Think concealable, reliable, tough and comfortable
Smith and Wesson M&P Shield in 9mm or .40 Caliber
That’s what I had. The 9mm that is. But I lost it in a tragic boating accident.
Not the sexiest choice but a my favorite functional outlier for close range self defense:
Bond Arms Snake Slayer (or any other .410 gauge Derringer style that sprays multiple slugs and requires little skill under pressure to effectively neutralize a potential threat.)
http://bondarms.com/bond-arms-handguns/snake-slayer/