I read the link and concur. However, my own use of all real Colt Govt. Models resulted in few problems, all on the same gun.
1.) loose plunger tube on a reblued Lend Lease gun
2.) cracked firing pin stop, same gun. It was about 25 years old by then and I have no idea how many rounds had been through it, in prior British hands and maybe more. These guns in British use were usually issued to Commando and other special units who fired them a lot more than the normal .38 revolvers were ever shot in conventional infantry, armored, and RAF use. I bummed a spare f.p. stop from a USAF armorer and installed it myself, and I'm a mechanical klutz.
3.) Cracked thumb safety, same old gun. Replaced the safety on my own. GI parts were then cheap.
My only other issues were cosmetic, mostly keeping rust off the bright-polished (not blued) sides of postwar commercial hammers and a couple of guns that developed a plum color to the blue job. I have seen this problem on other brands; it's almost routine for blued Ruger Single Actions.
I think that if one buys a real Colt in stainless, and doesn't shoot it a whole lot in heavy competition, he'll be well served. I wouldn't buy an off-brand, except maybe for Springfield or Ruger. And I wouldn't make a lot of changes, except maybe to install a Novak rear sight, to avoid abrading the hand with the rear sight when cocking the gun, if that's an issue. It can be, with a high rear sight.
My Colt .45 autos almost never malfunctioned, and if they did, it was ammo related or a bad magazine. I liked to be able to remove the firing pin easily for air travel, as some airlines required that.
But Bill Jordan impressed me deeply when he said that he had seen a whole lot of auto pistols in use and simply did not find them as reliable as revolvers for real life police work. Jeff Cooper differed. Both men had backgrounds as USMC officers and had seen combat. Jordan also had a long LE career.
Their statements were made before the current crop of autos was born, but still applies to 1911 models, of course.
Frankly, I agree with Hilton Yam, whoever he is.
Never heard of him, but he makes sense and seems to have ample background to make the comments in the linked article. That said, he was commenting largely on non-Colt .45's and many had modifications or custom work, which offers added opportunities for flaws.
If you choose the M-1911 platform, get a stainless Colt and don't monkey with it after the break-in period, unless you have to. Avoid "custom" work. You'll probably be satisfied.
But I wouldn't trade the .38 HD for a 1911. I'd find the money for the .45 auto by some other means.
That loosened plunger tube gave me pause, and I no longer carry a 1911 design. Even John Browning knew the design could be improved and the Browning HP reflected his improvements, although completed by Dieudonne Saive after John Browning's death.
I do think that the average cop or sportsman is better off with an auto pistol that has a hammer-lowering device. Easing the hammer down on a loaded chamber in a 1911 is an accident waiting to happen. (The 1911 devotees say not to do that, but people do.)
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