I have both a Ruger LW CMD 1911 and a S&W 1911 SC-E.
I like them both. In terms of fit and finish, accuracy and performance, the S&W is the better gun. The S&W is machined to tighter tolerances, the scaled serrations on the slide provide more positive grip without biting your fingers. It comes with an viewport, and the ejection port is cut slightly lower and is beveled to make ejection more reliable.
The top of the slide is slightly dished out with a series of vertical cuts going almost the full length of the slide. Their purpose is to reduce glare. The back of the slide has horizontal versions of those same glare-reducing cuts.
Trijicon night sights are mounted front and rear. The trigger and the hammer are skeletonized; trigger comes in at about 4.5-5 lbs.
The front strap is cut 17 LPI. The barrel is match-grade. The gun is much more accurate than the shooter.
"The Ruger is far more basic and doesn't come with the match-grade barrel, but it's still accurate 'enough.' And very reliable, shooting everything from white box, steel-cased, and my reloads. I'm trying to remember if it's ever failed. Probably it did somewhere, but not in awhile, and I've shot mostly my reloads and steel-cased ammo for a couple years now through it.
If I were only going to buy one of the two, I'd save the extra dough and take the S&W. It's as reliable, looks far better and performs better.