Look to Uberti and Pietta
Colts are nice, the USFAs were nice, I'm sure the Standards will be nice. But in any of those propositions, you were never getting $1250 in additional artisanal quality over a Uberti or Pietta. You're probably getting $400 in additional artisanal finish quality, and $100 dollars in additional functional quality (that comes from additional quality control and inspections, tuning).
I got my last new Uberti in 2017, and I evaluated it granularly for quality against a USFA I have whose configuration is quite similar. The actions were identical in feel. The Uberti's cam leg tine was a little long, making it palpably hard going over the 3rd click. The Uberti's grips were adequately fitted rather than exquisitely and laboriously fitted. Uberti has a chemical style cch, USFAs is artisanal basically (Turnbull).
That's it, the Uberti wasn't deficient in any meaningful way, just built a little less 'artisinally'. Their basic quality isn't terribly less, if at all.
I going to echo ...Sack Peterson. I agree...
USFA's are nice, very nice...arguably not the crazy stratospheric money nice...
Donnelly is/was a perfectionist NUT & lost his corporate BUTT.
Way to many, brain farts and preempted projected Ideas.
The Zip was his total melt down !
COLT
was the bar to reach, sadly they reach the bar & their eminence, and sat on it and it slipped ( UAW was part of that blame )
, If Donnelly has a legacy aside from his very NICE SAA's
it would Be , jump starting COLT to address their own products QC. Before USFA was fitted for the Dirt Blanket.
I doubt Standard will ever make SAA's ....reason there is only a small market for High $$$$.00 SAA's
The investment could be "Cost prohibitive"
Sure...there is a Collector Market.... but they want the real deal COLT's ( 1st. & 2nd Gens )
Uberti ( with Beretta backing) is the big he-bull ... Pietta makes a creditable SAA
and both are the working mans bread & butter go to SAA's .