[Overpaid Slacker]

Having thought about it more this weekend (and, thankfully having missed the intervening "discussion"), I'd say spend the extra ducats (probably not too many of them) and get one of the following:

HK USP .45 -- I've got one and love it. Out of the box, as accurate as many "accurized" 1911s. You can also get it in Compact.

CZ 97B -- If I didn't already own the HK, I'd buy one of these in a second. The CZ 75 SP-01 I recently purchased is the best made anything that I own. And I don't buy junk. You cannot go wrong with the CZ. Get it in black polycoat. FWIW, I will envy you if you get one of these!

OK, if you're still just hooked on 1911...

I think very highly of Kimber. I wouldn't recommend you buy one, however. Very spendy, IMHO. Worth the $ if you're an avid/competitive shooter, but otherwise you can buy a good chassis and "upgrade" over time w/ a whole bunch of Cylinder & Slide parts.

As a non-1911 devotee, if I had to buy a .45, I'd get a Springfield, and spending as little as possible on a gun I'd like, I'd get a Springfield Armory 5" hi-cap (currently going for as little as $489 on gunsamerica.com).

You've got many, many options in Springfield .45s up through $550. You can't go "wrong" with a Springfield .45, and you can upgrade the heck out of it over the course of your ownership.

Nothing "against" Taurus, mind you... but if I was spending my money, in the sub-$800 range, I'd get a Springfield.

Good luck.

JP