Dragonhunter80,
I help out at our local gun club, I know of one person that has a PT-111. After he got it, he fired around 80 rounds and it broke, he said parts just fell out of the magazine well, he sent it in and Taurus had his pistol for over 3 months before he got it back, I know many satisfied people with Taurus models but I've heard their customer service is a little slow. A couple mentioned the Bersa 380 thunder, I have one and love it for a $200 gun, feels great in my smaller hands, its slim, compact and very accurate, I've fired well over 600 rounds and never have a misfire, I even bought a couple after market mags made by pro mag for $12 a piece, and both work great. I have several handguns, and another favorite of mine in the wheeled variety is my Ruger SP101, I practice with 38's, so thats what I use while carrying, 357's can get a little rough on my hand after a hundred rounds or so. Whatever type or model you end up getting, try to budget a case of ammo ( 1000 rounds ) look on the internet for deals, and practice as much as possible. Good luck !!