Could you give your input.  This is going to be my wifes first pistol and she likes the feel of a 1911. The instructor she had was a 1911 believer.  Personally, I'm a wheel guy so I don't know much about the autos.  So far she likes the springfield and kimbbers in the 1911s and the smith m&p series.  Any feed back on either?????  Any others she should look at?   Thanks.

If she likes the 1911 style then I would also look at the TAURUS 1911 in SS or Blued. They have quite a few factory options for the money and are not quite half the price of the ones you mention. I have two of them and they shoot and function great.

Can't go wrong with the Kimber.

I prefer them mp series... As or more reliable for less money...

I'll assume your wife shot the 1911. For most women a 1911 is to big and they can't handle it well and get a condition called limp wrist where the wrist gets weak and the gun will not cycle properly. I think the M&P series would be a better fit. But if she's dead serious about a 1911, go with the Kimber.

the smiths have no external saftey which in the heat of the moment could be an issue, personally i love the 1911's para colt now kimber carry cocked and locked and it's almost impossible with properly operating safteys to have an accidental discharge.could be from a military past but every pistol i've bought for carry i've gotten rid of and ended up getting a 1911. also i'm a believer of the bigger the bullet the better especially for damage

I'm not gonna argue the bigger bullet thingy, one must first be able to shoot-accuratly-and confidently even if it is a 380. Re safteys, I do not want a saftey that's why I carry GLOCKS 40 and 9mm and Ruger LCR mostly

Shooting stats also argue the bigger bullet thing as in actual firefights with hollow points there's no statistical difference between any of your full power pistol loads. Without hollow points in the big gun a 32 acp can match the 45 acp

gaw you're definatly right about shot placement but i'd rather have a 1/2 inch hole through the heart/lungs than a 1/4 inch,like i said though the saftey thing is just me and being used to the 1911. geehee most any gun,not all but most any carry gun will be outfitted with hollowpoints,99% of people will say either thats what my friend carries or thats what was recommended without any real reason why we carry them as you point out the bigger hole with hollow points is one and over penetration is the other i have seen 9mm and 40's fail to dispatch deer with head shots at point blank range but yet i have also seen 22 magnums do it at 50 yards cleanly.basically i'm saying for me the bigger the hole the better chance of disrupting futher attack but it all depends on the state of mind the person or animal is in

You didn't say if she was just going to use it for a range gun, or, personal protection.

Although I own about 20, 1911s, and I KNOW that they are all more accurate than my Glocks, and M&Ps, if it is for personal protection, I'd recommend the M&P, WITHOUT the manual safety.

RG, that's why they make different gun, etc. I wish you well!

Thank you everyone.  Yes she has fired the 1911 and not the mp yet.  Thanks again for all the input.

About a year ago, the AGI (American Gunsmith Institute) field tested the S&W M&P. After the field test, they took it to the gunsmiths bench for a complete evaluation! The results are on thier monthly Guntech DVD, volume #3. Not what I would consider a rave review.

Any comments on the Remington 1911 R1?

I know this is an older post but I'm bored so thought I would chime in.  My wife is tiny and she hates my Glock 19 (though she shoots it very well).  She always reaches for my 1911 first.  It fits her and she shoots ragged baseball sized holes in the middle of the target with it, deadly indeed.  In your case, I don't necessarily see the merit in buying a Kimber though.  I'm sure they are great, but if you just want an absolutley reliable and accurate gun, don't ignore Taurus, Remington, Springfield or others.  I can't see how the added $700 or $800 makes a Kimber better than my Springfield.  I'm not shooting long range matches with the thing, and even my $300 Firestorm went bang every time and was easily accurate enough for self defense.  I've done a number of firearms classes with my Springfield and put thousands of rounds through it, never experiencing one failure.  Buy a Mil Spec Springfield or similar and add some upgrades as you feel necessary (sights, hammer, trigger) and you will still not reach the cost of a Kimber.

Just thought of something else.  Make sure, if you buy or bought a 1911, that your wife practices; even just dry-firing excercises.  Make "hitting" the safety automatic, and I don't mean just disengaging, but also re-safing.  I have found myself forgetting if I safed it upon holstering and when I check, it's always on safe.  It only becomes automatic after a lot of practice and if she's in a stressful situation, you want her to not have to think about things like that, but just hit the safety and do what's necessary, or put the safety back on and have no accidents.  Don't know what kind of safety (if any) the M&P has so can't speak to that.

I've heard bad things on Kimber lately. From what I have heard they used to be a reputable company and made every part to fit each specific gun and their quality matched their price. Lately however they have not stood up to their quality and have mismatched parts and they don't fit as snug with the gun as they should on a 1911. I just recently bought the Desert Eagle 1911 G. 600 bucks off of gunbroker.com and couldn't be happier with it. I have only put about 500 rounds through it so far but have had 0 misfires or jams.

I like 1911's except for the safeties, I could do without the grip safety. 1911's I like are: RIA, DoubleStar, Wilson Combat, Kimber, Sig, and of course Colt. I hate Norinco firearms of any type, chinese crap.

Wrong on the Smiths.
You can get the M&P with an external safety.
I prefer mine not to have one as the double action trigger is the same to me.
It is what you practice & ingrain in you is what will make you in the end.

If she likes the feel of the 1911 over the popular DAO's, (M&P'S,Glocks, XD's,etc...), just as I do, there is another option. Para Ordnance makes a DAO 1911. Same ergonomics as a standard 1911 but with a DAO trigger. Good Luck on your decision.

1911's get my vote. I have both 1911's and an M&P 9mm and I must say my 1911's in 45acp is softer shooting than the M&P 9 but thats just my .02 cents. In 1911's Kimber gets my vote.