I read this post when there were only one or two replies. When I came back and saw you were on the second page, I gave it some more thought.
First I tried to remember how many 1911s I've had, then how many between my wife and I. I can't remember all of them, it started in 1974, but it's been two dozen if not more. Colts, Kimber's, a couple Remington-Rands, a Caspian, and two Wilsons. Some were stock, some were customized. Some were new, some were used.
In all of that collection I can remember one gun, a Series 70 Combat Government Model that functioned OK but just would not shoot. I mean that thing wouldn't keep five shots on the 6X6 inch head of a IPSC silhouette at 25 yards. I finally had a "good" gunsmith look at it and learned the locking lugs in the slide hadn't been cut properly. The barrel would lock up differently every time. A very tired, abused, neglected WWII relic we had that rattled like a bucket of bolts shot better than the Combat Government.
Starting last January my wife and I have purchased 4 Kimbers. One, a Compact Stainless Aluminum has the same untentioned extractor the starter of this thread talked about. I'm still waiting for the gun to malfunction.
In all those years, and with all those 1911s, I can't believe my wife and I are just lucky. We have had nothing but success with the model and its caliber. The few "problems" we have had were usually traced to ammo, magazines, weak springs, or just a dirty gun from firing hundreds of rounds of cast bullet reloads. All problems which were easily addressed by me, i.e. better ammo, better magazines, new springs and good maintenance.
The internet gun boards are full of tales of "breaking in" your 1911, or putting a good gunsmith on retainer to get it running and keep it running. That has just not been my experience or the experience of most of the people I know.
Maybe this is proof of the alternate universe theories. There's the universe I live in where 1911s work, the alternate universe you guys live in where they don't. I can't explain it any better than that.