I've been doing a little bit of searching and trying to find a good handgun.  I'm not against a revolver, but I do like that a pistol can be thinner.  and I like the composite grips on many of the newer guns, but wouldn't be opposed to a full steel either.  One thing I am sure of is that I do not want a full size gun.  I would prefer to have a compact or even a lightweight compact.  As far as caliber I've chosed 9mm because bullets are smaller so the gun can be smaller/lighter and cheaper.  Capacity isn't a concern, most guns i've looked at hold about 7 or more, and if I can't hit a target in 7 shots I'll be selling my gun for the safety of everyone around me. 

So with all of that in mind I've sort of narrowed it to the Ruger SP9c and S&W M&P9c.  I like the Ruger much more because of things like the chamber and hammer flags for safety as well as the more solid action of the trigger, but I do like the fish scales on the S&W slade and the S&W's left hand option (I'm left handed, but I guess I could learn to shoot right). 

My question to you guys is if you have any suggestions of different guns that are similar to the ones mentioned above w/ possibly better left handed options.  The chamber and hammer flags for me are a must so I guess the S&W is out either way. 

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My dad has the LC9 and I like the feel of it and I like how thin it is.  Takedown is a bit weird though and I want to feel the difference between it and the thicker handled SR9c.  Is the only difference between the LC9 and LC9s the trigger safety? 

Great trigger, less take up, and you aren't having to pull back a hammer, safety on trigger.  Drawback if you don't have strong wrist the slide spring is firm to pull back, so your reloads can't be under minimum to cut down on recoil.  But I didn't buy for weak ammo I wanted full power for my carry gun.  It was 358.00 and beat the cheapos I was looking at Before I bought her. 

I alternate between my LC9, a J frame S&W .357 magnum and a full size FNS-9 for IWB concealed carry.  For open carry in the woods and such, I carry either my FNX.45 or my 686 plus.  Those are a few of my favorites.  I hear great things about the Walther PPQ.  Lots of good recommendations already. 

My first carry gun was a .38 Ruger LCR.  I did some online research first but essentially bought it on a whim without shooting it first (or anything else for that matter).  It was a decent little revolver, but over the last year I've found myself shooting a lot of other guns with family members who became interested in carry after I started. 

A few days ago I traded in my LCR for a 9mm XDS and couldn't be happier (better trigger, easier to conceal, more comfortable to carry, etc). 

Just like some of the guys have said already, there's no substitute for shooting some guns yourself!  Everyone's hands and preferences are different so even while asking for recommendations on a forum is a great start it's no substitution for the real thing.  I love my XDS and would recommend it to anyone, but I'm sure there some folks out there that can't stand it! 

Long story short, spend some extra time and a few bucks to get some hands on experience so you can get the right gun the first time.  I wasted $150 on holsters for a gun I owned for less than a year and now have to start the process all over again for my XDS.