I should have also noted. If your dead set on the 1911, then an import is gonna be your cheapest bet. But if your joansin' for a .45 then I would suggest a Smith and Wesson. Pretty much any of em.

I was looking for a 1911 and really wanted the Para O Warthog or the ATI Titan FX in stainless.

I rented a warthog and while that one was extremely reliable in that it failed to eject the 5th round on every magazine.
For the Titan FX, I read on other forums this one was prone to minor problems. These could be fixed with buying other parts.

Then it hit me, I would be spending MORE for one of these, then I did for my S&W and they didnt go bang every time I pulled the trigger. And I would have to buy other parts to make it reliable.

My choice is to keep my Smith as they have gone bang each and every time I pulled the trigger, and I didnt have to spend a dime on other parts to make them that way.

Just my .02