As a relative newbie to 1911's, what are some of the trouble areas or weakness of the 1911's that I should be paying attention to?
I think it would be worthwhile to seek the writings/comments/videos from the gentlemen below regarding 1911 pistols. There is a lot of good info from these guys. Although there can be personal bias, each of their backgrounds and qualifications are available online. Some do not recommend the 1911 for beginners, but some are fans so I think its a decent mix. At least a few are intimately familiar with 1911 failures in training or actual combat.
Now, their environmental conditions/uses might be more extreme than what your pistol will experience so take it for what its worth. I think the common theme will be that they generally recommend a Glock or M&P over a 1911 or even XD.
Ken Hackathorn Larry Vickers Super Dave Harrington Dave Spaulding Pat Rogers Kyle Lamb Rob Pinkus Kyle DeFoor Paul Howe Jason Falla Chris Costa Steve Reichert Travis Haley