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My first two pistols were double-stack forties. I decided I wanted a single-stack gun for a couple reasons.
1) My hands are slightly smaller than average and the fat grips just didn't sit in my hand as well as a single-stack.
2) I felt that the slimmer grip would be more concealable.
That made me take another look at 1911s.
I wanted compact and light weight. I decided I liked the Kimber Ultra CDP II. I figured that since I'm going to have fewer shots, I might as well punch a bigger hole, so I ordered the CDP in .45 ACP.
I'd never fired a .45-anything (except a couple times with a .45 Colt through a scoped Thompson/Center Contender that seemed more like a short rifle than a pistol, and that was 30 years ago). Never fired a 1911. And I was getting a 3" barrelled, aluminum framed 1911 in .45. I was a little concerned about the recoil. First time I shot it, I was really braced for something. After popping off a couple rounds, I thought "Oh, this is no big deal." It's really fun to shoot. I was worried it was going to beat me up, but that's not the case at all. The ergonomics of the 1911 design allow me to handle the more powerful round, even in a lighter, shorter gun, at least as well as I handle the .40.