Thanks for the replies. I like how Glocks feel, I just want a manual safety- call me strange - so Glocks are out. I don't like shooting the .40 cal at all - too snappy of a recoil in the handguns I've shot it in.

My 1st choice would be a 1911 in .45 - I love shooting .45's, but most are a bit pricey for me, plus the ammo is too expensive.

As for not trusting a 9mm, I am a firm believer in shot placement, and I have plenty of confidence in a high quality 9mm self-defense round being able to stop an attacker with a well-placed shot. If I was buying a self-defense pistol only, and wasn't going to burn up much ammo though, I would be getting a .45....

Also, I do have a home defense shotgun - so the pistol I'm getting is really more for target shooting, but I want it to double as a home defense gun.