I am kind of a 1911 junkie. It is my favorite pistol platform by far. There are many good quality and reliable brands available it just comes down to your budget and what "look" you are after. Mil-spec or stock is always very popular for the traditional crowd and there are mild improvements available on most of the models such as sights, hammer, grip safety, grips and mag well opening. After that you start getting into performance and aesthetic upgrades like match barrels, higher perf sights, perf finishes and material construction. Then at the higher levels you get into semi-custom and custom build guns built by specialized gunsmiths with significant cost.
Most people go by budget and appearance as most guns these days are good, reliable, functioning arms.
Brands that I have had experience with are (in no particular order), Springfield, STI, Dan Wesson, Kimber, Norinco, SVI, Nighthawk, Brazos, Les Baer, RIA and many more.
If you know specifically what type or price point you are looking for I could give more specialized details on options in that category.
Happy Shooting!
I have I believe 5 1911-type pistols, in 9mm, 38 Super, and several in 45 ACP. I finally got one that is a 1911 not a 1911 A-, I love my single-action pistols. I don
't know why people love Glocks, I've never owned one or even fired one. I've had many dozens of handguns over the years, from single shots to semi-autos as well as revolvers. I like them all, as I get older I tend to prefer handguns over rifles because they weigh less and are easier to transport.