SB:
That is your opinion, and you are certainly entitled to it. I have been to a few schools too, and have an informed opinion as well.
Are you basing your entire opinion on the one week at TR?
How many companies manufacture Glock, Beretta, and H&K? One each. All machining done to single set of specs, controlled by a single company. Anyone building these guns or assembling them from parts/components outside the factory? Few, if any.
How many companies make 1911s? At least two dozen. All with minor differences in tolerances. Anyone building these guns or assembling them from parts/components outside the factory? More than I can count. Are they all competent? No.
How many companies make hammers, sears, triggers, barrels, slides, frames for the Glock, Beretta, and H&K? Maybe a couple. Mags? Maybe four.
How many companies make hammers, sears, triggers, barrels, slides, frames for the 1911? US or foreign? Maybe a couple of hundred? Mags? Who knows?
How many years have the Glock, Beretta, and H&K models you saw been in production? 25 or less.
How many years and vintages of 1911 parts are out there? At least 90 years worth.
lots of tolerances and variables here....
Many people of varying competency pay gunsmiths of equally varying competency to assemble Frankenguns based loosely upon the 1911 design, buy the cheapest mags and ammo available, and then head out to get some training, convinced that they are pistoleros because of their gear.
Much less likely with a Glock, Beretta, or H&K since most are factory guns, with perhaps light mods, designed for JHP ammo, with factory mags.
To expand on your point, at TR, Clint Smith can carry any pistol he wants. What does he carry? A well made, well assembled, well tested 1911 with reliable ammo. His pistol clone is available for far less than $3000.
The FBI HRT gun was custom built on a Para Ordnance frame by Les Baer, as I recall, and it was expensive. Because it was for a low number run government contract and collectors would pay the price to have THE HRT pistol.
The latest FBI 1911 is built by Springfield, and the same comments apply. Want THE FBI pistol, as a civilian? Pay through the nose for it.
Reliability? In the original 1911 test, the Browning designed Colt fired 6000 rounds in a variety of conditions with ZERO failures or malfunctions. Several stories on this very board about KBs with Glocks. Not stoppages, catastrophic failures. Beretta M-9s in military service breaking slides and shearing locking lugs in far less than the 2500 rounds you mentioned. Crates of bad barrels and slides. A number of H&K owners going to other makes as well. All factory built weapons. Good and bad with all guns, like people.
Bottom line: A quality 1911, built by a competent smith (for way less than $3000) of solid parts, well maintained and firing quality ammo from good mags should be as reliable as your Glock and will posess a much better trigger. I bet my life on my weapon, and if I could pick just one to keep, it would be a 1911. Do I feel undergunned? I don't think so.
Just my .02, YMMV! (Edited to save myself before the spelling and grammar Nazis get meeeeeee....)