imkopaka wrote:The best carry gun is the most powerful handgun with which you can consistently put rounds on target. If the hole is too small, get a bigger gun. If the gun is too big for you to consistently put rounds on target, get a smaller gun. Find what makes you the most effective in a gun fight and carry it. Any instructor who tells you that you should carry a certain type/caliber/style is either too lazy to explain how to make an appropriate decision or too egotistical to accept that his way isn't the best way and that shooting is a highly individual thing. Carry what you can use effectively.
I carry a Springfield XD .45. I can carry it comfortably (OC), know its capabilities, keep it in good repair, and I'm absolutely SURGICAL with it. I know other people on this very forum that HATE XD's. My wife carries a S&W M&P Shield 9mm. I don't like the trigger or the way it fits in my hand, but she shoots better with that than any other gun in the house. It's all about what works for you and what you can train with.
I agree that the main concern is how the handgun fits the shooter. I chose my M&P based on my needs before I knew what any instructors carried. Still, I find it instructive to learn what successful competitive shooters and those who have successfully defended themselves with a handgun choose to carry. My wife's Walther PPS M2 fits her and she shoots it well.