It Just Won't Die

I ask again, "How many rounds are you carrying right now?"

If your gun can fire that many without barfing... YOU ARE GOOD TO GO.

Full stop.

"But, Thag, I can't shoot an entire 1,000 plus round training class without cleaning my gun or breaking something!"

So what?

Let's assume you're carrying 1,000 plus rounds on you every day.

Where the fuck do you live/work where you're actually worried you're going to NEED that much ammo to survive?

Here's a hint.  The places where you might need that kind of loadout don't let people carry.  Heck, most of them try actively to prevent mere ownership of guns.

Just as the map is not the terrain, the class is not the battlefield.

The high round counts are not supposed to be there to test the gun.

They are supposed to be to teach the student through repetition.

Now that I've got THAT out...

The guns that seem to fail to make it through these classes without breaking also trend on the expensive side of the pistol spectrum.  When a used Glock makes it, why waste the money on a Kimber?

The next thing that needs pointed out is those classes ain't cheap.  The tuition, plus travel, plus lodging, plus board, plus ammo...  It adds up.  The time factor matters here too.

It's contradictory.

Nearly any gun will survive the fight you're likely to encounter.  If we're honest with ourselves, a Blue Gun® will suffice for almost all of your daily carry needs.

So a gun that can go 600-1,000 rounds isn't NEEDED for carry.  It's needed to take an expensive class without losing class time you're paying good money to attend.

Where it becomes a "why are we arguing about this" point is the guns that will go the distance in class are also in the very affordable category.  Like I said, used Glocks make it to the end readily.

Another point here, even if your carry gun won't go 600 rounds between maintenance sessions, there's really no reason you have to use THAT gun for the class.  The fundamentals don't change with the make and model.  If a school is demanding you bring a Glock to class and tells you that your Colt 1911 or Browning High Power cannot be used with their training when you get home: don't give them your money.

If you can afford the class, you can afford the spare plastic fantastic even if you don't plan on carrying it.