Being in the biz of teaching them and maintaining them, I'd call the Glock the winning combo of cost to buy, easiest to teach, and simplest to keep running.
They have their odd manufacturing hiccup just like anyone else, but overall, they are EXCEEDINGLY good at making every part just like the last part, so they pretty much always go together without any fuss, and you never have to fit anything (like 1911's) and you don't have to deal with STUPID one-time use roll pins if you need to do a detail breakdown (Sig, HK, XD, M&P, etc...)
If your goal is to buy something to be a tool instead of a status symbol or other emotional hang-up, they are a very good tool that does the job they were intended for.
I would suggest you stick with them in 9mm, as that's what they were originally cooked up for, and have made their reputation in.