OK, agreed. Just one bone of contention-

.45 auto is a low pressure cartridge that doesn't wear guns nearly as much as the higher pressure .40 that earlier, manufacturers tried to stuff in their 9mm framed guns (without adequate modification for the greater recoil energy). Don't know about the .357 sig.

I know that .40 has nearly the bolt thrust of its parent cartridge the 10mm and has been shown to wear guns faster then those chambered for 9mm, especially when both guns are of the same physical dimensions...... and that .357 sig runs at a higher chamber pressure then all of the above.

When it comes down to it I agree that 9mm costs less and is easier to handle (for some folks), but .45 auto isn't likely to wear guns like a .40 or .357 sig might.

Personally I feel that .45 auto handles just as well as a 9mm and has the advantage of being a bigger bullet, which under the performance constraints of handgun ballistics gives just a hair of advantage in overall wounding given larger diameter and sectional density which ensures a greater propensity to straight line penetration to vitals (given we do our job and place our shots well) over smaller, lighter bullets.

But I'm comfortable with .380(heck my personal "minimum" is .32, and .22lr has seen service with Mossad and such and been successful, but I do not recommend rimfire cartridges for anything but target practice).

9x19 luger is a fine cartridge and will get the job done. I particularly appreciate the 9mm in smaller single stack guns that make the vaunted Walther PPK look anachronistic in both weight, power, and capacity when it comes to concealed carry of handguns relating to personal defense these days.
I'm literally biding my time and cultivating my patience for a Shield chambered in such, when it comes to budget and convincing my significant other to allow me to make (yet another) purchase . Can't wait to get my hands on one!

But .45 auto gives us some slight (but real) advantages over the smaller bores.

I think people need to accept that while we -can- get the job done with smaller cartridges, there are -some- (albeit, perhaps, not tremendous) advantages to the bigger bores. Learning to handle the bigger bores as well as the lighter ones, if possible, gives us some, (even if slight) advantage, and when it comes down to it, advantages, even small ones, count.

I think the 9mm craze is a bit misguided, if it results in totally abandoning the bigger bore guns entirely.

But thats just MHO. YMMV.