Id add that the mark of a well made or well engineered semi-auto carry pistol(defense) is if you hit the mag release & the magazine pops out swiftly.
A good duty pistol should have mags that drop free with or without ammunition.
In a lethal force event, you want to watch the bad guys or adversaries as much as possible. You shouldn't need to tug or pull out a empty(spent) magazine.
If the pistol has a ambi-mag release, check that the controls work on both sides.