WOW Jimmy, good stuff. Keep it coming!

I carry LCP with the Hornady Flextip ammo. You have to pick something you will carry. The LCP is extremely light and I can just slip it in pocket or ankle holster. Because of velocity and bullet dimensions, most .38 should out penetrate 9, but good bullets that will hold up are the key. I also have a Glock 23 and love shooting it but dont carry due to weight. It stays intruckor house. I had a Jframe in .357 but was hard to shoot due to recoil 15oz. I really like the LCP, its easily shot and easily carried. My next will be Karh P9 or PM9.

For the past 10 years, I have carried a Colt Combat Commander in 45 Auto. I load it with +P (1150 ft/s or so) 185 grain Gold Dots, XTPs, or Golden Sabers (all work well). How I carry it depends on my clothing (shoulder holster, paddle, ITWB, or in a fanny pack).

Currently in the market for a couple of G26s in 9mm with Lasermax laser sights (one for my wife). My favorite 9mm load is the Cor-Bon 115 grain JHP +Ps (at 1350 ft/s).

In a revolver, I really like the Ruger SP101 in .357 Magnum with 125 grain JHPs. ITWB in the small of my back...

hat was probably not due to the caliber but the bullet used, if you get hit with a silver tip .38 Winchester in the head, your brains will be all over the place, he was probably shot with a cheap full metal jacket.

I agree that a bigger caliber (,40 or .45) is usually better, but like others have said, it's better to have a smaller caliber than nothing. The point isn't to necessarily kill someone that is attacking you - just put them out of commission. In fact, something like 70 - 80% of people shot with a handgun survive. I work in a hospital too, and most of the cases I've seen come into the ER end up surviving. The ones that die normally were shot in the head, or were shot many, many times. And not even always then- we had a drug dealer that was shot at least 7 times with 9mm hollowpoints by the police - mostly through the chest and once through the neck, and he somehow survived. But in most of these cases, the person shot was not in any shape to continue attacking anyone.

Back to the point, you need to be comfortable with your gun and the ammo you'll be using for self-defense. IMO, any compact, reliable handgun that you personally can handle well, draw fast and shoot with reasonable accuracy out to 7 yards (yes, that's 7 yards - statistics show you are much more likely to need & use your CCW weapon at point blank range than any other range) should serve you well.

I vote for the Walther "PPS". Just bought 2; one for me & one for the wife. 9mm with interchangable backstraps 6,7,& 8 round mags. Easily concleable @ less than 1" in width but draws easily points well and very accurite out to 25yds. Loaded with Hornady "Critical Defense" it's an awsome package.

We can't cc here in the "Peoples Republic of Illinois" but if I could I'd go with a .38 snub. I small revolver is safe, light anbdfull proof. It also needs a deliberate pull of the trigger to go bang. I'd like it to be a +P capable revolver but if not that's ok too. I really like the look of the new Ruger LCR revolver and I might just pick that up. For now I keep a S&W pre model 36 snubin my lock box by the bed because I know my wife can shoot it well and she doesn't need to worry about racking a slide or taking it off safety or accidentally discharging due to all the adrenalin and so forth. All she needs to do is identify her target and pull the trigger....it will go bang.

Kimber is great. That and a 38 Snubby cover my CCW needs.

WhenI carry concealed, It's either my colt cobra in .38 or my keltec P3AT in .380. The Keltec is much eaiser to conceal in the summer.

Mines a Kimber Custon CDP II .45 in a Andrews IWB holster, it is kind of a lot to carry around but I'v gotten used to it and the holster is very comfortable.