What distorts the discussion is social rank and the self image of the poster. Some would never be seen owning a lesser priced firearm because they think it would damage their reputation and devalue their social ranking.
Others have no delusions about what they can afford - it's a commodity item at their price level - they get what they can because it's not their intent to throw thousands of rounds downrange with it. Just one or two at a critical moment.
Most armed confrontations aren't even punctuated by actual shooting. Of those that are, the largest majority are three shots. If the aggressor is hit and stops, it's the AMMO that does the job. Funny how we never see posts about the junk "Saturday Night Special" fodder sold in many of the better stores. We talk tough but when it comes down to buying ammo it's smoke and mirrors about "economy" or "It's just practice ammo for the range." No doubt as the cheap stuff has a documented reputation for inducing malfunctions - you get training all right, drills to keep it in action.
People complain about some guns needing a break in period, or they go back to the maker, but in most cases they do get better and are trusted. But cheap junk ammo? It stays bad year after year.
It's the ammo that does all the work, not the gun. The social rank of what hits the primer has nothing to do with the ballistic results, a $1,100 gun won't make the ammo hit five times more accurately, or more lethal. Only the ammo determines that.
We say better to have a gun than not, we "excuse" the .380 in that light, but the reality is better to have a Jennings than nothing, too. The whole point of demonizing "junk" "Saturday Night Specials" was to attempt to eliminate inexpensive guns from being available at all - it's gun control by social snobbery.
Most perps carry what the cops do - these days, a hi cap polymer pistol. Even in the day, they didn't carry Jennings or whatever as much as they tried to get police status firearms. What the anti gunners disliked was the poor being empowered by gun ownership and being independent. They still are in areas where they haven't been disarmed by social hypocrites who demand they buy high ranking firearms.
Let's be careful about cast frames, too - some of the more popular 1911's are NOT forged, just cast, and they fill the gun cases. A method of mass production that results in economical parts doesn't make it morally wrong, and what one person decides as a price point in their firearm and it's use doesn't mean they have to choose an institutional standard for fleet use with a service life of 30 years. Further, fit and finish have little to do with proper functioning, correct clearances often dictate the weapon be loose, not tight, especially in military firearms as they are subject to being contaminated with debris and still required to function. It's been said more than once the way to screw up a 1911 is to force tight fits on it, and the results of those $1,100 guns at the range the first time. Multiple issues until it breaks in. A military grade gun? No issues - and you really don't care if you throw it at the target as it will shrug it off. It has to - that is part and parcel of the level of abuse it takes. A competition range gun costing five times more? Something is likely going to break with all the fragile accessories on it.
The whole "Saturday Night Special" hoax is simply a topic used by anti gunners as a wedge to demonize lower priced buyers and force divisiveness in the gun community. It was meant to be racist from day one, and it still exists as a way to make gun owners think twice about even owning one. Win for them on two points and their agenda remains active thirty years later.
