of the box, you do not need a breakin period. And Wilson claims they have put a minimum of 50 rounds through the gun. Thats ready to go rock and roll. Now don't get me wrong must guns are ready to go out of the box, but Wilson took the time to shoot 50 reasons to believe it will work. Les Baer tests but dose not put in writing how many or include a test target. No biggy either way My 2 Wilsons , and 2 Les Baers worked perfectly out of the box. Good Luck, just change your parts out if U are worried , but sell your kimber and just get A Baer or a Wilson , or Ed Brown, they are all about the same. All very , very good. Your Kimber is the best of the worst. :eek:

[awmp]

Have been toying with the idea for a long time, sell the kimber and get a TRS.
Just a few questions, is the TRS too heavy to be a daily carry? What is the customer service like? Heard some good and bad, what say you? Thanks
AW

[r0gue]

I just can't seem to decide. I love the idea of a high quality 1911 with all machined parts etc, but seems like each time I get close to saying yep, I get to looking at my two Series I kimbers, and think, "geeze, I gotta sell both of these, and then come up with another $500 or so..." and I just get put back in nuetral. My Classic Custom drives them into the same hole over and over. No level of improved acuracy would benifit me because the Kimber already shoots better than I do.

I guess right now it's just an I want one thing. If I had Series II Kimbers, it would be a no brainer. I flat out hate everything about them. But I've been lucky and located 2 new Series I guns (one is still new, and one I am using). I suppose it will just be a test of time and willpower to see which way I go.

Are the Les Bar's, Wilsons, Browns better? Unquestionably. Better to the point that I would ever notice (from a functional standpoint) no. From an asthetic stanpoint Yep!

[doc45]

FWIW, I do notice the difference in how my TRS "runs" compared to any other 1911 I've ever owned. The smoothness to how the slide & frame interact, the outrageous trigger action. Everything just feels right, like all the parts were made to fit together without "slop" that every other pistol seems to have had. Yes, it was a chunk of change plus having it refinished at another 3 bills but I reached a point in life when I decided to reward myself for all the good things I've done and this is how I chose to do it. Every day when I slide it into my holster or go shooting at the range I'm glad I bought it. No regrets. Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now. See ya', 45fan.

[r0gue]

I owned an HK P7e, which was about $1200 7 or so years ago. It was a superb gun, and I was (at the time) of the opinion, that it was so because it was German. Now that I've come to love the 1911 for so many reasons I can't list them all, it occured to me that for roughly the same money, I can have a 1911 of the same precise tolerances and quality.

Like I said though, the Kimber is no sloppy Joe. I know I know, the "big three" make em better, but I'm still floundering. It would be a slam dunk if I could sit, see, touch, feel (maybe even fire) some examples of the big three. But until then, all I have is catologs.

Les Baer doesn't even have catalogs (at least available to the web).

[gpo1956]

rOgue,
the last time I was on the Baer website it had about all the information you could want(basically the same as the catalog) I think if you'll e-mail them they'll send you a catalog. They send me one every year.
And let me put it this way. If you had the cash and went a bought an LB outright, I gaurantee you, you would have no problem then trading your Kimbers in on another one. After owning several each of the Big Three, it is very hard for me to be satisfied with the production guns.

[r0gue]

The website is good, but the photo's are a bit smallish. Nothing beats a nice catalog! I'll try and e-mail them. I may just save up and get a big three. If I do it will be one of the following:
Wilson - CQB Full size non/ambi, no rail, night sights
Baer - TRS same features
Brown - Exec Elite Blue - same features

[doc45]

I just bought 2 8-round mags from Les Baer and a new catalogue came with them so it's out there. Good luck. 45fan

[Melkor]

Had 6 Kimbers 1. Custom 1 2. Custom Carry 1 3. Ultra Carry 1 4. Polymer Stanless, 5. Target Stainless 2 6, 38 Super. Nice if you like the best of production guns and the worst of the custom guns, but still superior to Springfield or Colt. . They all functioned great, The Ultra carry was great, but I sold all but the Custom 1 , and the 38 super. Why ? becuse at $650 the custm 1 is about as good as Kmber gets, the 38 super because to add to my collection. Dump Your Kimber and Get a Les Bear !, you will not regret it, I would match my standsrd Premier II against anything Kimber makes or will make. :)

[LesBaerTRS]

Wilson recommends 4-500 round break-in before you even take the pistol apart so they definetly have a break in period. I prefer Baers over Wilsons. I've seen too many intermittent quality control issues with Wilsons. I don't mind the break in period with Baers. I don't need to take it out of the box and shoot someone with it.

Well, Wilson is ready to go right out of the box, you do not need a breakin period. And Wilson claims they have put a minimum of 50 rounds through the gun. Thats ready to go rock and roll. Now don't get me wrong must guns are ready to go out of the box, but Wilson took the time to shoot 50 reasons to believe it will work. Les Baer tests but dose not put in writing how many or include a test target. No biggy either way My 2 Wilsons , and 2 Les Baers worked perfectly out of the box. Good Luck, just change your parts out if U are worried , but sell your kimber and just get A Baer or a Wilson , or Ed Brown, they are all about the same. All very , very good. Your Kimber is the best of the worst. :eek:

[lustgarden]

I have to go with the crowd. I am a Kimber nut and still have a tactical ultra.
The Kimbers just do not have the quality and feel of my Premier 2.

[pajohnohio]

Have been toying with the idea for a long time, sell the kimber and get a TRS.
Just a few questions, is the TRS too heavy to be a daily carry? What is the customer service like? Heard some good and bad, what say you? Thanks
AW

I carry my TRS and have no problems. As far as the service? I have over 6000 rounds through mine and have not needed service. Knock on wood!

~Peace~

[Blasterboy]

See if this helps...NO MIM parts in an LBC. As we all know, Kimber puts them in their 1911's, everywhere they feel they will last. At the F.T.I., I taught at, we always had several Kimbers with broken sears, hammers etal. Kimbers are a well made production custom weapon, maybe their durability comes under question. LBC's are hand assembled custom precision firearms that are manufactured for the serious gun enthuasist and are built to last. You will never regret owning a LBC. Need I say more..

[chickenfried]

I'm having the same thoughts. But instead I'd be selling off my non-1911 guns for a Premier 2. Hmmmmmmm.....Diversity or commonality :confused: in the collection. I like my other guns for various reasons nostalgia, beauty, etc. But when it comes to shooting, nothing compares to my 1911's.

[Joni Lynn]

Les Baer or Rock River Arms are both nice. You'll notice a difference between them and the production guns.

[Joni Lynn]

rOgue, I'm in sw PA and have several 1911's, one is a LB P2 and another is a RRA Limited Match. If you are within reasonable distance you could play with mine if you want. They're fun!

[T-TAC]

There are three catagories for 1911's

1) Cheap overseas made models. These may or may not work out of the box.
If you want a 1911 just to put some rounds down range and reliability isn't a issue. These will do it for under $400

2) American made mid line guns. These are made by Kimber, Springfield, and even colt. These guns feature MIM parts. And usually are reliable and accurate out of the box. They are pretty much assembled with little hand fitting. They do come with such features as Ambi safety, Beavertail grip safety, Good sights, etc. etc.
For the majority of shooters that will put between one to four boxes of ammo through their gun each year these guns will serve you well. These sell Between $500 - $1200

3) The high end guns. Baer, Brown, Wilson, Night Hawk, Rock river, etc.
These guns have about 40 hours of hand fitting. Feature no MIM parts. and leave no " I should have gotten". The guns can go for thousands of rounds with no parts breakage. They start at $1400 and can go close to $3000.
These guns can out last you.


Just remember the Golden Rule; Once you go into the Number 3 catagory you can't go back. :D