Dan, even the large gun/sporting store nearby has a few CZ-75Bs with nickel plating for $550. I don't know where they would be had for $700 now. Maybe that's a price some people demand because they're low in stock, but once they are more available again, I can't see that lasting. The prices I'm quoting are from czcustom.com, where you could get an SP-01 (when it was in stock) for just under $600. I will admit, that could just be a temporary, "out of stock" price, but I just saw some SP-01s show up on budsgunshop.com and sell out within 3 days for $630.
The only way I'll be buying a high-dollar 1911 is if I buy it used. Given my options, I could never bring myself to pay over $800 on a 1911. Perhaps some day in a few years when I have a disposable income, I might bring myself to buy one, but I simply cannot justify the cost. I've handled a few 1911s including a Taurus in 9mm and at this point, I simply don't believe that a 1911 that costs 2x more is 2x better. I could not be more pleased with my RIA 1911 XT22 so at this point my opinion of RIA is simply good. Threads like this one don't do much to change my mind:
http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=371855
To me, a high-dollar 1911 is more of a luxury.
Of course, there are also these CZ-75 clones that I could be looking at for $450, such as the Caniks on bud's.
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...+FINISH+15%2B1