Like others have said, the 9mm round is cheaper, which means you can hit the range more often.

And like other posters have said, police officers and federal agents are using a lot of .40S&W and a lot of Glocks.

I'm no expert by any means, but should you choose a Glock in .40S&W, I don't think you'll have any problems in the self-defense area. If those guys find it works well, you probably will too. Nonetheless, it all comes down to what you like/choose and are able to use effectively.

I happen to like how easy the Glocks come apart. Super easy to clean often which is a GOOD thing. The G23 seems to be a good size between too-big-to-conceal and too-small-to-handle.

The safety on the trigger -- not my favorite idea, but your finger shouldn't be on the trigger anyway. If it worries you that much don't keep a round chambered all the time.

Here's the web site for "Glock Talk": http://glocktalk.com/

I'd also choose a good CCW class -- one taught by law enforcement folks. Worth its weight in gold.

On a side note; anyone use that "UDAP" bear pepper spray? Looks promising, might buy a bottle to keep for the woods.