Originally Posted by
monadh
The model Colt you posted is from Colt's Custom Shop. The TRP is a production pistol. Not a comparison of equals.
I have had 9 Springfields and have kept 3 - 2 Mil Specs and one very limited edition Springfield Combat Operator. It came out of SACS and has tool steel innards. All 3 are great shooters, with one of them having had some work done by John Hammond. The single most accurate 1911 I have ever owned was a TRP Operator.
I have had a lot of Colts, and I would disagree that they are not good. They have been very good, and two of them (a Gunsite Commander which came from the CCS and my CCU CCO) have been great pistols, very near equal to DW in quality and better in accuracy.
People mention DW. I have had 3 DWs, one of which was a custom Silverback (the other two were a Valor and a Heritage). They are really good pistols but not great. I would echo what has been said about STI. I would take a STI over a DW every time.
You are open to something around $2K? Look at Les Baer. Find a used Alchemy Custom Weaponry 1911, and you will be hard pressed to ever see a reason to spend more.