I have had good luck with Colts and Springfields, but bad luck with Kimbers. I'm not a big fan of the Sig and S&W models as they have external extractors.
I bought a Rock Island 1911 yesterday and the slide is tighter than my Ed Brown. The barrel bushing is tight and the feedramp and barrel throat are highly polished. Once you replace the ugly grips, it's a nice reliable 1911. The slide is forged, but the frame is cast. I don't foresee any problems though.