I can vouch from personnal experience that running 40 S&W in a 1911 frame is an iffy proposition. I have an older Dan Wesson Pointman in 40 S&W and a PO16-40 Limited which have been reliable. In contrast my STI Trojan in 40 S&W has been problematic in terms of reliability. In 9mm 1911's I shoot a Dan Wesson PM-9, and PO18-9 which function relioably. I had a SA 9mm Target which was reliable but would not group better than 4 to 5 inches at 50 ft.
My S&W M&P9 Pro 5 inch provides nice 2+inch groups at 50 ft. while my full size M&P45 provides nice tight 2 inch or less 10 shot groups at 50 ft. My son shoots a M&P40 and has not expereinced any reliability issues. In terms of reliability and price it would be difficult to beat the S&W M&P line.