I just got the taurus pt145 .45 cal. it is a great gun. However for me, my ruger p95 9mm is easier to disassemble and clean. It is a 4 inch barrel and probably wouldn't be as good to conceal. Ruger just released a sr9c, it is a 9mm compact model of the sr9 and it is in your price range, lots of good guns are. A .45 is a larger caliber, but a 9mm is just is good for self-defense if you learn how to shoot it right. Like everyone else says, shoot lots of guns and get the feel of them, pick out the one you are comfortable with.