As a gun enthusiast and a gunsmith, I would recommend the 1911 to anyone that has an interest in them. As others have stated before, prices vary greatly, as does the features and quality of each price range. I also suggest shooting one prior to purchasing, to ensure that you will actually enjoy shooting the firearm.

All of the brands that have been mentioned have their pros and cons, normally it is an direct relationship between price and features/quality. The higher the price, the more features and/or higher quality the firearm will be, generally speaking of course. Even though you spend lots it is still possible to have a lemon out of the box. I have worked on a couple of brand new $2000.00+ guns that just didn't work correctly. Every manufacture is capable of producing lemon!

One thing to remember with 1911's is that no matter which one you purchase, unless it is a full custom build to your specifications, you will eventually want to change something on the pistol. This may be as simple as a new set of sights, to a trigger job, or even as much as replacing most of the parts and making it into a competition pistol. The sky, your imagination, and your pocket book are the only limits when it comes to customizing your 1911.

Personally I have owned Colts, Brolin Arms, and Kimber brands. I have enjoyed all three. The Brolin Arms was just a range gun, I did minimal modifications to it, trigger job, adjustable sights, and a full length guide rod. The Kimber is my carry gun, trigger job, night sights, slim grips, bobtail conversion, and a meltdown treatment to the frame and slide. The Colt was a full competition gun, when I was done the only parts that were Colt were the frame and slide. All shot better than I can.

In addition to my own, I have shot/tuned/fixed Springfield Armory's, Thompson's (before Khar), Wilson's, Ed Brown's, Colt's, Kimber's, Essex's, Llama's,STI's, SVI's' Para Ordnance's, and probably a few others that I cannot think of off the top of my head. I would suggest spending at the upper limits of your budget initially to get the best quality gun that you can. I have found this to be the most satisfying for my customers in the long run.

Good luck with your decision!

John