I am probably in the minority here, but I have carried a 1911 in government and law enforcement service for almost 40 years. I have shot and/or carried just about every single make and manufacture of mainstream 1911s. I think you need to decide what exactly you’re looking for in a 1911. Is it for every day carry, target use, occasional carry, or whatever criteria you have decided upon. Of course there are very expensive models, but in my experience, it is more the shooter than the gun. I have an old Springfield armory mil spec that I changed a few parts on (sear, disconnector, mainspring housing, sights) that out shoots some Ed Browns and Les Baers. I kid you not. It is one of the most accurate handguns I ever shot and I have even commented about it to the people at Springfield armory. I have an older Springfield armory range officer that I changed the sights on and some internal parts, and that pistol also shoots exceptionally well. More importantly, both are utterly reliable. I have an old colt series 70 1911 that shoots exceptionally well, but not as well as my two Springfields. IMHO there are many factors that should go into the purchase of a 1911, but to me accuracy and reliability are two of the most important factors to consider. I guess what I am getting at is you can get an excellent 1911 for much less money than you’re willing to spend, and either upgrade the sights to your liking or internals/thumb Davey, etc. to your liking. Just my humble opinion. Again, there are many to choose from and that’s what makes it so interesting. By the way thank you for your service. Spent quite a bit of time imbedded with the Marines overseas. Regards to you and to everyone else on this forum.