I have owned pretty much all of the above mentioned guns, and would say it is hard to go wrong with any of those choices. I prefer the 1911, but depending on what you want there are some good points to the various other models.
I use a G21 for home defense simply because it is utterly reliable, and gives me a few extra rounds in the magazine since I may not have more than what is in the gun during a rushed "bump in the night" scenario. It is too big for me to carry though, as was the XD45 and USP. I only carry concealed so have to use a gun I can hide. I know some do carry the larger pistols that way, but I am so thin that I tend to print easily. I would say amongst double-stacked 45s the Taurus 24/7 was impressive for its compactness. I did carry it concealed a bit and found it was quite doable.
I love the Smith 3rd gen. 45s. Supremely reliable, built like tanks, and quite accurate. I still am continually fighting the urge to buy one of the mid-sized guns. Now that they are no longer made, I am sure they will only appreciate in value much as their 10mms have. When I was much younger and a reserve office I carried a 4506 for a bit. I let it go when bitten by the 1911 bug, but must say that that big Smith was as sure a shooting pistol as I have ever owned. It just would not fail to fire, and was quite accurate even in my then young, inexperienced hands.
I have had both Tanfoglio and CZ 45s. The Tanfoglios are a bit smaller and so fit my hand better. I have long felt that the Tanfoglio 45s are their most trouble free models in their line of steel pistols. The CZ97 I briefly owned was an absolute tack driver. It was too big for me, but the mass and bulk made it feel more like a 9mm than a 45. I would probably take a Match over it just because the grip fits my hand a bit better, but either is a good choice for an accurate and easy to shoot 45.
To me the 1911 remains my preferred carry gun, but I am by no means a snob when it comes to good 45s. I love the round, and fortunately it has been chambered in many good guns over the last few decades. Oops--I just made myself feel old again...
John
