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Although cost does not equal dependability, do not stake your life to the cheapest thing you can find. This is a good place to get information but try things out as well, when possible. I highly suggest that you even get a chance to shoot your possible weapon of choice in scenario type shooting like IDPA. It will quickly show you the strength and weakness of the weapon.

There is also a reason that the majority of those that carry weapons for a living go with the KISS principle in firearms. Glocks, S&W M&P's, XD's. When things go bad, fine motor skills decrease and finding the safety, etc can be forgotten IF ONE does not practice alot with the weapon.

Most people that carry and have multiple weapons find that IWB holsters behind the hip is the way to go and most find that one can carry a full sized weapon just as easy as a small one. (excluding pocket carry). This said, you will find that making hits on target, especially in stress situations is more consistent with the longer barrel weapon (full size weapon)

There are generally two ways to stop the "human machine" that is trying to do you bodily harm. Stop the computer (brain and spinal cord) Small targets, moving target and life/death stress = hard to hit target. The second is stop the hydraulics. (bleed out) As they loose blood and thus blood pressure, life systems shut down. The quicker you can do this, the quicker they no longer are a threat.......and there is the debate of all time. What bullet/caliber/etc does this job the best.

There is no real answer (IMO) but I highly suggest the LARGEST caliber that you can make multiple accurate shots is the caliber to use. A .22 that hits is more effective than a .44 mag that misses. That said, 9mm + P for me and my family is minimum. (I do carry a .38 snubby or a .32 Kel-Tec as a back-up in my pocket, but my carry gun is a full sized .45....either a Glock 21 or a 1911)

Some say that a .45 is hard to control, etc. My daughter has been shooting a .45 in IDPA and doing it well. She started with a 9mm glock when she was 12 and started shooting the .45 at the age of 14. She is now 19.

My opinion:
.32 and .38 and .380 are great for BACK UP GUNS or when you just can't carry your regular weapon.
9mm: minimum caliber and then for defense need hollow point ammo and +P (this generally takes this round to a .40 in "stopping power"
.40 caliber: a defense round with no purpose. The current 9mm equals the stopping power and this round was developed because of political correctness because some lawyers talked that the .45 was inhumane. bull, bull and more bull. I have also seen more catastrophic gun malfunctions in .40 than in any other caliber.
.45 caliber: There is a reason that most anyone that uses a handgun in real gunfights use this caliber. (Police, FBI, Special OPs, etc). Hollow point ammo and for my money......+P even makes this tried and true defensive round the best there is.

All this said: Try out some guns, Try out some guns in IDPA to see what works for you, Try out some guns to see what caliber you can make repeated hits with (double taps in under 2 seconds at 10-15 yds in the "0" or "1" down on an IDPA target) and THEN BUY YOUR GUN <G>

You are always welcome to come see us at the West Houston IDPA.