modiecast... yes, absolutely! Practice is the KEY!
I have a bunch of handguns in three-eighty, thirty-eight, three-five-seven, nine, forty, forty-four, forty-four magnum, forty-five, forty-five Colt, and twenty-two.
Nine is cool, for sure. And if I can only pack a reaaally little gun (Kahr PM-9), then nine will do for me too. My Browning HP in 9 is nice, but my BHP's in forty are even better.
No doubt that a nine with the best ammo you can stuff in it may suffice for the evil you might face. But let's not forget that ANY handgun caliber is a mediocre man stopper, AT BEST! If the balloon goes up and you are facing your worst nightmare, you will wish you had at least a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with buck. If you're lucky, you'll at least have a handgun and you will probably hope for the most potent load you can put in your hand and still shoot reasonably well!
I just pushed a quick 21 rounds (two mags+) through my 40C before I head off for bed (I shoot in my laundry room before retiring for the night). Gotta say, this little 40 Compact is incredibly easy to shoot well and is stone reliable... I really see no reason not to go for forty, in my humble opinion anyway. YES< of course, I'd be happy to have a nine, but much happier with a forty... when the chips are down. 8)