I shot the qualifier course laid out by the county sheriffs office here.
I was carrying a Kimber Gold Match and brought along a Colt Gold Cup. Both are expensive target pistols.
I shot four different types of ball over a 150 round course and both guns choked on all the ammo at different points.
The Kimber quit totally and I finished the course with the series 70 Gold Cup.
I investigated the problem like a detective, knocking off what the problems could be. I changed the recoil springs in both, but couldnt clear up the occasional problems with the $1,100 Gold Match.
The Colt works fine now, but really only with Wilson mags and remington ball.
I cant trust a gun to save my life that I cant rely on all the time. The worst time for a failure to go into battery is when youve just shot a goblin trying to climb into your bedroom window.
Neither my Glock 19, nor my P-99 has ever experienced any malfunction whatsoever.
Dont get me wrong, I was raised on Gunsite and Jeff Cooper. My second centerfire handgun was a remington rand ww2 1911. If I could get a Colt LW Commander to run well dont you believe I wouldnt carry it now instead of Uncle Gaston’s greatest invention or a five shot snubby.
Because I would.
There are lemons with cars (Lexus had a recall in their 1st year) and with guns.
I know of many who have Kimbers, and none have ever experienced a problem.
There is a reason LAPD SWAT and teh US Marines carry Kimber.
I found the Glock 19 fun to shoot, but the Walther P99 fit my hand much better. I have small hands, and the thickness of the grip on the Glocks never quite fit my hand. My impressions of both were they were very reliable.
The one that stays beside me for home defense and CC though is the H&K P7M8. It is heavy, which is really noticeable while carrying, but I have 100% faith in its design and safety and I have never had a problem with it since I bought it. It's more of a radical departure from typical semi-automatics though. I mention it since I don't recall seeing it up-thread.
Bottom line, get something that fits and that you feel comfortable with. By fit I don't just mean it feels good in the hand and you can reach the trigger. You should also make sure that you can reach and use all controls, if any. Practice, practice, practice. I used to have a Walther PPK/S which fit my hand really well but would bite me on the webbing of my hand (between thumb and index finger) whenever the action would cycle. That wasn't fun to shoot.
If you have a local range where you can rent pistols to try, I would recommend that. Even better if you have a friend with a few pistols or a local club which has introduction nights.
Keep an open mind. There are many variations of semi-automatics, revolvers, shotguns out there. While the basics are the same, many of their control levers and functional components are placed differently. It may be a revolver fits your needs better, it could be a shotgun. Best to take the time to find the one that fits well.