I'm curious as to what you mean by "run of the mill" .45's? If you talking milsurp guns with those tiny sights, that's one thing.
Year ago, far more than I care to count, my first .45 auto was a milsurp made by Ithaca. I kind of wish i still had it, but it's way long gone. I shot it quite a bit and considered myself lucky if half the shots in the magazine stayed on the paper at 25 yards. Part of the problem was the gun was loose it rattled when you shook it, two it had those teeny tiny sights and third, I wasn't all that good a shot back then.
oday, all but one of my 1911 .45 ACP's have had custom work done. Work was done by the late F. Bob Chow of San Francisco BTW. Back in the 1950s, Bob was serious competition to Pachmeyr when it came to accurizing the 1911. I'm proud to say he was a personal friend to me when I was a young man. Actually, two of my .45's are strictly stock. One is a Colt Gold Cup Combat Commander that was part of a limited run of I think 500 in blue finish and 500 in stainless steel. Mine is blue. I fell into that one.
Don't know the value of that gun, but I saw one in stainless at a gun show and the price was two grand FIRM! would have been nice to have the pair as a set.
The other is a Colt Combat Commander made in the 1970's. it's strictly stock for all practical purposes except I've polished the throat and ramp and replaced that man eating grip safety with a wider beavertail type. Actually, the original short tang of the grip safety is the part that did the biting. It has the teeny tiny sights of the original 1911's. taking my time, I can usually get decent groups with it at 25 yards. I figure it wasn't meant to be used that far out, but yes, I could hit a man at 50 yards should I have the need. Personally, I hope I never have to have the need.
Paul B.