I've been buys Rock Islands/Twin Pines 1911s since they were
$275.00 MSRP. I have yet to get a bad one. Accurate and Reliable. If I buy one now, its always the Tactical Version as I don't have to put a Beaver Tail Grip Safety and a new hammer on it as they come with them. I have a bunch of them from the Compact, the Government and the Commander sized. I call them the Glocks of the 1911 World, they run right out of the box.

If you want to start out with a 1911, I'd recommend the Rock Islands.

Rule 303