Great feedback TF. I carry in my purse and the 9mm S&W adds lots of weight. Maybe if I went with a 9mm with a small capacity it woyld help. My SIL has a 380 but I've never used it. My 9mm is rather hard to chamber.
I was thinking a revolver would be easier all around. If you cant the job done with 6 shots that's pretty bad. BUT, ther coyld be multiple assailants and I would need the 9 or 10 I can get into mine. I can't fill it because it's too hard.
Keep in mind that different ranges rent guns, and you can try a variety to see which ones work best for you.
I could put my 2 cents in, but my situation is--almost certainly--different from yours.
I, for example, generally prefer a slightly weaker round over a hand cannon.
I usually carry a .380 ACP, or a 9mm Bulgarian Makarov.
I live, work, and play in an urban and suburban environment, so I always try to keep in mind that over-penetration and richochet are possibilities.
As someone who carries a gun, I feel a responsibility to the innocent, uninvolved third party....so I use hollowpoints in a .380 ACP or 9mm Makarov pistol.
Both of these rounds are considered marginal man-stoppers.....but stopping someone depends upon bullet placement.
With a weaker round, there is less recoil, so I can get quicker follow-up shots.
Also, with less recoil, I'll be better able to shoot the gun if I'm wounded or injured.
If I had a preference, I'd ask you to consider the Makarov.
It's cheap, it's utterly reliable with good ammo, it's extremely simple to field strip, and gunsmith yourself.
It's also rather compact and flat, so it's easy to conceal. In addition, it can be converted into a .380ACP by swapping out the barrel with a tool called a barrel press.
The gun has a long history of usage by the East German Secret Police (the feared Stasi), the KGB, the NKVD, the Peoples' Republic of China intelligence agency, and so on.
It was also--to date--the only gun know to have been sent into outer space, as it was included in the Cosmonaut's survival kits aboard the Soyuz space ships.
It has its faults: the ammo can be awkward to find, and the magazine catch is on the heel of the grip, which may put off some people who are used to a magazine release near the trigger. Also, the sights are a little small for my high-mileage eyes. Doc Henley referred me to a website that can add bigger sights.
Go try one at the range, and get back to me.
A lot of people don't like the lanyard loop, as they feel that it can interfere with the grip, but it doesn't bother me.
I like the idea of a lanyard loop if I have to run, climb, or crawl through brush or a tunnel.
