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There are a lot of semi-custom 1911 makers. Brown, Wilson and Les Baer all readily come to mind. Puts your money down and pick the one you like the best and spend up to about 4K. These guys approximate the old time Colt and S&W stuff.

Springfield Armory does make some really nice tricked out 1911s in the $1500 range. Can we say Brazil as that is where the parts are made.

Other than that ya gota go to "back in the day" type stuff. When men were men and the quality SHOWED.

The Colt National Match Gold Cups...were the last of the best of Colt. Out of the box they would shoot. These guns were made in the 1960's. One NIB would be about $1600 today.

It was during the mid 70's that American gun making took a steep decline in quality, due to increased wages (Unions) and aging equipment. While some like S&W and Winchester recovered eventually , Colt relied on its military business and other than its flagship products didn't really recover.

Also one can look at the Military National Match pistols that were assembled for the Military Match teams....in the 1960's..they were essentially rebuilt WW2 1911s that are rock solid and can shoot. one today $2200 to $2700 as New.

Now if ya want the cream Del la cream of Colt 1911's then there is NOTHING like a PRE WW2 Colt 1911 National Match...they were finished and fitted the old fashioned way....with hand work. Can you say $8000.00

I will try and refrain from pushing you down the stairs with your "TECHNO SNOB" status. However there are MANY PEOPLE who consider the 1900 to 1915 period of gun making as to turning out the BEST QUALITY EVER. Guns were finished by hand and they were done right or it didn't leave the factory. It was said at S&W that if an employees work did not pass quality control, he had to stay on his OWN time and make it right. The fit and finish on the old stuff is 2nd to NONE.

After WW1 quality declined just a bit, but was still there. After WW2 quality again declined a bit but held until around 1970. They were always cutting costs and it showed.

A perfect example of the decline in quality is the Winchester mdl 1894. Before WW2 the sides of the Lever were polished eliminating the milling marks after WW2 they stopped polishing the sides and the milling marks could be seen. That is the almost unobservable type of decline in quality that went on.

So the latest and greatest ain't always the best.