I took the other fork in the road: when I was looking for my first pistol 10 years or so ago, I looked at 1911s and they seemed too mysterious -what the heck is that loose thing on the grip for?They also seemed very expensive + I heard of lots of urban legends about how they jam on every other shot. I ended up buying a Beretta 92 instead. Its a fine pistol, not perfect out of the box, I had it worked over a bit and it became an outstanding pistol. I finally bought a 1911 2 years ago, I instantly found that it fits my hand beter, points better, and I shoot much more accurately. I also no longer get teased at club practical pistol shoots for shooting a 'minimeter'