I also find I practice more with guns that are more comfortable to me.
You hit the nail on the head IMO, particularly when it comes to new shooters NOT familiar with guns.
We all have our opinions on what is the "best" gun for any purpose, but ultimately IMO it comes down to how proficient you are with the gun, and what works best for you may not work best for someone else.
Whenever I have new shooters over at my place not familiar with firearms, I always start them off with the smallest caliber I own, which is a .22LR (both handgun and rifle). Then we work our way up from there to see what the person is most comfortable with shooting and actually being able to hit the target. Like anything else, good practice makes the person better at whatever task they are trying to be proficient in. I kind of cringe when I'm in the pressense of a group of shooters and non shooters and someone breaks out a large caliber handgun or rifle and wants it to be the first gun a non shooter shoots for the first time (just look at all the idiots on youtube that seem to think it's funny watching someone not familiar shooting handle a large caliber weapon).
I don't consider myself overly recoil sensitive, but I can tell you for a fact that I will NEVER own another large caliber handgun (.44 mag or bigger) with a short (less than 4") barrel, because even though the gun may look "bad", the fact is I'd be lucky to hit the broad side of a barn at 50 yards after the first round (not to mention it seems my smith .44 with a small barrel will cause tempory night blindness due to the muzzle flash LOL). Put that same .44 round in a 8" or longer barrel, heavier gun, and it's a hoot shooting at 100 yards.
When it comes to concealing a handgun, the question becomes how much work do you want to put into actually concealing the gun vs how comfortable it is for you to carry IMO. For myself, a Glock 19, Sig 228/229 or most other semi's with around a 4" barrel and "standard" grip size really isn't that hard to conceal being prepared to actually try to coneal it (heck, with work, you could conceal a 92F, although it may not be too comfortable driving with it on). The reality is I have more than a couple of "pocket" pistols, but I've found those just sit in the safe because I shoot the "standard" 4" guns much better at distances over 25 yards, and the reality is other than making the time of putting leather around my waist, those same 4" guns are pretty easy to carry and no one knows I'm actually carrying them.
When it comes to carrying a handgun for self defense, the first rule of thumb I've come to understand is that each person is different, and what works best for myself may not work for someone else.
If you use a small gun with small grips because you're good with it, it's the perfect answer. That said, if you use a larger gun with larger grips because you're good with it, it's also the perfect answer. There is no right or wrong, only what works best for you.
On a sidenote, and not to start a caliber "war", I do find it somewhat amusing that it seems the 9mm is "making a comeback" and people use the new defensive rounds available as to the reason why (goes back how many decades ago when people were always arguing what was better, the 9 or 45 LOL). I won't argue the reason may have to do with people thinking that "newer" rounds are better for defensive purposes, but just like the .45, for the 9 I have no qualms for carrying hardball ammo for defensive purposes if need be. People will always go back to the Miami shootout and how the feds figured that they must of been underpowered with the 9, but the fact is sometimes you just run out of luck when you're put in a bad situation. Seemed at the time IMO the easiest way to explain the carnage caused by a couple of bad guys was to blame it on the round. That said, I still think the 10mm is one of the best defensive rounds produced for a semi auto, and I sold my .40 a long time ago and won't get another in that caliber (.40). That's because I can shoot the 10mm just as well if not better than a .40 (go figure), but I also realize that this may not be the case the case for everyone else, because what works best for me, may not work best for you:thumbsup:
