While reliability is a very large factor in picking a ccw piece, it is not the only factor. With that said, I carry, on different days, a wide variety of pieces. Why ? Because I can. I know this is not the wisest path, but sometimes I just WANT to pack the Sheriff's 44spec, or the Bulldog. In my defense, I'll say its all about the threat assesment. I live in a rural county. The things I've shot in self defense, or that were possible threats, were a rabid racoon , and a couple rattlesnakes. A couple of Porkies were shot to protect the outhouses plywood exterior, at camp. So, most anything would have worked. So, the number 1 factor is, that I had a gun on, not at home, or in the glove box. If I frequented urban areas, I would reach for my G23 much more often. There is a reason why revolvers have there own classes in competition, and it doesn't pay, to ignore progress. I've taken quite a few courses that have taken me way beyond the basic CCW courses. NOBODY likes to have to do a reload when there are still bad guys standing. When shooting cardboard bad guys, your reload may be quite impressive, to you. When doing force-on-force with live opponents, a reload means you die. Reality intrudes most rudely. steve b