Regarding CCOs, there was one I would've seriously considered as a carry gun if I were to switch to 1911s, the Sig Traditional Compact. It had the standard Commander slide shape as opposed to Sig's proprietary slide shape on their other models (similar to their P-series pistols). It was a true 4.25" barrel length with bushing and the standard recoil spring guide (I'm not a fan of the full-length guide rods), it had an external extractor, Series 80-style firing pin safety, and stainless steel construction. IIRC, the street price was around $1000. It was nearly everything I could want in a carry 1911. Unfortunately, I believe it's been discontinued.

I'll also admit I've fantasized about having one built from scratch using Caspian Arms components.