Reliability is nearing foregone conclusion with modern firearms coming from major manufacturers......
I have to disagree with that. The Sig P365 is one of the top five best selling concealed carry pistols today. Yet for a number of people it was extremely difficult to impossible to retract the slide over a magazine loaded to capacity simply because the stripper rail finish was rough. That is more than a break-in issue.
Likewise there were numerous reports of return to battery problems with new P365s. Again, it was is a rough internal finish issue that caused the reliability problem.
Screw ergonomics,..........
But when there are so many reasonable choices available why ignore ergonomics? Not to mention the readily available aftermarket handgrip modules and grip sleeves that might cure the ergonomic issues.
It was actually painful in my hands when I gripped my P365 tightly, because of the sharp corners that Sig designed into the grip module. A little bit of sanding of the grip module to round the corners made it comfortable my hands. Why walk around with a sliver in your toe when you can just pull it out?
When you are choosing a pistol you not only need to consider the pistol as is, but also consider whether or not you can make it do what you want it to do.
It's no different than buying a new car. Some people are happy to keep their car bone stock as it was when they drove it off of the car lot. But other people want better performance and will immediately upgrade the tires and suspension, install better seats, and install a new audio system.
A new shooter is not likely going to know what they will prefer until they are shooting for a while. My original plan was to carry with a 12 rd magazine in my P365 and carry a 15 rd magazine as backup. But I hated the feel of the 15 rd magazine in the P365. I also realized that with a 15 rd magazine in my P365 it would not fit into my my holster setup. So I sold the 15 rd magazines.
I also discovered that the 12 rd magazine pinched my hand and made the P365 feel squishy in my hand. Then I discovered that the P365XL grip module would fit my P365 and I bought one immediately. It was a huge improvement.
MagGuts released the +2 round magazine spring kit for the XL grip module. I did some testing that confirmed that it was likely to be as reliable, if not more reliable than the stock Sig magazine. I now carry with 14 rounds in the Sig 12 rd magazine my P365X.
I did a lot of research before I bought my P365. For me the P365 was a simple choice. Most of the other major brands had a deal breaker of some kind or another and the P365 checked all of the boxes. But it wasn't without some of it's own warts and pimples. Most of the issues that I had with my P365 were very easy to remedy. In the process of dealing with these issues it also helped me to better understand the internal functions of my P365.
But it could have gone with other way with issues that were insurmountable. I think that I got lucky in that I still like my P365 even after the issues that I've dealt with. It I were to do it over I would have bought a P365XL, but they were nearly impossible to obtain at the time, and I wasn't quite sure if I would be able to carry with the extra length of the P365XL. I can't really say that I have any buyer's remorse. I want both a P365 and a P365XL.