Here’s what I want. A good quality weapon that I can use to maintain proficiency shooting on a target range once a month or so, with ammunition in a caliber useful for personal defense that also won’t break the bank on those monthly range outings.

My pick: the Springfield Armory XD 9832HCSP06. A .40 S&W caliber pistol, small enough for concealed carry, but the right size (with a magazine extension) to practice shooting as if it were a Beretta 92. Yes, I realize that there are plenty of other weapons on the market which meet those conditions, but having fired the XD .40 and .45 service models, I really like the XD. It fits my hand, feels like a natural extension of my arm, and fires as smoothly as anything else I’ve used. The 9832HCSP06 also has Trijicon Night Sights built in from the start, always a good thing.