As has been expressed throughout this thread, there are good options at a lot of different price points. I am one that likes 1911s for their aesthetics almost as much as I want it to be built well and run as close to 100% reliably as possible. For this reason, I tend to gravitate to Nighthawk, Wilson Combat, Ed Brown, and Guncrafter Industries. All of these start around the $3000 mark. Dan Wesson is also putting out some great 1911s at a slightly lower price point. I currently have a Guncrafter Industries Hellcat being built, just hope it makes the 43 ounce weight limit for single stack. If not, I will likely have a gun built specifically for that division. If you haven't checked out Guncrafter Industries, definitely give them a look. Like Wilson Combat and Nighthawk, they are located in Berryville, Arkansas. The owner, Alex Zimmerman, worked for Wilson for many years, then wanted to do his own thing. They are putting out 1911s that are every bit as good as a Wilson, Nighthawk, or Ed Brown and have some unique models and features.