Got a chance to take the two new guns to the firing range Sunday afternoon...The Colt/Walther/Umarex 1911 22LR and the Sig C3 w/Crimson Trace. The Colt is a lot of fun to shoot, and I ran 250 rounds of some old Winchester X ammo I've had sitting around for probably 15 years, and 50 rounds of CCI Stingers. Two failures on the Winchester...one failure to fire, and one didn't feed, but I attribute that to the old ammo. The Stingers performed flawlessly. If you're looking for a nice 1911 style gun that's affordable to shoot, I'd recommend taking a look at the Colt...either the Rail Gun (what I have) or the Gold Dot version with adjustable target style sights. The Rail gun has windage adjustment, but not elevation...it seemed to shoot a couple of inches low, but I think it's my technique, or lack thereof, that's causing that. Anticipating the recoil...
The Sig C3...shot 100 rounds of Winchester white box (Walmart specials), and 100 rounds of Federal...both 230 grain FMJ rounds. Not a single glitch, even mixing the rounds up in the magazines. Also shot a box of 20 Hornady Critical Defense through it with no issues at all, and that was after the 200 rounds of ball ammo, when the gun was getting "dirty". This is the first 45 ACP I've owned/shot, so it took some getting used to as it's a powerful weapon. But, even with my poor eyesight, I was able to keep 90% of the shots in groups of 2-4". I also got the Crimson Trace Laser Grips dialed in...didn't know if I was going to like them or not, but they are really nice. Put the red dot where you want the bullet to go, and it's there if you use good technique. I can see where the laser dot could come in real handy in awkward shooting positions, like laying on your back, or any postion where you can't extend your arm fully and get the gun in front of your face. That 45 puts a big ol hole where it hits...I can't imagine anyone remaining on their feet with a couple of well placed shots from this gun.
So, if you want a gun that operates exactly like a 1911 45ACP, get the Colt. Fun to shoot, and affordable in every respect. If you want a 1911 45ACP that's relatively lightweight, but large enough to control without being a full size 1911, The Sig C3 (or variations thereof) is a nice choice. The two tone is nice to look at, handles well, and the version I got with the Laser grips, magwell, and 2 7 shot mags is a great deal for the money. You can get it for <$850. Worth every penny and then some.