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My first 1911 was my 2nd pistol to own. I shot a couple of IDPA matches with my first pistol, a S&W Sigma9...that thing could shoot great but the trigger pull was HORRIBLE. So a member of the club I was shooting with showed me his STI Trojan 5" 1911 in .45ACP that he was selling to fund another project. Best money I ever spent. That pistol is 100% rock solid and never lets me down...well, the sear did go on it once and it went into full auto, but I replaced the hammer/sear/disconnect with a matched set from C&S and it's been a dream. That was 5 years and several thousand rounds ago, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. The fact that it's made in Georgetown, TX makes it even better.

1911s should be approached with caution- once you own one, it won't be long before you own several. Heck, I am so in to them now that I have even built one from the ground up and have just about every tool a guy could need to build/repair more. So, in short, STI Trojan is my first choice- if it's for the range, get the full length guide rod.

Springfield's RO is another great option- out of the box they're setup well for the range and don't need much, if anything, done to them to enhance reliability.

Kimbers are also great for personal carry or for making people go "Oooooh, nice!" when they see it, but for the range, I'd rather have an STI or build one myself. If you get a Kimber, get the series 70 so you don't have to deal with extra trigger safety issues.