I'd like to buy a new 1911 pistol in 9mm in a next spring to early summer timeframe. I intend it to be a nice higher (but not too high) end gun that I would enjoy shooting as a range gun and in Steel Challenge with an eye toward "enjoyable" rather than maximizing performance. The gun should be able to be carried though it wouldn't be often; therefore, reliability, for 1911 values of reliability, is an important consideration.
The sweet spot in terms of what I can afford in a aesthetically attractive gun seems to be a Dan Wesson Valor V-Bob Commander. It's a classic design with a standard barrel bushing.
I've noticed that there is a new wave of 9mm 1911 type guns that have been introduced in the last year that are non traditional designs. They feature bull or cone barrels of a 4 inch length without a bushing, the Wilson EDC X9 and new Ed Brown both have external extractors which also seems to be trending. They and the Dan Wesson ECP and TCP all seem to come in at about 30 ounces. Wilson even says its EDC X9 has a "4 inch Stainless Cone Barrel with Reliability Enhancing Lock-up".
So questions:
Is a 4 inch barrel more reliable than the same gun with a 5 inch barrel in 9mm?
Is a bushingless design more reliable than the guns that have a bushing or is it simply cost cutting?
Is an external extractor advantageous specifically for 9mm?
Does anyone have experience with how well Dan Wesson Valors in 9mm run?
Thanks for your input.