I agree with Vaughn. The Sig is a well-built, quality firearm and would serve the basic needs of most shooters well... but oh the feeling of a good 1911!
I'd also agree that Wilson is hard to beat if you REALLY want to spend that much on a gun. Personally though, I'd spend much less for a production gun and use the extra cash to personalize it (i.e. quality gun leather, distinctive grips, extra mags, and a ton of ammo).
While my own preference leans toward Springfield and Colt, if Kimber is what floats your boat by all means get one (or at least put some serious thought into it).
As far as barrel length goes, the longer barrelled guns are easier to shoot well than the 3" or 3.5" and if you can find a bull barrelled model (like the 4" SA Champion) that extra weight up front helps control muzzle flip even more.
From my own experience, the .45 tends to have more torque than straight back recoil. That, with the muzzle flip, have caused me to stick with 4" to 5" barrels. Any shorter and I personally have trouble getting back on target quickly.
Much of this you probably already know, but I hope this helps a bit.
Good luck with your purchase!
Mac
[This message has been edited by Maclean3 (edited 11-23-2001).]