Why ? Is it collectability ? A $4000+ hand made and fitted 1911 with the fancy trigger and barrel is likely to shoot just as well . What make the Swiss P210 better then "any" custom 1911 ?
That's a real question and not being snarky . The 1911 with all the after market parts and ease in which to work on must go into the equation . I have no doubt the standard Swiss P210 is better then any standard 1911 but the standard 1911 can be had for $700 . Spend the same amount of money on each and I'd have to think you'd get a pretty nice 1911 .
Or better yet lets do that backwards . Build a Swiss P210 for the price it cost to build the standard 1911 and which would you want ? The corners you'd likely need to cut to build the Swiss P210 for that would surely bring down the quality .
I'm not really sure what you're asking.
I said I'd take a Swiss P210 over any $4000 1911. I'm not sure if you're familiar with 1911 pricing, but you don't get a top notch full blown custom for $4G's. You get a run of the mill semi custom from companies that build tens of thousands of gun's per year. I've had many of them and still own several of my best.
Why would I want to build a Swiss P210 for the price of a "standard" 1911, as you put it? The reason the P210 is valued so much is due to the way they are built. Its not collectability on most the Swiss guns, because most are not overly rare. You couldn't build a P210 the way the Swiss did for that kind of money. The 1911 is a totally different design. Its doesn't require nearly the same tolerances and, likewise, the parts quality to operate.
Also, $600-$700 is an entry level 1911, nothing all that standard about it. Most are cheaply made and fitted.