What's your choice? I've got a 4" 45 but I'm looking for a little shorter and lighter pistol. Just haven't decided on a caliber.

I carry a M&P 7 shot 9mm

Use 115 grain Hornady Hollowpoints

9mm...Sig P365 SAS

I pocket carry a Kahr CW380. Once I broke it in with 200 rounds, it has been flawless. Use Hornady Critical Duty.

Been carrying a .45 for many years.

Now that there are such good bullets available, I'm switching to a 9mm. It holds more rounds in the mag.

Ordered a Glock 43X, and am looking forward to carrying it, waiting on a holster.

Usually one of my 9mms, occasionally my M&P .40. Usually for church, I wear a western dress vest with a inner concealed carry holster for my Kimber Micro .380.

Usually carry a p938. Single stack 9mm 7+1. Occasionally, I'll carry a Ruger sp101 .357 or s&w jframe .38. On rare occasion, I'll carry a full size 1911.

My duty carry is a Glock 19 Gen 5 (9mm).

Off duty I carry a Glock 48 (9mm).

However, when I'm feeling frisky I will carry a Glock 20SF on or off duty.

Depends on where i'm at and what i'm doing. When i can wear a jacket or untucked shirt it may be a XDM 9 with 20rds of Underwood +P+ 115gr hp.
Other times it may be a KelTec 380. If i'm out walking in shorts it would be a NAA in 22mag.

9mm or .38 in town... out in the deep, dark woods, 10mm.

40 s and w. The only other caliber i would consider is 357 sig. Those properly loaded are the most power available in a small frame gun. I have considered other calibers but keep coming back to those 2, but really 40. They also put out that power with heavier bullet, which I like. I use my carry gun for shooting hogs, ect, and want the power for whatever i am doing. With a pistol you are already limited on power so i hate to sacrifice any, and I like the heavier bullet to up the odds of still getting good penetration, even if bones are encountered. Another plus is that can get all that power while still loaded to standard pressures that the guns were designed for.

For 2 legged thugs a S&W shield in 9mm, out on the ranch a LCRx in 38 special and 2 loads of snake shot.

Dan Wesson Valor 45 ACP

G19

380, 9mm, or 357sig on duty

Shield.45 or Kimber CDP 3” .45. Been carrying a .45 since early 80’s, don’t see any reason to stop now. Also have a couple 38 Supers I really like. Then for old times sake 2 1/2” 19 or 66. Love those two

Good question and lots of excellent suggestions..
Me personally 9mm is the smallest I’ll left my wife carry, and I tend to stick to the 9. A friend of mine at work has just acquired a Ruger max 12 and I got to say it’s the perfect balance between usefulness and being functional.

Small pistols are hard to shoot, tough triggers and hard to see sights, that Ruger max 12 has big pistol features and is easy to shoot.

I have a 317 smith I like to carry, 8 shot 22lr in the summertime, and small walks or on a boat fishing..

Glock 22 Gen 4 .40 on duty

Glock 43 9mm or Glock 26 Gen 4 9mm off duty

The .40 is loaded with agency issue 180 Grain Federal HST and the 9mms are loaded with 124 Grain +P Speer Gold Dot.

Not trying to start an argument, but with the ammunition we have today there is not much difference between 9mm, .357Sig, .40, or .45. We did qualifications last week and one of the guys in the office has a Sig P226 in .357 Sig. I always put him (I am the Rangemaster for the agency) on the far right side of the line because that .357Sig throws the spent brass about 15-20 feet. It works well in gunfights per DPS.

I won't recommend an auto smaller than a 9mm, or a revolver smaller than a .38 Special, for self defense.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

9mm in either S&W Shield, Glock 19, or Springfield Hellcat. Occasionally a S&W Airweight in .38 SPL.

I would 9 mm

Glock 43x mostly. Sometime I carry a 43.

22, 380, 9mm, 40, 45, 38 depending.....if none of those are available I'd have to use the Right gun & the Left gun with some back up knees, and you don't wanna have to deal with that Son.

G19 and a sp101.

3.5" .45 AUTO as in topic above.

Then again it's stainless and heavy. Shield 9 can be found here too.

Pick one. Who cares what others think?

That’s funny about the P226 357sig, that’s what I shoot and carry. The people next to me at the range are always happy because mine throws it at a 45 degree angel backwards. The dang 9mm Glocks manage to land every spent case on the shooters head next to them.