The Annoyed Man gave you some very good advice and pretty well covered the basics. Feel free to ask questions, you will find the friendlies folks in Texas here and they are eager to help you in anyway we can. My preference in a carry gun is a 1911, 3" barrel, .45 caliber; but there again...find the gun YOU like, and that fits YOU the best, and meets YOUR needs.
Good Luck, Pepper!
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-geo