Aloha everyone took my pistol saftey class a couple years ago and finally im ready to start a collection and start going to the range here on Maui. I really like the feeling of the 1911 but people recommend its not the best first gun, wanted to see what people think i should get i want a 45cal gun in the 800 to 1000 dollar range.
Any recommendations appreciated.

depends on your use of the pistol
can't beat the trigger of a 1911. It's not as easy to take apart as a Glock but it's not rocket science. Lots of customization and smiths that will work on one.
A Glock is stupid easy to take apart and simple. Lots of aftermarket support too.

Good that you completed the handgun course.

What is your main reason for this handgun? Target shooting? Competition? Self defense? All?  Your use or interest can help provide better feedback.

Are you set on 45 as your chosen caliber? It’s readily available, but also can be pretty pricey to feed your gun.

There are many choices for 1911s. How guns feel in your hands and how you shoot them are also important. Did you get to shoot a wide range of handguns when you took the handgun course?

Ammo costs should be a consideration.  If you shoot 150 rounds twice a month for practice, that's 3600 rounds per year.  9mm will cost you about $864.  45 is $1440.

9mm is a bit easier to practice with.

Intent is really just shooting at the range hopefully atleast once a month. Tried shooting a few different guns in the saftey course and i was really comfertable with the 1911. Just wanted to see if there could be somilar to it that maybe would be better. I shot glocks before i liked it but felt like the 1911 was more gun, not a pro or anything but just starting and hopefully i ca  meet some cool people here at the range in maui.

I have Kimber 1911 45 acp. On target every time.  But can’t go Sig, Colt, and Springfield. If you go 9mm , first gun I would buy HK VP9. That’s just me.

I started off with a 9mm Taurus (Beretta knockoff) many years ago and loved it. Ammo is cheap and the gun was easy to field strip and maintain. Sold the Taurus and over the years I've acquired several Glock 9mm pistols.

I love 45 ACP and first got a couple Sig Sauer P220 pistols. Sold them and ended up with a Glock 30G3 which I still have today. I am considering getting a 1911 platform pistol but it's really not a priority for me at the moment.

For shits and giggles I have a S&W Model 41 target pistol and a Ruger Mark III Hunter pistol. Cheap way to practice and have fun at the range.

My favorite shooting platform after all these years of shooting are revolvers. Old school style.

You have to decide what you are going to do with the gun(s) you are going to get - target practice exclusively, SD, and how much time, effort, and expense you are going to throw in should be considered. Shooting sports can be expensive and to develop the skills you really have to put the time and money into it.

Come out to the Ukumehame Firing Range on the open days and see what people are shooting. Get to know the crowd and the range safety protocol. Go see the couple local gun shops on Maui. Great bunch of people at DT Sports and Maui Ammo and Guns Shop. But do your research before jumping in. Know basically what you want before hand.

Good luck and be safe.

IMHO, if you like the "feel" of the 1911, maybe you should try out Springfield Armory's XD line of pistols.  Personally, I  have both the XDm (45acp) and 2 XD Mod 2's (9mm).  When I was shooting bullseye pistol, I just loved the way the 1911 felt and so I picked up a few XD's.  Maybe you should go check out the local gun stores to see if they have them and get a good feel of them.  Also, there are aftermarket parts and accessories for the XD's.  Again, this is just my opinion.

Intent is really just shooting at the range hopefully atleast once a month. Tried shooting a few different guns in the saftey course and i was really comfertable with the 1911. Just wanted to see if there could be somilar to it that maybe would be better. I shot glocks before i liked it but felt like the 1911 was more gun, not a pro or anything but just starting and hopefully i ca  meet some cool people here at the range in maui.

I started off with a 9mm Taurus (Beretta knockoff) many years ago and loved it. Ammo is cheap and the gun was easy to field strip and maintain. Sold the Taurus and over the years I've acquired several Glock 9mm pistols.

I love 45 ACP and first got a couple Sig Sauer P220 pistols. Sold them and ended up with a Glock 30G3 which I still have today. I am considering getting a 1911 platform pistol but it's really not a priority for me at the moment.

For shits and giggles I have a S&W Model 41 target pistol and a Ruger Mark III Hunter pistol. Cheap way to practice and have fun at the range.

My favorite shooting platform after all these years of shooting are revolvers. Old school style.

You have to decide what you are going to do with the gun(s) you are going to get - target practice exclusively, SD, and how much time, effort, and expense you are going to throw in should be considered. Shooting sports can be expensive and to develop the skills you really have to put the time and money into it.

Come out to the Ukumehame Firing Range on the open days and see what people are shooting. Get to know the crowd and the range safety protocol. Go see the couple local gun shops on Maui. Great bunch of people at DT Sports and Maui Ammo and Guns Shop. But do your research before jumping in. Know basically what you want before hand.

Good luck and be safe.

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when are open days?
I am planning to go home at the end of the month.
Have not been back for years.

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when are open days?
I am planning to go home at the end of the month.
Have not been back for years.

First Sunday, second Saturday, and third Thursday of the month. The times are from 8.30 am to 1:00 pm on open days

Check out Valley Isle Sports Shooters website for specifically dates of the month. Saturday and Sunday open days are crazy busy.

If you've shot the 1911 .45 and that's what you want then that's what you should get, no matter what anyone tells you otherwise.  I have Colts, Kimbers and Springfields but the ones I shoot most are a Kimber Target II 9mm (ammo IS cheaper), a Colt Series 70 .45, and a Colt .38 wadcutter gun (custom built, I'm the 3rd owner). 

In your price range, the Colt Competition models (9 or 45, stainless or blued) seem to be pretty nice.  The SA Range Officer models also give you the same choices in caliber and finishes at roughly the same price points.  Kimber seems to offer hundreds of models but I'm happy with mine--a stainless Target II and a Classic Custom .45.

Does anyone on Maui stock these guns?  If so, check them out and buy the one you like.  All else being relatively equal, I would buy the one with the best trigger out of the box.  If they won't let you try the trigger I'd take my business elsewhere, but that's just me.  I would not order a pistol without first familiarizing myself with the product line in person--let's say that LGS has a blued Colt Competition .45 and I've handled it and I like everything about it but I want a stainless gun.  I would be okay with ordering a stainless Colt Competition .45 sight unseen.  I would not, however, order a stainless LW Commander (if they make such a thing) because that's a much different gun from what I've seen and handled at the LGS.

my 0.02

I found a good link about gun shop etiquette that has good info:

http://concealednation.org/2013/11/gun-shop-etiquette/

I wouldn't want people to dry fire or rack the slide of my personal guns. It's just my preference.

IMHO, if you like the "feel" of the 1911, maybe you should try out Springfield Armory's XD line of pistols.  Personally, I  have both the XDm (45acp) and 2 XD Mod 2's (9mm).  When I was shooting bullseye pistol, I just loved the way the 1911 felt and so I picked up a few XD's.  Maybe you should go check out the local gun stores to see if they have them and get a good feel of them.  Also, there are aftermarket parts and accessories for the XD's.  Again, this is just my opinion.

+1

Check out the XD's. I didn't like the XdM grip or the fact that the mags need to be blocked. But the XD's are awesome. 1911 ergos with easy takedown. And in assorted calibers. Start in 9mm is my recommendation.

First thing - everyone needs at least one 1911.  I think it's a law somewhere.   

Next thing - deciding to buy a 1911 isn't going to help you much in reducing your choices.  I have a Sig Sauer Nightmare that I really love.  I've fired my friend's Les Baer that doesn't impress me any more than the Sig.  It might be the Sig's ergonomics and "upgrades" I like better.  I've tried many others, too, and the Sig suits me best.  You'll find Colt, S&W, Dan Wesson, Kimber, Browning, Ruger, Remington, STI, Ed Brown, Springfield and Rock Island are all in lists of "Top 1911s".  This firearm design is over 100 years old.  Decide if you are an absolutist seeking the original design, or if you're open to improvements and design modifications that update the original for a variety of benefits.  That means comparing each model from each maker and understanding which ones sound interesting.  Hopefully you'll be able to test-handle those before buying one, but sometimes you just have to go with the reviews and trust your instinct.  You won't lose your shirt if you resell it, and if you got a great sale price, you might break even.

Last thing - If you're serious about practicing regularly with .45, it's a good idea to decide early on if you also want to start reloading.  The sooner you start, the quicker the cost of getting started will pay for itself.  If you intend to reload, then it might factor into deciding if you're going to buy a bulk 1,000 rd case right away or not.

9MM costs in the $200-$230 per 1000 rds bulk.  .45 ACP costs in the $400-$450 range per 1000 rds bulk.  It all depends on the brand and who's selling it.  Prices fluctuate, so check the local stores for current prices.

I don't know what a .45 ACP rd reload costs per round, but I'm sure someone here can tell you.  When you can get the bullets with flat-rate shipping, it saves having to buy ammo after the shipping and HAZMAT fees. 

So, do some planning ahead on the ammo.  Reloading takes time, but being on an outer island, the cost and experience might be worth the time spent reloading.

That's my 2.5 cents.   

Get that 1911 ! 
I have several 45acp firearms bc I just like 45acp over a 9mm, just personal preference. Although 9mm is cheaper and does the job just fine
I have a Springfield range officer operator, and a Ruger SR1911 CMD. Both great shooters, but the Springfield is a little better made, IMO
I also have a xdm which is a great polymer pistol, but it's not a 1911
If you want a 1911, then that's what you should get
It's a design that's over 100 years old and is still a sought after firearm
Good luck! 

If you can and know someone with an assortment of guns, go to the range and shoot them. I'd pick the one that fits you best as well as the one that you are best with. Learn the fundamentals and shoot,shoot shoot. Before long you start to feel out the things you like and don't like. Then buy your second pistol based off of that.

Far too many times I see new shooters get the most tacticol looking pistol out there spending $1500+ and can't shoot it worth a damn. You see them at the range all the time. Shoot a mag and mess with their adjustable sights when it was all technique that made them miss. Now they are even more messed up.

"Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician." - Jeff Cooper

Buy what you can afford to shoot and train with.  9mm ammunition of today is leaps and bounds ahead of the 9mm of the 80's and 90's.  There's a reason why the FBI reversed course and went back to 9mm.  If you like 45 go ahead and get it, but it's going to cost you a lot more to train with and if you're not out there practicing and training you're wrong.

I would absolutely suggest you buy the gun you want, if a 1911 is what you NEED to own go ahead and get it and you'll end up picking up more stuff later.  BTW, 1911's come in 9mm ;-) and one of these days I'll get a Nighthawk Custom.  Don't let your dreams be dreams baby.... don't let your dreams be dreams.

Intent is really just shooting at the range hopefully atleast once a month. Tried shooting a few different guns in the saftey course and i was really comfertable with the 1911. Just wanted to see if there could be somilar to it that maybe would be better. I shot glocks before i liked it but felt like the 1911 was more gun, not a pro or anything but just starting and hopefully i ca  meet some cool people here at the range in maui.

Think you've got a good approach.  It's always more fun to shoot with friends.  Get a little friendly competition going and that in itself can help drive one to improve.  It did with me when I first started shooting.

If range time and building familiarity with handguns is your main goal, I say go for what gun suits your eye.  Get a bunch of ammo in bulk and shoot often.  Your "gun tastes" will likely evolve and you may end up going with something different.  However, having ammo and shooting often is really important.  At least IMO.  And above all, enjoy it!  Good luck!

If you can and know someone with an assortment of guns, go to the range and shoot them. I'd pick the one that fits you best as well as the one that you are best with. Learn the fundamentals and shoot,shoot shoot. Before long you start to feel out the things you like and don't like. Then buy your second pistol based off of that.

Far too many times I see new shooters get the most tacticol looking pistol out there spending $1500+ and can't shoot it worth a damn. You see them at the range all the time. Shoot a mag and mess with their adjustable sights when it was all technique that made them miss. Now they are even more messed up.

Yup.  I see that quite often.  I have a buddy whose two friends LOVE tricking out their handguns, even before firing a shot.  I remember one range day when Friend #1 had his new Glock 43.  Taran Tactical mag extensions, some sort of extended slide thingy, red flat faced trigger, night sights, etc.  I think he also changed out a bunch of springs too.  Anyways, gun kept malfunctioning.  Either slide wouldn't lock back after last round or slide would lock back randomly.  It seemed like with his grip, he was hitting the slide catch.  Not positive because I shot it fine.  Nice gun actually.  But yeah, could see the frustration in his eyes.  He was ready to throw that thing down range. 

Thanks everyone for the great and helpful info! hopefully i will make my decision and go get a pistol in the next couple of days.