Weird Question for gun lovers

How about s Walter p99 then. Great gun.

How about s Walther p99 then. Great gun.

You are going to get many different answers. When I carry, I carry a Glock.

A few people I know love their Ruger LCPs. Very small gun that fits in front pocket. Good quality and shoots a .380. Not my ideal caliber but if you are looking at smaller sized guns, this would be a great one.

I'd advise to get a different job.

You will be bombarded with advice, recommendations and information. Some will be good and some will be not so good. So, being firstest, let me whack the hornets nest . I'm not going to post my resume' here but, I know a thing or to about this particular subject. I don't know why you don't want a revolver but if you don't that's O.K Personally, I carry a revolver (S&W .airweight in .38) almost every day . I own several revolvers and wouldn't hesitate to carry one if need be. So, lets move to semi automatics. Stopping power -Here the debate starts - I recommend at minimum for personal protection, 9mm and at maximum .45cal. I don't recommend smaller than 9mm because the skill set required to adequately protect yourself with a small caliber pistol is higher than where you are now. That is also why i don't recommend higher that .45 cal. There is no magic bullet. 9mm, .40, .357 Sig, .45 will all stop an attack if properly employed. One caliber has no benefit over the other except in the the amount of energy transferred into the target. Take your pick. Pistols: Stick with established brands. Almost every pistol manufacturer makes a compact or sub compact pistol in the above mentioned calibers. Ruger makes a nice 9mm subcompact. The LC 9 and the SR9c Smith and Wesson has a P99 pistol, and also the M&P compact Glock makes subcompact pistols but you have to remember to keep your finger off the trigger until you actually intend to fire the pistol. Sig makes a compact P239 pistol (which is really nice) and the P250 which can be converted to different sizes by buying different frames and slides. Para ordnance makes a double action compact pistol, the LDA, but it's expensive. Same for Kimber pistols; nice but expensive. Taurus makes decent pistols and has several compact models. My personal preference in order: Compact carry pistols: Sig P239 9mm or .357 Sig Glock G19 (9mm)/ G23 (.40) / G30(.45) / G32(.357) S&W M&P compact 9mm Ruger LC 9 (9mm) Ruger SR 9 (9mm) You can also find most of these used which might save you some money which you can use to buy ammo to practice with. This is just a quick overview.

To add to the discussion: I have one of the mentioned Ruger LCP .380's. I love it. It is with me 98% of the time I leave the house. Unless you are proficient you will not want to engage someone over about 10 yards with this gun. This is a point in face and pull the trigger bun for most people. If I have an option to have a bit more bulk on my frame(ie. it's winter and I can wear a larger coat) I carry my S&W M&P .40 compact. I much prefer the larger caliber and expanded number of rounds. I also had for a time Sig Sauer P239 .40 model. I loved it. You can't go wrong wtih a Sig, they are beautifully made weapons, though you will likely find them to be pretty pricey. The LCP ran me about $240 right after they first came out. The S&W was I think $525 with extra mags. The bottom line when it comes to carrying a weapon is that ANY gun you carry is better than a gun you leave at home. So if your comfort zone is a .22 derringer and you have it with you, that's better than a .40 glock sitting in your gun safe.