from limited personal experience and much research I have come to the following conclusions:
1. The 1911, Hi Power, CZ75 -all in mil spec- and the Glock are the most reliable side arms going. Yes more than most revolvers, hard to come at I know.

2. For competitions the 1911 is extremely hard to beat. Now the following applies to comp and duty guns. The 1911 is about the fastest cycling pistol. The top comp blokes, this includes people like Sammy Davis jr and Jerry Lewis, can run the trigger on even a 1911 faster than the slide/gun operates, hence for speed shooting they use revolvers.

I was running a range on an RAAF base when an Addgie (ADG Airfield Defence Guard) asked if he could just run some mags through the Glock he had, a 19. Gun held with both hands at belly height, he had 15 cases in the air, 6" group from 20 mts. Said they had been having trouble with it and just testing to it was OK. I asked what trouble. Failing to cycle. Said it was the 1st 19 into Aust for testing ( To see if it was pilot proof he said), had over 3 million through it and they had only had to change the springs and this is what they had just done. I don't care if it was only half a mil through it, that is a lot of rounds for any gun.