Herr Walther had a propensity for making slightly under-powered "gentleman" pistols and then bolstered their reputation by forcing them down the police forces of Europe's throats.
Some of them are works of art and some very good rip-offs are out there, as in Bersa.
I do possess a Walther and a couple of Bersa's, one in .380 that I carry daily.
I carry it daily because I have confidence in my ability to put the docile little round pretty damned close to where it will do the most good.
(Or bad?)
In any event, I've found that a lot of folks will gradually give up on carry if the chosen carry pistol is too heavy.
After about a week of daily carry of a 44 ounce 1911 and a weighty pair of magazines...a lot, and I do mean a LOT of them, will simply lay it aside.
Plus, investing a grand or so in a pistol that you may have to give up to the DA for several eons, if you use it in lawful defense, is not appealing.
Ergo...the used Bersa Thunder .380.
Light, cheap (less $125 or so used, about $300 new) and will hold 9 rounds of specialized ammo (some are hitting around 1100 fps now)...not bad for an old geezer that want's nothing more than to be left alone.
As for Messrs Heckler and Koch...I love 'em, but they are sure as hell proud of them and although I do have one...it's not a carry gun, for the reason I stated above.
Same for Sig...whatever his name is.
At this stage of my life, having made sensible investments and living longer than most would have bet on, I possess the means to own pretty much whatever firearm I happen to fancy, but age and prosperity has not rendered me stupid.
I will not give up a gun to a DA simply because I defended my life with it, unless said gun is a quality "throw away".
Can you imagine the heartache associated with surrendering a custom Ed Brown or Les Baer or even a built H & K, to a heartless District Attorney, simply because such costly precision had been used to defend your own life?
I’m curious as to how you would be able to deny a police order to surrender your firearm as evidence after a shooting. Not to say that such would be impossible, just wondering what the process would be. My home defense weapon is a KSG, which is not an inexpensive tool, and I too would like to be able to retain it in the aftermath of an encounter, especially since I would have to think that thre are probably a few members of the criminal element bright enough to conclude that a homeowner might well be disarmed in the immediate aftermath of a breakin and decide to try their luck.
Certainly, I might have other firearms at my disposal, but they might not be the best solution for home defense e.g. Savage 700 or something.