So What Makes A Great Handgun???

[Merc1138]

1. Accuracy - Simple.
2. Trigger - Is it light and crisp? Does it break cleanly? How long is the takeup? Does it stack? How long is the reset? Is it consistant?
3. Ergonomics - some guns just feel great. Is the slide release under the thumb? Does it drop the slide without alot of effort. Is the mag drop in the right place? Does it protrude too little or too much?
4. Sounds - Does it make the right clicks and snicks? Or does it sound springy and clacky?
5. Sights - Do they enhance target aquisition or detract?
6. Mag Drop - Do the mags drop cleanly?
7. Mag well - Is there ample beveling to guide fresh mags in place?

1. Most guns are more accurate than the people shooting them. This really isn't an issue for most people(we aren't talking about something shooting 5" groups at 10 yards from a rest or something).
2. Personal preference. The configuration of the safety(or lack of) in combination with how it's being carried can affect what people want in a trigger.
3. Again, personal preference. Not everyone likes the feel of a 1911, not everyone likes the feel of a glock. People have different shapes and sizes of hands. Fortunately ambi and extended controls can help some people make a gun work better for them.
4. Still a matter of personal preference. Ideally my perfect gun would be dead silent(except for the shot of course). I don't need a safety or trigger that makes audible noise.
5. And again... personal preference. Combat and bullseye shooting aren't necessarily the same thing. Some sights may also not be as durable as others, and in some situations it doesn't matter.
6. I would hope any modern gun has mags that drop freely.
7. As pointed out by someone else, it doesn't matter on a double stack gun if it's magazines are tapered at the top, unless maybe you're shooting competition and you feel that a huge funnel for a mag well helps you reload a hundredth of a second faster, which is a matter of personal preference.

The "best" or "greatest" gun, ignoring technical aspects like being able to operate reliably, is one that fits the shooter and the application that the shooter intends to use it in.