There has been a lot of input here already but I will say that the whole "1911s are unreliable" has been blown way out of proportion over the years. I carried and shot a 1911 for 20 years before moving to HK. Although the 1911 was a little more maintenance intensive, reliability was not a reason for making the move.
Dan Wesson is still making one of the best 1911s for the money right now. A step down from there would be a Springfield or a Magnum Research 1911. Some will say Colt but I've seen too many issues with their standard models to recommend one.