Chose the largest firearm you can and will comfortably(meaning ALWAYS) carry and shoot with proficiencly. It's the Indian not the arrow that wins fights, BUT a good Indian won't intentionally handicap himself unnecessarily. If you KNOW you're going into harms way, take a quality carbine AND some buddies with the same. If however you're just going through "everyday life" where a threat may or may not present itself, compromises are made------and "everyday life" is different in Mayberry than it is Detroit. Rule#1 (having a gun)is the only rule you can't break and still be armed. All other choices are personal and fall somewhere along the continuum of concessions and priorities. I've chosen an all steel 5" 1911 for 98% of my off duty carry. If the circumstances just won't allow that, I switch to a G27 on my ankle and a Kel-Tec 3AT in my pocket. Yes, I feel better armed with the first pistol, but I'll still gladly use my smaller tools rather than ever break Rule#1.
