I certainly like the 1911 but it would never ever be my first choice in a handgun. That said, I would not want to part with mine either...
Without question my heart says BHP. Practically a Glock 19 or 17 in that order. This is as a defensive sidearm. If I could only have "1" ever it would be the BHP.
I am rather fond of this one, although I wouldn’t recommend Kimber specifically due to the varying quality at times. This one has been gone over and tuned and adjusted as needed, runs flawlessly with Wilson Mags for me. Another excellent option to look at is the Ruger SR1911, other than some having overly heavy triggers, they seem to be excellent quality and quite reliable.
Everything I’ve seen about them has been good, only complaints being the trigger pull being excessively heavy on some, and some accuracy complaints mainly stemming from the heavy trigger making the gun hard to shoot well. A few other accuracy complaints weren’t so much related to shootablilty but rather people expecting a bullseye competition accurate pistol, when the Ruger is built to a slightly looser tolerance that makes it far more reliable. I have had the opportunity to take one apart, and the machining quality is very good in my opinion.
If you can find one that was built in the early 90's you will most likely not have any problems. I have 6 from that era and have no issues with mine.
Better options for the same price. Love me some rugers but not in centerfire auto. Wheel guns, bolt guns, and .22 autos bring it.
I have only owned a handfullof 1911s. I like the two Kimbers that I have as well as the ones I put together from parts. I have a Gold cup that has never jammed.