Well, first, allow me to thank all of you for your unselfish sharing of information; especially, your experiences. I truly enjoyed reading this thread and listening to how you responsed to my original question.

I have since applied for my CPL, received it and drove down to Quantico Tactical and bought my M&P9. The folks there are great to work with and I highly recommend them.

The M&P9 is a beautiful machine, it functions much sleeker than my .38 sp and 357 Mag revolvers.

The only thing I do not like about it is the magazine. Loading the first 2-3 rounds was difficult but OK. Beyond the first few rounds, the spring gets more and more wound so, it takes a lot more pushing and shoving. It stresses me a bit because I am afraid that a missed shove can accidentally whack the primer and discharge the round. The last thing I want to see is a cartoon character discharging a round in his home while loading up the magazine.

A few images ...