Which gun would you chose ? A 1911 or a Striker fired design ?

[bullbarrel]

My Sigma 9mm was not reliable at first. It took about 5 boxes before it became so (never a problem now). The trigger IS squishy and hard but you get used to it to the point where it is not a detriment to accuracy. For a carry gun it beats the 1911 for weight and getting on battery.

 

[SigP229R]

Anything hammer fired over striker. Just don't like striker fired!

 

[george burns]

I find that striker fired guns are less likely to break due to the amount of parts and general simplicity of design. Of course a reliable 1911 is a reliable 1911. But since you asked I would prefer the striker if my life depended on it, as long as it were one of the top brands. Like Glock, M&P, Walther, etc, Now we have the new SIG, and HK.
Also for pocket carry there is less of a chance of something getting caught in the hammer or the hammer getting snagged on your clothing.

 

[B!ngo]

Thanks krupparms for refining the question for the audience. I thought the OP was pretty explicit that there were two choices. Implicitly, based on the two, there is a significant price constraint and likely a 'want' (the 1911) versus a 'need' (and EDS/HD/SD gun) that low-cost 1911's are not the best to fulfill (my opinion of course but hardly a unique view).
FWIW, I just bought a VE in 9x19. I have a number of mid- and high-priced hammer- and striker-fired guns but I wanted a low-priced gun that was dependable if not refined. The VE meets that criteria by a mile. I would trust my life to it since it based on an even less refined design that has a history of firing when the (terrible) trigger is pulled and rarely needs to be serviced as well. And the VE has come a long way since the Sigma and S&W has been able to trickle down a lot of design and manufacturing knowledge from the M&P line that did not exist when the Sigma was built. Further, you can incrementally improve the VE at modest cost (Apex spring kit, then Apex trigger replacement, M&P take-off sights (cheap) or Trijicon radioactive sights (not cheap), a light or laser if it suits your fancy. And you have a U.S. made Glock with a better trigger (the Apex) without the upfront cost but having the safety of owning a reliable pistol from the onset.
I don't think I could imagine the same route for the low-cost 1911. I just don't think, out of the box, that I would trust my life to it. I don't know how comfortable the OP is with the cocked and locked thing. And I don't think that such a low cost frame/parts design is ripe for turning in to a super dependable 1911.
So, there you go.
B
P.S. I also agree that the OP should go with the 9x19 VE.
P.P.S. I purchased my 9x19 VE for $350.00 out the door (tax, DROS, whatever else). Make that the baseline and there are very few real guns from tier 1 manufacturers that can compete with that price. It's quite remarkable. Again, not an elegant piece out of the box, but a very capable one.

Let me refine my question. If you were on a budget, which of these guns, would you choose for yourself?

 

[ExTank]

Well, I can be stupid about 1911's so it'd definitely get a look.

But for EDC, my love doesn't extend to the extra weight.