Get a Sig Sauer, Glock 17 or Springfield Armory XDM (9 or 40). You cannot go wrong with any of these weapons.
With the new wave of criminal activity due to the economy working its way to a neighborhood near me, I am looking into buying a handgun for home defense (lots of tight walls at home—I just don’t see myself wielding a pump-action around the bend of a wall to ward off uninvited “guests”). I’ve looked at the Springfield web-site (at the XDm .40 cal.) I liked some of the selling points about safety, ergonomics, etc., but it seems a bit pricey. I’m looking for something that I’ll feel comfortable with and that will do the job. Can you offer any personal insights?