I don’t think the 1911 is the best pistol design ever. For a combat pistol I would usually prefer larger capacity magazines.
When one is limited to ball it does make .45 more attractive though.
ParaOrdinance P14
Entreprise made one that held the 14 round Para magazine.
Pistols are a close-in weapon - almost a semiauto version of the knife. The M1911A1 is a superb combat weapon because it always works. Always. When it connected, the other guy went down, immediately.
The M9 and the whole corrupt selection process was an abortion from Day 1 and we have imbeciles in the Joint Service Small Arms Program to thank for that. I was unlucky enough to be assigned as a liaison to JSSAP during part of that travesty and had to listen to lectures by “experts”. - who never served in uniform, much less combat - tell us that the 9mm was the best caliber in the world. Being young and not career- oriented, I asked the army colonel running things if “that’s the same 9mm the Germans lost two wars in a row with”. I was told to sit down and shut while the whole room broke up in laughter.
Yes, this is a military problem with 9mm not a civilian one. There are plenty of 9mm rounds that will perform and one still be able to carry more rounds. Unless civilian carry will be ruled by NATO agreements, 9mm has the best of both worlds.