Shot placement is a huge issue with guns and calibers...a hit with a smaller bore gun is beter than a miss or graze with a 44 or 45.
Also a seacamp in the pocket is better then a 1911 in a drawer or glove compartment...when my wife makes a sub 2 inch group with a 9mm and a 6+ inch group with a 40, I'd go 9mm...and in followup shots...6 shots on target in 9mm in the time it takes to shoot a 40 or 45 twice...so for her the 9mm is great...my wife would carry a Glock 19 or 26 all day, but thinks I am weird for carrying a 44 sbh all day...(not my city carry mind you)
for those who shy away from the 1911 weight...If I didn't have the Glock 30, the 36 would be in my holster...
All that said, think it as this...if I was to take you to a magical gun store that had every handgun...and said that a week from now you are going to be in a gun fight...suddenly money and weight is not much of an issue...I'd walk out the door with a Wilson CQB...(Drool)...or a 629/redhawk/625 or any smith or ruger 45colt wheelgun...for me I still won't carry smaller then a +p 9mm or 38+p...I am too young to be called old school in my caliber thinking...I just like big holes...I personaly love 12 gauges...and swear a bussiness end of a double barrel 12 gauge is the scariest thing to have pointed at you...fear makes it look like the barrel could hid a baseball...heck a 32 starts looking big on the bussness end...
And for my skills...I will never be fast enough or acurate enough...so I keep practicing...till I make a sub .45" hole with my mag of 45acps, and my draw cause a space time continuem problem...we can always be better...
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