Generally speaking a concealed carry gun and a competition gun are two different animals. I am a big guy and I used to have a Taurus PT101 in 40 S&W and for concealed carry it was the pits. Heavy, big, and bulky to carry concealed under anything other than an overcoat. I live in the South. I have since went to a PT111 in 9mm. the difference is tremendous. I am sure some of the die hard 1911 fans will argue the virtues of their favorite pistol, but I am just giving you the gospel according to Rob which can be taken with a grain of salt. Now I was once a big " bigger is better" type when it came to handgun cartridges, but I have mellowed in my old age. The 45 ACP is a great cartridge for defense. Always was and will remain so, but the drawback is that it is heavy and when shot from small, light handguns the recoil can be detrimental to target aquisition. Same with the 40 S&W, though not much heavier than the 9mm, recoil is greater. The 9mm has come a long way since since the days of 115 grain FMJ bullets. Well designed, easy to feed, reliable expanding hollowpoints make the 9mm a very effective stopper. 9mm ammo is generally cheaper than 45 ACP as well so you might factor that in. If you really want a gun for concealed carry, get a gun for concealed carry and worry about your competition gun later.