Seems there's a unicorn in the horse race... Not bashing, just trying to inform:
Ed Brown, I've seen a few posts by individuals with slide stop notches peened out after fewer than 1,000 rounds. Otherwise EB makes some beautiful looking 1911s any their owners aren't afraid to tout them.
Kimber, aka MIMber are a high production 1911 that do indeed use quite a few MIM parts. While some companies like S&W will claim the parts are better and raw materials are costlier the true brilliance of MIM is its consistent size and quality (or lack thereof in some cases, again not pointing fingers). That means fewer hands needed to fit parts, fewer rejected parts, less wear on tooling and a net savings to companies. Specific to Kimber 1911s are undersized chambers leading to failures to feed. Not a forgone conclusion that every Kimber will have problems, merely that the potential is heightened by the specs. Last thing of note is with sights. I have read with amusement a half dozen or more threads involving a Kimber owner bending steel punches, mushrooming brass drifts and breaking sight pushers in attempts to remove them while fellow Kimber owners echo the same. If you want different sights have a reputable smith install them.
Colt, can't stake a plunger tube to save their lives! Some are fine on arrival, none that I've bought were. Colt is a brand often compared to other offerings in terms of "fit and finish". Simply put, they have a different philosophy. Colt works to the print and its well stated tolerances as designed by JMB. A 1991 Colt won't come with an interference fit between the barrel and bushing because it was never designed that way. Function takes precedence over form which in today's market doesn't always please the end user with "nicer" options. A Gold Cup was an worthwhile investment for target shooters 30 years ago but that's one model whose reputation has in my mind outlived its status.
If it were my money and a full custom wasn't an option I would consider a very different trio. I mentioned the unicorn, meaning the Brown because of the obvious price gap. To throw another into the mix:
Wilson Supergrade. As refined as the Brown and IMO the better made of the two. Best CS in the firearms industry.
Les Baer. A no-nonsense 1911 built for the long haul with focus on function and accuracy. Not as refined overall as the Wilson (unless you cough up for a Signature which costs more than my car) but the 1911 that says "I'm here for business".
Dan Wesson Valor. A MIM-free small production 1911 whose build quality is everything you might not expect for just a few hundred more than a Colt or Kimber.
My actual dollars would spend $1,000 on a Colt and put another $1,500 in to making it a thoroughbred. I'd pick the barrel, the sights, the safeties and slide stop. Have it dehorned, throated, weld up the rails, set the pull weight to 3 lbs., choose a frontstrap treatment and refinish it.
