nate,
You asked about 4 or 5 inch barrels in the 1911 pistols.
I have several but I really like the three inch barrels the best.
And of the 1911's I have, I like my 3, 3 inch Kimbers the best.
I do a little 50 yard plinking for the fun of it.
So to answer your question about accuracy, I just took my 3 inch Tactical Ultra ll into the back yard to see what it will do.
The TU is my carry gun.
I fired a couple magazines to see where my reloads were hitting.
These aren't my best loads but they are usually OK for 25 yards.
I heard one that sounded like it may have been a little light on powder.
As it turns out the fixed sights are right on at 50 yards.
I sat on a bench with my feet in a chair and rested the pistol on my knees.
It's not real steady but it beats standing, offhand.
The paper is 8x11 inches.
The target is a scaled down from the Texas CHL 15 yard qualification target.
The 3 inch Kimber does OK.
The 4 or 5 inch should do better, right.
BTW, this is my backyard range.