Springfield EMP .40 vs Kimber ultra carry II

[IndianaSlim]

I've been having this debate with myself for the better part of two days now. I'm in the market for a 1911 carry gun and have basically narrowed it down to these two. Everybody raves about the UC II and probably rightly so. I just can't get past how drop dead sexy the EMP looks and feels. I know the Springfield is a little more money but I don't think price is a very good determining factor in a gun you are going to trust your life with daily. So let's have it INGO the good and bad of both guns. What would YOU buy?

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I hear a lot of folks rag on Kimber's quality...quality control...and customer service. I don't know that I've ever HELD a Kimber, let alone ever shot one.

I've owned an EMP....in 9mm, though. Fantastic pistol. Tight tolerances. Scary accurate. Factory night-sights.

If I were in your shoes, going by the 2nd-hand bad stories I've heard about Kimber + my experience with a 9mm EMP, I'd be more apt to go with the Springfield.

But, having said that, the EMP pistols really aren't that much smaller/lighter than Springfield's other 1911 offerings in .45ACP. There are a few dimensions that are indeed smaller, such as grip circumference, but the majority are close enough to be considered a "wash".

Also, the Kimber UC II doesn't come in .40, just 9mm and .45.

If budget at all is of a concern, and you're open-minded as to caliber, I'd even look at some of Springfield's other pistols.

-J-

 

[IndianaSlim]

Caliber wise the only qualification I have is that it CAN NOT be a 9mm. I own plenty of 40s and a few 45s and don't want to have to keep 9mm ammo around for one gun. A couple of years ago I would have just bought the emp on the spot and not thought twice but I figured I would run it past ingo before I spent 1k+ on a carry gun.

 

[ISHOOTHST'S]

Emp gets my vote...I'm sure there's gonna be a lot of kimber votes though.

 

[XDs4me]

+100 on the EMP. I have one in 40 cal and it is as sweet as they come. It is my daily carry and is far more accurate than I am. Pricey but worth it. I use to carry a 45 but ammo was harder to get. I can almost always find 40 and get to shot more often.

If its true that sex sells.. this thing is truly sexy and really puts out!!!!!

 

[JohnP82]

i vote for the springfield EMP as i am not a fan of kimber. good luck in your decision.

 

[Mr. Habib]

I have a 1st gen Ultra Carry and love it. I see lots of people complain about Kimber's quality but I have had zero problems with any of mine. I think most of the problems that they have had stem from the models with the external extractor. Stay away from those and you should be good.

 

[calcot7]

I vote for the EMP............cause I already have a Kimber SS Ultra Carry II. And I do love it, but that EMP is awful sweet!

 

[BIG TIM]

I have two Kimbers including an Ultra Carry II. I have had zero problems with either. I wouldn't mind having an EMP either as I like the grip angle. Find a used (low round count) Kimber and I think the first owner will have worked out any bugs.

 

[01deuce]

how does the EMP compare to a springfield micro compact loaded or a kimber?

 

[Grademan]

I had a Kimber with a quality control issue (not external extractor related). They fixed it, but just the fact that they let it leave the factory that way was enough for me to get rid of it.

 

[wtfd661]

I've had my Kimber Tactical Ultra II for 4 yrs now with out a problem. Love it. Great carry gun.

Just so you understand there have been more reports on the Springfield EMP's having issues than just about any other Springfield Handgun. I do think though that if you buy the EMP and have an issue Springfield has an outstanding CS department and they will make you happy.

Good luck and make sure to post what you get (along with some gun porn )

 

[triplerider]

I've carried my Kimber UC II while the Colt was in the shop for two months, and now the EMP .40 is in the shop. The EMP is sexy, according to sweet thing, and I do like it a lot but it doesn't run. Springfield glued the ejectors in the EMP line and mine came unstuck after 50 rounds, bent, and wouldn't let the slide work. That's hard to take on what I thought was a custom factory gun, but there it is. The UC just works regardless of what ammo is in it. Too bad I can't get it 'tarted up' and in .40 caliber.

 

[88E30M50]

I have no experience with an EMP and cannot say anything good or bad about them. I do have a Kimber UC II though, and love the gun. I have not had a single issue with either of the Kimbers I have and I shoot my Compact a lot. The UC II is a great concealment pistol and really hides well with a set of thin grips. I usually conceal carry with either an OWB scabbard or IWB tuckable from MTAC and the UC with thin grips just disappears.

 

[triplerider]

Two of the three 'good' guns I've bought have had to go back to the factory, which is sad after I decided "no more cheap plastic guns" and spent some bucks, and I never had any problems like this with the inexpensive plastic guns, either.
Kimber has a nice 4" that calls to me if Springfield hasn't made the EMP run right, but I hope they can and it doesn't take the nearly two months it took Colt. We'll see, I guess. A couple weeks so far.
Meanwhile I'm 'forbidden' from handling any of the guns in the shops I go to.

 

[thebishopp]

Ha! I've been having a similar debate. the Springfield EMP 40 or one of Springfield micro 45s (or possibly the kimber). I miss my old para ordinance P12 and the 1911 style platform.

Personally the main reason I am leaning toward the emp 40 is that I wouldn't have to buy another different ammo type. I dislike having multiple calibers and I already have two 357's and my xd40 (got some 22's but they don't count :-) ).

What another poster has said about springfield glueing part together that, if and when they fail causes the gun to become inoperable, kind of has me worried though. Obviously that is a huge problem.

 

[Wild Deuce]

Too bad you are limiting your caliber selection. (Though I completely understand and agree with the idea of limiting your caliber footprint.)

These are my thoughts on the Springfield EMP (might help you even though mine is chambered in 9mm). Read my whole post and keep in mind that I ordered mine dirctly from the SA Custom Shop. Also keep in mind that it was the very early production runs of the EMP (chambered in 9mm) that had all the issues. I believe that they have worked out those kinks since then. I can not speak for the .40 cal incarnation. Hope this helps.

Here's a pic of my EMP (actually, it's the wife's):

BTW, are you anywhere near NWI? If you were, I would let you try this EMP. Warning: It might make you change your mind about the 9mm version.

 

[thebishopp]

Thanks Wild Deuce. No I am in Evansville, Indiana (SWI). I thought about the 9mm but figured if I was going to carry a nine it would be in a much smaller package. It's good to know you had an early model with that issue, hopefully they have fixed it. I will definitely be looking into it more before I "pull the trigger" (so to speak lol).

 

[redwingshooter]

I own a Kimber and have had zero problems with it, my vote is for Kimber all the way.

 

[mrortega]

I can't remember the last time I saw a used Kimber in a gun store. However, I did have an Ultra Carry II in stainless and loved it. I just couldn't get used to carrying cocked and locked so I traded it. It was gone the next day. It had a super sweet trigger and was probably the finest gun I've owned. The only thing wrong was it was made in New York!!

(BTW, it shot all brands of 230 gr from Wally World hard ball to custom hollow points to the same point of aim. I put a Crimson Trace on it and could practice with cheap hardball and then carry with Speer GDHPs.)