The 1911 is a good pistol.
It has a design which is simple and proven to work. It is not the fanciest thing in the world but it simply works well.
They are so expensive because of the reputation of the 1911.
Really, if you took that same exact pistol and called it something else, it would not sell as well.
The name drives the price up.

Pros: Lots of stopping power and a comfortable hold for the average man.
Cons: Too much recoil can affect rapid firing accuracy and sometimes uncomfortable for smaller men and some women.

Verdict? If you are not concerned with the round hitting other things, the 1911 - .45 might be a good weapon. I am personally not a fan beacuse of the power and the possibility of a missed round passing thru several walls and hitting something/someone unintentionally.
With that said, if you are looking for good stopping power and you are confident you will hit your target the first time, it is an excellent weapon for defense.

1911s, expensive?

You can get a brand new Rock Island Armory 1911 for under $500.
You can go nicer, and get a Springfield Loaded (the route I went) and have a laser-accurate feature packed target pistol for about $1000.
You can spend many thousands on a custom jobbie.

The gun will determine the recoil. A full size 1911 with beavertail isn't that bad. My Springfield loaded has a firm handshake, but very little actual kick or muzzle flip. My .40 caliber XD Tactical actually has worse recoil.

On the other hand, I put a few through a 3.5" compact 1911, and it would bite hard. Full size is the way to go if that's a concern. Full size with a beaver tail.

For self defense... I read something great about .45:
.45 is a round for lazy people. You know, people that only want to shoot once.


A standard 1911 has a huge market support.

While it is a great, reliable, classic design - There is one fault I find with the 1911:
It really sucks to clean compared to other guns. Most anymore you can field strip with the flick of a wrist.
The 1911 has a famous ballistic bushing and is a bit higher effort to tear down. No big.

I thought I'd chime in. One of the great things about the 1911 design is the trigger. Generally they'll have a trigger crisper than just about anything else in the safe. I like Glocks because they do everything decently but a nice 1911 is a joy to shoot.

I love them. Check out a Rock Island 1911. Best gun for the money you can buy IMO. You can get a GI for 379 or a tactical that already has a nice trigger and beavertail for a little more. I ended up with a GI but have added a Wilson Ultra light trigger, beavertail, hammer, extended slide release and a full length guide rod. And don't let taking them apart deter you, it really isn't hard after you see and exploded diagram and see someone else do it. I have had every single tiny little piece out of mine.