And people don't actually take the time to take the slide off and clean the weapon properly either. Jams in a 9MM are not uncommon and you must be very familiar with how to get that round out if need be. In a pinch is not the time for a tutorial on how to use a weapon. Take some classes and educate yourself on the proper use and handling.
Yeah, I just finished up a shooting course where you would set your gun up with different types of jams and you have to clear them, reload and fire. When someone is breaking down your front door isn't when you want to be flipping through the owner's manual.
Most handguns break down into 5 or 6 pieces, so there's really no reason for someone to half-ass clean their gun. If you're depending on the gun to possibly save your life, why wouldn't a person take the time to do it right?
Everybody has different hand sizes and preferences. You need to make sure the gun fits your hand first of all. I've seen people with guns they couldn't handle, not much point really.
Probably one of the best guns I ever owned was a SW 686. It shot either .38's or .357's. That thing was accurate as hell. The drawback was it was also very heavy and it only carried 6 rounds.
I love my .45 though, as that's what I used in the military. The Marine Corps was just starting the switch over to the Beretta 9mm when I was getting out.
I didn't like that 92F at all.