l wanna buy a 1911 but l wanna know who makes the best one.

Probably Kimber.

Expensive though.....

I'd start your search for the best looking at these semi-custom makers: Ed Brown, Les Baer, Wilson Combat
From there you can look at other pistolsmiths with a good reputation.
For something under $1,000 you should look at SIGARMS, Kimber and Springfield Armory. A large number of high end custom pistols are created using Springfield frames and slides so that should tell you something about the quality of them.

I've only had a Springfield and a colt, and l have no complaints against either. Both are outstanding pistols.

Kimbers, Smith and Wessons and the Sig Sauers are all supposed to be really good, but they will be expensive ( a grand or more). l have no experience with them, though.

This will get u endless debates. There r a million manufacturers & a million opinions on this one. If u were talking about price, people will most likely say original Colts, Les Baer & other custom makers.

l was in the same boat about 6 months ago. Wanted a 1911, but had absolutely no idea about them. Who makes a good one, which to get, etc. After calling many gunshops, l decided on a Kimber Custom I l & have been very happy with it.

Kimber makes a great pistol that is tight fitting, long lasting, reliable, & made in the USA. Very accurate & fun to shoot. They CAN be pricey, but look around on Gunbroker.com or other gun auction websites & get one used for about $700. If u can, get a Kimber TLE, it is the same as the Custom I l but it has better grips & factory night sights.

Springfield Armory makes a good one, but it is NOT made in the USA so l do not buy em.

KIMBER ECLIPSE CUSTOM II

Hmmmmm. Well, l am going to take a run at breaking this one down:

In Custom 1911 style guns - talking generally $3000+ The arguable top of the line are:
LesBaer
Infinity Firearms

These r custom order pistols - in fact both will take ur order over the phone, set up the configuration u want & build u a custom pistol from the ground up. l have an Infinity in .40 myself as a USPSA Limited gun. both of these companies r ''manufacturers'' in the sense that the major parts of the guns r made in house, not purchased through other sources.

In the range of semi - custom: $1,500 - $3,000
Wilson Combat
Nighthawk
STI

These r arguably as good a quality a firearm as the ones above. (unless u r one of the people who owns an SV l or an LesBaer, then these aren't. :)) However, generally they r guns which have standard configurations that u can order, rather than be custom built to ur specifications.

High End Stock Firearms $1,000 - $1,500 Again, arguable top of the line, with their high end models:
Kimber
Springfield
ParaOrdinance
Colt

A tier below that - mostly because they r new to the game & still unproven:
Smith & Wesson
SigSaur

Note, these guys make a fine pistol, but they r not yet as proven in the realm of 1911 is as the group above.

Finally, best of the ''budget'' 1911's. Under $1,000.
Taurus
Norinco

Both r imports, the Norinco from China & true to the original G l Mil - Specs, & the Taurus with more features, & a good value gun.

I've shot all of these & own a few. ''Best'' is a tricky term. l know my Kimber Gold Match is more reliable at the moment than my SVI, & l can shoot 1 hole groups at 50 - 75 feet on a good day with it, but the SV l trigger is unbelievable & when it is running well, l can clear a steel plate rack in under 3 seconds.

It should be noted that ParaOrdinance & Springfield both have models in the ''budget'' class, so u r best off figuring out how much money u want to spend first, then go sort out which ones u get to choose from.

Thinkingblade