I have 1911s in 5", 4", and 3. The 4" just balances better for me than the others. I shoot it as well as all my 5" models, and it carries about as well as the 3".
None of my current 1911s or those I have owned/carried in the past, have required the services of a "Proficient" smith to make them run. Having carried 1911s as a duty weapon for a number of years, I never found the manual of arms for the platform to be challenging.
str1