Next pistol on the list...

[PinnedAndRecessed]

Other than intentionally pulling the trigger to fire, the ONLY reason to take a 1911 out of Condition One is to unload it

Exactly. Jefry, if you buy a 1911, ignore any advice to a) lower the hammer on a loaded round and b) to carry the gun in that condition. This is an unwise and dangerous condition for the 1911.

Getting the hammer down is a little dangerous,

That's an understatement and in light of the violation of known safety practices re the 1911, should be deleted.

Jeff Cooper was the 1911 guru until his recent passing. From here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Cooper_(colonel)

Cooper promulgated the following terms:

Condition One: A round chambered, hammer cocked, safety on
Condition Two: A round chambered, hammer down
Condition Three: Chamber empty
Condition Four: Chamber empty, no magazine

Some of these configurations are safer than others (for instance, a single action pistol without a firing pin safety ought never be carried in Condition 2

jefry, if you're looking for a 1911 clone under $500, here's some possibilities:

http://gunsamerica.com/search.cgi?l...000&age=0&uid=&words=&category=1354&state=All