For me its Sig Sauer.
The quality and reliability are far above any other pistol I have owned.
Yes, they usually are twice the price of many combat pistols, but I believe its well worth it.
The ergonomics and factory sights are great too.
In most cases I dont even have to use the sights, because its pretty much a "point and click" handgun.
Also, with the forged stainless steel slide, .40 and .357-Sig calibers are very manageable regarding recoil. Even my 5'2" skinny asian girlfriend can shoot the pistol in the .357-sig cartridge and have no issues.
Some of the most elite forces in the world use Sigs. The British SAS, Navy SEALS, Canadian special forces, German Spezialeinsatzkommandos, Switzerland Infantry and the US Secret Service to name a few.