People who write about guns use way too many superlatives ( wait...that was a superlative) but most would agree that John Browning was likely the best firearms designer of all time. The other notable auto-loading pistols that first appeared (the Luger, Borchardt and Mauser C96 ) were based on the Maxim toggle-action machine gun.. Browning's design was totally his own. Compared to those others, it was not too heavy and quite reliable- not prone to jamming or misfeeding. It also had comparatively few parts and was comparatively quick and easy to field strip wiithout tools, for cleaning.

There is a very common trade-off between reliability and accuracy in firearms, with military ones biased more towards reliability, civilian ones ( especially target pistols) biased towards accuracy, and the military M1911A1 was supposed to be reliable above all. So, the civilian market for it has made retrofits possible. Among other things, the tolerances between slide, barrel, barrel bushing and toggle link were sloppy so the gun would work when dirty. So, gunsmiths and their suppliers began making replacement parts for those that have tighter tolerances. The 1911A1 sights also were simple, fixed, low, hard to break. So, gunsmiths and their suppliers began making sights that were taller, adjustable, and clearer.

There were some close copies of the 1911A1, like the Spanish Llama. But many (perhaps most) high-powered auto-loading pistols today share much of the basic Browning 1911 design, and have made some improvements on it. The US military wanted a .45 caliber pistol, but dropping the size of the cartridge to 9mm Parabellum helped make it possible for a pistol to have more than 7 rounds in the magazine. The 1911A1 was single-action, needing the hammer to be cocked to fire it. Browning put three different safeties on the gun so it was possible to safely carry it loaded with the hammer cocked. But newer auto-loading pistols have a double action, so the trigger will cock the hammer. The simple toggle that cammed the barrel into the locking lugs of the slide has typically been changed to something a little sturdier. And , in general the weight and size have been reduced: the 1911A1 was not intended to be concealable. But take apart a Browning Hi-Power, Berretta or Glock, and you will still find a lot of the 1911A1 inside it.

However, you ask the general question about how perceptions of the firearm have changed since it was invented. With the advent of the film industry, television, cable and computer games the M1911A1 ( like all guns, especially pistols ) has gotten to be perceived as non-deafening, and ridiculously accurate at even very long range. Though there are indeed some amazing target shooters, the accuracy of pistols in films TV, and first-person shooter games has never matched reality, and the accuracy of casually aimed, even un-aimed pistols, has long become complete fantasy ( my favorite being Jimmy Stewart's offhand shooting in the 1939 Destry Rides Again) . And though the M1911A1 was long standard issue , it was tactically unimportant. If an officer in WWII was reduced to using his pistol in an engagement with the enemy, likely something had gone very, very wrong.