Your suggestions please...

[kt]

as for the calibers, i would say get a nine. The 40 has many fans, i just find it to be a bit more snappy in the recoil among similarly sized guns. besides, you mentioned plinking, walmart winchester white box is running 10 bucks for 100 rounds, thats not happening in a 40 any time soon (although they are pretty cheap in quantity too) as far as carry rounds 9mm has some hot loads with a few manufacturers producing +P rounds and a few making +P+ rounds. these rounds get very close to the KE if not surpass the KE of a 40. So knock down power is out there to be had. As for the guns, i like the size of the kahr arms pistol, particularly the MK series, Kahr however doesnt have the mag capacity of other manufacturers. and it is rumored that their polymer frames still have a few glitches to be worked. You wont hear to many complaints about the XD series, they are fine guns, well i hear the finish isnt that great. taurus, well its not for me, Now i love glocks its just that i have been shooting them for some time. If i were to recommend one for you to test fire somewhere i would recomment a glock 19 (its a nine) a joy on the range and concealable unless you're a pygmy! kt
PS, i agree with the above post that a 357/38 wouldnt be bad either