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I usually carry a .45 ACP. When not carrying that, I carry a .40 S&W.

Here's a thought... if you carry a milder (read that, "Cheaper") to shoot caliber, will you practice more and thereby become more proficient (and lethal) with it?

At 6:30 this morning, on my way out the door to my Weight Watchers meeting, wearing just shorts, t-shirt, and sandals, I debated between a 642 Airweight in .38 Special (which would slip easily into the pocket of my shorts), and a Kimber Ultra Carry II in .45 ACP. I took the Kimber.

I do own a Colt Government .380, but I don't have enough confidence in the pistol's reliability, and I'm not convinced that the .380 is enough cartridge. It is certainly better than no caliber at all, and I have no desire to test one out on myself, but I would feel at a disadvantage if the other guy were armed with a gun.

I do think that .38 Special is an adequate round, and the 642 revolver certainly goes bang the first five times you pull the trigger. After that, it goes click, click. I'm left handed, and I have to switch hands to open the cylinder; besides which the gun and cylinder are so small that the speed loader is clumsy. So although it is a nifty little gun, it's not really right for me. The Kimber is a little bigger and heavier, but it functions flawlessly, and it is more or less ambidextrous to use. And you can't go wrong with .45 ACP.