It seams that people have forgotten to mention a few things about the 1911.
a. Weight, it was made heavy for one main reason to last and not to bend or crack easily durring a bad situation. Also the weight had one other benefit there is less recoil translated to the arm because it takes a lot of force to start moving one. For example I am 25 and I can shoot through 150-200 rnds through my Ballester Rigaud 1911 Argentinian clone one handed and not be the lease bit sore, but I tried that with a Glock, I think it was a .45 cal ACP and my arms were screaming after 50 rnds two handed.
b. Well Mike H I hate to tell you this but my gun is a clone of the 1911 produced in 1935-38 by HAFDASA (Argentinia) for their Military and LEO and some went to England. I ahve also heard of a version made in the former USSR because it was so well liked. The only reason that I have heard that the BR was produced was because of production shortages at Colt and in 1940 Colt licenced HAFDASA to produce the 1911. The main differences between the BR and the Colt is that there is no grip safety and the trigger pivots instead of slides but still hits the hammer release as if it was a slide pull.
c. As for gunsmithed and no good straight out of the box. The only thing that is not original on my gun are the following, new barrel, common nothing special, glow paint on the sights, for contrast, and new magazines and with my in-accurate ability I can get a 3" group after 50 rnds at 30 yards, and the owner at the range was able to do a 1.5" group at 30 yards with the gun. So basically people get stuff done mainly because many gsmiths know the gun, many many parts are available, and people have extra money to spend after buying a 1911, especially surplus.
I guess some of the posters on this message board have small hands, because the second I put my hand on a 1911 it fits like a glove, where a lot of other guns, especially ones with shallower and thicker grip, glock, baretta, etc... Also to me most DA guns place the trigger too far forward fo me to grab for the first shot, and do not carry safely in SA mode.
All guns are a matter of personal preference.
Have fun and shoot safe,
Richard Cizik Jr.