I shoot 1911/2011 in competition, mostly open...I've been carrying a G19 for years, mostly because it fits me good and holds 15 rounds.. I did pick up a Staccato C and plan to start carrying it more once I get some rounds through it..
I've been shooting the same open gun for 5 years (20k rounds)...I replaced the FP and mainspring when I got it, maybe have changed 1 or 2 recoil springs since...
Any kind of live fire shooting is good practice, as long as you're using proper fundamentals. Shoot .22 speed steel,cheap and good transition practice!
I was skeptical that a bullet feeder would have as much of an impact as everyone said it would...I've had a MBF on my RL1050 about a year now and it's awesome!