Howdy from Georgia! I'm late to the party too, since I was out of town when the thread started.
The problem with getting a cheap 1911 to start is that it might give you a bad taste for 1911s. A good 1911 is a joy to own and shoot. A bad 1911 will have you pulling your hair out.
As to someone else's suggestion to start with a Colt, well, all I can say is my Colt is the only one that had me pulling my hair out. I was fortunate that my first 1911 was a used DW that I bought at a pawn shop for $500, and not the Colt, otherwise I'd be one of the a 1911 haters.
If you just want to get familiar with the platform and like to tinker, I'd go with a Rock Island. Rough around the edges, but they are "real" 1911s. (solid steel, standard parts, no firing pin block safeties, etc.)
