My feelings for the 1911 are...complicated! On the one hand I really love the design; timeless and classic. It feels great in the hand. The real appeal is the trigger, it has no peer among service-type automatics. Two of my HK USPs have Match Triggers and they're very nice. But a few weeks ago I was shooting with a buddy of mine and I ran a few mags through his compact Sig 1911. Made my HKs and their Match Triggers feel like a Glock by comparison!
That said, I still my HKs a little better than I can shoot his 1911. The fact is that as great as the 1911 is, designs have gotten better. We took the virtues of JMBs designs and built upon the strengths while minimizing the weaknesses. My P30S is, in my mind, a masterpiece of engineering. The ergonomics are tremendous, and it may be the only sidearm I've ever used that can match (maybe even surpass) my Browning Hi-Power in that regard. It runs flatter and faster than any other 9mm I've shot.
I've owned several 1911s including some Colts and Kimbers. I would probably take my HK USP45 Tactical over any of them. While I do miss my Commander in .38 Super I think the USP is a better gun (at least for me).
At the end of the day, I don't know if I'll ever carry a 1911 again as a CCW gun or ever rely on one for home defense. There are other guns that are as reliable or more so, that weigh less and hold more rounds. My old FNP45 Tactical held 15+1 and was as accurate as any service grade 1911 I've seen while holding twice as many rounds. Plus, the norm today is for service type sidearms to be equipped with rails, and I live to be able to mount a flashlight.
I guess this brings me back around to the complicated part. I love shooting 1911s! Every once and again I contemplate picking up an STI Trojan or Spartan and setting it up for CCW. Looking at it rationally I probably don't want a 40 oz gun with 8 rounds (maybe 9) but there's something undeniably appealing about a 1911.