I carry a Springfield Armory XD-45 anytime I leave the house, and occasionally, have my wife's Rossi SS 5-shot, .38 spl as a BU. I feel the popularity of a handgun means nothing, as each of us has an opinion about what the perfect gun is. You know what tehy say about opinions, they are like navels, everyone has one. The popularity of any gun means less to me than a bucket of warm spit. I chose my particular weapon for ease of use, reliablity and number of rounds. It is not a novice's gun, as it takes some knowledge about firearms to be prficient and safe with it.