A carry conceal weapon is of little use if its too bulky to carry or too powerful to shoot comfortably. A .45 ACP is a lot of gun for some. I used to carry a Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP in a Jack Ass shoulder holster rig. The problem there is, you need a jacket most the time to wear that comfortable. Also I am able to handle the recoil of the .45 ACP.
At present I carry a .357 magnum Smith & Wesson and even that L frame revolver is a little large for conceal carry. I have been looking at a K-Tec P11 in 9mm. Its small, and easy to conceal. Its fast to operate, dependable from all I have read. And never underestimate the 9mm. Put two of them in center mass of your bad guy and he will leave you alone most cases. Plus the 9mm is a nice shooting pistol with little recoil, so anyone can shoot it, with either hand. I carried a 9mm when I was a police officer and never felt under gunned.
The .38 special in an detective model is a nice little short range revolver. And face it, in a c&c shooting situation, your shooting will probably be 7 yards or closer. A .38 hollow point might not knock them off their feet, but it will ruin their day.