Did you go back and try it with the .40? One of the digs against the 9 has been over penetration?
I still prefer my little LCP for close up fighting, and a Kbar for intimate defense. No flashlights for me. I like the dark. I know my house better than an intruder, and I seem to be able to see pretty good in the dark, considering my aging eyesight. I guess the jungles of Nam gave me a pretty good instinct for stealth.