1911s are one of those things where they all shoot differently, but the differences are very subtle. It depends on whether or not you can tell the differences of craftsmanship, smoothness, and the shear joy of owning one of these guns.
In my opinion, starting out with a base gun will make you appreciate the semi-custom 1911s much more than just jumping straight for the semi-customs. I started out on a plain jane Colt. Bone stock GI sights, short thumb safety, no beavertail, and rattled like most Colt do. But at 7 yards it was still a one hole shooter. Then I picked up a Kimber Series I Classic Royal, and making those one hole shots were easier. At farther distances the Kimber started to show its accuracy advantages more, and the fit and finish was better than the Colt's. The gun was tighter, the safety clicked on and off more positive, and felt very smooth when fired. I still liked my Colt though, but it got less and less range time.
Then I bought a Les Baer. Tighter than a virgin's whoo-haa. That thing felt like one solid piece of steel. No movement between the slide and frame, barrel lockup was amazingly tight. The gun needed to be broken in, but you could feel the time that went into the gun. The parts were also better, all the parts seemed to streamline with the next. The way it shot? Oh my. I remember first time shooting it. I spent a few minutes shooting it and the rest of the time admiring it. Just shot so dang well. I didn't even have to try to shoot it well. The crisp trigger, undercut trigger guard, beavertail all helped my shooting a little. I felt like I didn't have to concentrate as much to shoot as well as the Kimber did. Then I started using it more and more, and it became my USPSA gun. After all those rounds, that thing is still tighter than the Kimber when I first bought it. But it's now buttery smooth.
So really, it depends. Would the quality parts and the hand fitting matter to you? Does a Baer, Brown, Nighthawk, Rock River, or Wilson feel different to you than the Kimbers, Colts, Para Ordnance, and Springfields?
In my opinion, I noticed the difference right away. It's money well spent. But it is a lot of cash to drop down. The regular production guns these days are GREAT shooters also. They can handle some beating and use. Shootability is a little different, but it really depends on whether or not the shooter can tell the difference.
I've also shot a Springfield Armory PRO. Very tight out of the box, but shot like a production gun. I couldn't tell a difference in shootability etc. But boy was that thing damn accurate. The fit and finish on that gun was
flawless also.
The Browns are the stylish semi-custom guns. In my opinion the smoothest of the bunch. No sharp corners anywhere and it just shocks the person of beauty.
Well. I'd suggest looking at some, or definitely trying some out. See if they feel overpriced to you, or "perfect."
Everyone's different. But remember, not all 1911s shoot the same
Good luck!