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Stopping power is important, but you might need to think about some other factors, particularly weight and recoil. If you gonna carry this thing, you may not be comfortable, but you should avoid being uncomfortable, if you know what I mean. The .380s are, for the most part, lighter and easier to conceal. The smaller 9mm pistols are light and easy to conceal, but their recoil may cause you trouble bringing the pistol back onto the target for your second and subsequent shots. I prefer a little heavier gun (a Beretta Model 84 .380 and a Beretta Model 9000S 9mm, 23 and 26 oz. respectively, plus ammo). You can get good HP ammo for both, but neither are one-shot stoppers, thus my concern for accurate follow-on shots.

LarryH is right - 9mm is the most common handgun caliber in the world, and the ammo is much more available and inexpensive than anything other than .22 LR. If you're gonna carry, you need to practice, and cheap ammo is the key to being able to shoot often.

A good holster and belt will go a long way in making concealed carry more confortable, or less uncomfortable. I like Ranger belts (Google it) for their style, width, and support. I recently bought two from Tony Lama that have turned out to be ideal.

Finally, talk to a lot of people, look around the web, and gather as much information as you can, but remember that it's all personal preference. What's good for me or anyone else on the forum may not work for you.