1911 is a design, not a specific manufacturers model like a Smith & Wesson M&P or a Glock 17. S&W makes S&W pistols and revolvers; Glock makes Glock 17 pistols.
There are however dozens of companies that make 1911 pistols and have been making them for over 100 years. The 1911 design has morphed over the years. A Colt made today is different than a Colt made in 1925. A Colt 1911 made today isn't the same gun as a Kimber 1911 made today. Most of the smaller parts and springs are made by outside vendors who sell them to manufacturers and that quality can vary as well as the specs. 1911 magazines are also made by multiple manufacturers and one that works 100% in my pistol may not work in yours.
When you buy a 1911 today the parts will come from multiple manufacturers and often from multiple countries. When everything fits it works. When they don't it often needs some tweaking. To borrow a line from Forrest Gump, buying a 1911 is like opening a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. This is why you get so many different opinions on 1911. Everybody didn't get the same gun. When you buy a Glock, or a Sig, or a S&W, everybody gets the same gun.
People do it all the time. The 1911, Harley Davidson motorcycles, and Jeep Wranglers are iconic American products. All 3 have been highly problematic over the years, yet they continue to sell to people who want the illusion of owning an American icon. Almost nobody actually uses a 1911 for what it was designed for. People just want to say they have one. Most manufacturers have figured that out and build guns that are just good enough to meet the low standards of most of their customers. There are the high end 1911's that are built for actual use, but they ain't cheap.