How do you find the perfect handgun for yourself?

My brother sold it to me....CHEAP!

A 9mm or a .38 spl would both work well. Something relatively compact and maneuverable yet not too tiny.

At the small end of the line would be something like a snub 5-shot .38 like a Ruger LCR. Compact and effective, all you have to do is wrap your hand around the grip and start rockin'. They are easy to operate and are reliable to a fault. True, it doesn't carry a lot of rounds but to be honest, I doubt you would fire more than 2-3 shots before the party is over. The deliver excellent performance and reliability in a small package.

http://ruger.com/products/lcr/models.html

Then there is a variety of thin gripped single stacked 9mms and a selection of subcompact and compact 9mms if your hands are not too small.

I carry a Springfield XD 9mm subcompact for every day concealed carry. I have a choice of either a 13rd or longer 16rd magazine. Even though my pinky doesn't fit on the grip with the shorter 13rd magazine , the recoil is light enough that it doesn't present a problem. I have yet to find any ammo that it will not function with. The trigger is excellent and the grip safety is an added feature than I really like.

Finding the perfect gun? I have been carrying concealed for over 20 years. The XD is by far my favorite.

I would not recommend anything larger than the 9mm in autos. I see more problems with the .40 than any other caliber among my shooters. The .40 has a very snappy recoil and inexperience combined with a poor grip lends it to double feeds, failure to eject, and other malfunctions. And it doesn't seem to mind which type of firearm. I see these problems in Glocks, Sigs, Smith & Wessons, Beretta, Ruger, etc. And the .357 Sig? PASS. The ammo is grossly expensive when you can find it. The 9mm is the least expensive of all the calibers (except for .22).

You hit someone with a 9mm or .38 and they will need serious medical attention if they live long enough.

But to be honest, you start banging away at someone, they are not going to ask what caliber you are using and they are not going to say "Hey, she's only using a .38. I got nuthin' to worry about."

They are going to be doing everything in their power to get away from the crazy b*tch with the gun.

grip some of these

9mm:

Kel-tec PF9

.380:

Walther PK380

S&W Bodyguard 380

.32:

Beretta 3032

Kel-tec P32

I daily carry the S&W Bodyguard 380, my wife owns the Beretta 3032. The Walther PK380 is a slightly scaled down full size feel gun, perfect for small/medium sized hands. If I were to move over to a small 9mm daily carry gun, i'd go for the PF9. I'd actually like to have a P32 as a little slim back up gun or for summer time when i wear loose shorts often and don't want to wear a belt.

I've only shot the guns that my wife and I have and i will say that the Beretta is one sweet little shooter. It is the only metal frame gun on my list, so the weight is a little more noticeable than the polymer guns, but the weight helps make it easier to keep on target for faster follow up shots and reduction in recoil felt, even though it's a .32.

Shoot as many different handguns as you can. Walk into gun stores, ask questions. Ask shooter friends, try their guns.

Ultimately, it's a personal decision.

There are many sub-compact 9mms on the market today that are easy to carry and conceal. A .380 pocket gun is another good choice. Snub nosed .38s are popular as well

Since you didn't like 45 ACP, I think 9mm is perfect.. It's easy to find ammo for target practice and relatively cheap. More power than .38 Special, .380 ACP, 9x18, and 22LR.

Lots of firearms available in 9mm. If weight is a factor I would consider a polymer gun. Glock, XD, etc.

Visit a range and try some rental guns. Personal daily carry for me is a Kel tec PF-9. A light, slim, single stack 9mm luger. Not pretty, but easy to carry, shoots well & is no heavier than my wallet.

this is how you find a handgun-

go to local range, rent a bunch of different handguns and try them all out. write up a list of everything you liked.

go to another range, rent other handguns you haven't tried before. add to the list of guns like you liked.

visit some gun shops and ask to handle any firearms you were unable to live-fire with. look for fit, trigger pull, weight, ease of operation, sights.

now with the info collected go online, determine what's affordable and what's not, look for video or forum-based reviews on the firearms you're interested in.

might need a few more range trips with a rental before you cna make a decision on what to buy.

Rule of thumb(literally);Semi auto pistol....with your index finger extended along side of the trigger guard,your remaining three wrapped around the grip(your pinky can or cannot touch magazine bottom). Now,if your thumb touches any or all of the nail on your middle finger....you have a good fit.

If there`s a gap from the end of your thumb and the end of your middle finger .....the gun is too large for you and could be easily dropped from a healthy recoil.

Consider .40 S&W. I'm not a big fan of 9mm but it will do.

a sig in 357 it barks loud and has the knock down,,and is a gun of a life time. The .357 SIG provided a self-defense cartridge close in performance to a 125 gr .357 Magnum, but from a semi-automatic pistol with greater ammunition capacity

Go to a gun shop that has a shooting range.. they will normally allow you to shoot different types of handguns if your looking to buy one