I don't know that the 1911s carried in WWII were all that great, on the whole. My dad carried and cussed them throughout the japanese island campaign. He was not a fan, and claimed that they were not reliable. He was not an avid handgunner by any means, though.
I like the 1911, and consider it my favorite centerfire pistol to shoot, bar none. I've bought new colts and old RIAs. Problems have been few and mostly related to hillbilly gunsmithing and/or bad magazines.
The 1911 is not my favorite gun to carry.
