It's a classic, aesthetically pleasing firearm, of a time-proven design, available in many configurations, with multiple safeties built in, chambered in a round with relatively low recoil, and is offered by certain manufacturers for around $300.

All of those factors combined just plain makes the 1911 an attractive option for self-defense.

Personally, I don't care for 9mm Luger, but I do plan on getting a Ruger SR1911 in 10mm as my next major firearms purchase.