The model 1911 is a revered pistol. I own one and enjoy shooting it. I know many will disagree, some vehemently, but I do not think the model 1911 is necessarily a good choice of self-defense weapon for someone who has not had much experience with pistols.
A single action only (SAO) pistol like the 1911 typically has a quite short and light trigger pull. This can predispose one to unintentional discharges in a tense situation. For self-defense purposes, many or most people want to have a round chambered. If you do you will need to either keep it "cocked and locked" (hammer cocked, safety engaged), or chamber a round and then decock it, a condition which would require you to cock the hammer before firing. If you keep it cocked and locked, you must become proficient at taking the safety off quickly even in low light conditions. The 1911 has no decocking lever so unless you fire the magazine empty you will need to either remove the magazine and rack the slide to clear the chambered round, or manually decock the hammer. If you do not have good use of one hand, manually decocking a 1911 could be tricky, or even dangerous.
Here is a short article outlining the trigger issues with the 1911 for self defense purposes:
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2010/08/robert-farago/1911-unsuitable-for-self-defense/
The other issue with 1911s is they can be fussy feeding JHP ammunition. The pistol was designed for military use and intended to shoot FMJ ammo which has a rounded projectile that feeds more easily through the rather short and steep feed ramp of the 1911. I know people who have had excellent reliability with less expensive 1911s like the Rock Island Armory models but it is somewhat hit or miss. I have a middle of the road Springfield Armory model and have had a number of failures to feed and failures to eject. While these have not been frequent, they have been often enough that I would be reluctant to trust my life to mine. I have known individuals who have had reliability issues even with rather expensive model 1911s.
Other alternatives to a SAO pistol are traditional DA (DA/SA) pistols, striker-fired pistols, or double action only (DAO) pistols. Many DA/SA pistols have either an external safety, a decocker lever, or a combined safety/decocker. In some peoples minds' an external safety adds an element of insurance against an accidental discharge, but again, they require you to be proficient at taking the pistol off safety and remember to do so. Many people will rely on the long double action trigger pull of the first shot as sufficient security against a negligent discharge and keep a round chambered with the safety off. DA/SA pistols do require the shooter to deal with the transition between the first longer and heavier DA shot, and the subsequent lighter and shorter SA shots. This seems to be easier for some people to master than others.
Most striker-fired and DAO pistols have no manual safety but again rely on the somewhat longer and heavier trigger pull to guard against a ND.
You don't need an all steel, or even an all metal gun to tame the recoil of the .45 ACP cartridge. I have 2 full-size pistols in .45 caliber I keep for home defense. One is a Stoeger Cougar 8045 F which is an all metal gun (steel slide/aluminum frame) DA/SA pistol with an external safety/decocker. The safety/decocker on the Cougar can be converted to a decocker only fairly easily. The magazine capacity is 8 rounds, same as for a model 1911 with an extended capacity, flush fit magazine. It also has a picatinny accessory rail for mounting a light, laser, or laser/light combo. I feel that the perceived recoil of the Stoeger Cougar 8045 is less than that for my SA 1911. I bought mine for around $400 and I have seen them available online at that price.
The other .45 cal pistol I have for home defense is a SIG Sauer full size P320 which is a striker-fired pistol with a polymer frame. Like most striker-fired pistols it has no external safety. It has a consistent trigger pull that is a bit heavier than my (and most) 1911s. It also has an accessory rail. Magazine capacity is 10 rounds. I recently bought my P320 for just under $500. Perceived recoil is certainly no greater than my 1911 and I believe it is probably less but I have not shot the two side by side (my 1911 is at the gunsmith who is trying to make it more reliable).
