Need some help from an expert

Question
Hi, I'm looking into purchasing a firearm for self defense, but not sure which kind to get, in that im not really up to knowledge of the modern better calibers. My price range is kinda low, id say $500 or under. I just but a magazine with 1000 firearms and looked throught it all night, and Ill tell you what i like about a few and what i dont, and from there i hope you can offer your opinion to what the best combination is in your opinion. First is 9mm good> higher capacity magazines, fast shooting, low recoil, bad> not as much knockdown power as other calibers available.
second is .40 good> pretty much an all around cartridge adopted by law enforcement, in between 9mm and .45. Bad> still not the most powerful out there. Third .45 good> the biggest out there, (well there are a few bigger but i dont care about those), great knockdown power. Bad> slow, upclose is accurate but then for further distances not so good, extra recoil. fourth .357 magnum
( not sig too expensive) 2 in. barrel rossi/taurus
Good> top on the stopper list, fast, great round, i could go on... Bad> only 6 shots , extra recoil.
Almost done...
10mm full power, was looking at eaa witness 10mm
Good> I hear this beats a 45 acp in speed, and power, a hell of a powerful round and stopping power. Bad> overpenetration hitting an innocent bystandard, way too much recoil. And finally!
44 magnum 4 inch barrel Taurus revolver. Good> the biggest and baddest I  think... just a great stopper (this was the one i was looking at because of its stopping power) but again im asking you And the Bad> way to much recoil, can i comfortably carry it concealed? it is kinda big? well anyway thats what i have looked at, and so i hope you can give me your opinion on the best for self defense with all good and bads that there are out there. Thanx and sorry for all the drag on! Have a happy new year!,
                    Irvin


Answer
Ivan,

You've already done a lot of research, so I'll give you my opinions.

For a self defense handgun, unless someone is really uncomfortable with an auto-loading pistol, a revolver would not be my choice because capacity is low and reloading is slow.  Increasingly, assailants are multiple and even with "wonder calibers" (all handguns, .44 Magnum excepted, are inherently weak) it seems to take more than one hit to convince them.

According to shooting data collected by E. Sanow (yes, people will gain-say Sanow's data, not "scientific" and all that, but it's the only data we have, and he's compiled a lot of actual cases), the .40 is the best incapacitator, followed by the .45 slightly trailing.  The 9mm is respectable with the right ammunition (Winchester SXT or Speer Gold Dot), and not far behind the .45.

Follow-up shots, either for an unconvinced assailant, or the partner he has with him IS an issue, so you want to shoot all three of those calibers and see which one you can handle comfortably (although with practice, none of them should give you trouble).

Speaking of practice, the 9mm will allow you to do that most easily, as ammuntion is plentiful and cheap.  I would rather carry something I'll practice with than what the gun rags tell me is good.  Guns are not magic wands, they required dedicated practice to use them proficiently.

The best fighting handguns are the ones the cops carry: Glock, SIG, H&K and Beretta.

You'll need to see which fits your hand the best, and I won't go cheap just to get a gun that didn't fit or feel right to you.

Of those guns, the Glock and Beretta are going to be the least expensive, and my choice would be the Glock, even it cost twice what the others do.  It's reliable, accurate, fits my hand well, and I can shoot it well.

If it's going to be a "house gun" (not carried concealed), consider getting the larger Glock 17 (9mm) or Glock 22 (.40).  The first has a 17 round magazine, the second a 15 round magazine.

If carrying concealed is an issue, look into the Glock 19 (9mm) or Glock 23 (.40), the first having a 15 round magazine, the second a 13 round mag.

I don't recommend the sub-compacts (Glock 26 & 27 respectively) for a first or only handgun - harder to control the recoil, shorter sight radius, etc.)

That's my recommendation, but the thing about Glocks is that you either love 'em or you hate 'em, and you'll know which it is for you as soon as you hold the thing is your hand.

Above all, find a place where you can get self-defense (as opposed to target, or basic gun-handling) training with a handgun, get trained and practice what you learn there.  We focus a lot on the tools, but its always the man, not the tool that determines the outcome of a confrontation.

Let me know if I can assist you further.  God bless you in the new year.