[Z-man]

Sad to hear you were robbed. There are many bad people in this world that take advantage of those who work hard for their money...

A couple of points:

1. The use of a firearm for self defense should be used as the last resort.
2. That said, it is hard to determine if a perp just wants your wallet and phone, or if he also wants to cause harm to you. Also difficult to know if he has a firearm as well, if he hasn't drawn.
3. Know your laws. Understand your state laws and what the ramifications are if you wind up using a gun in any situation. Know the laws of whatever state you will travel to. There are many intricacies in firearm laws that essentially turn law-abiding citizens into felons. Don't get tripped up in those laws! Firearm transport rules and ammunition types (hollow-points) are two of the biggest tripping points.
4. If you use your gun in a home defense situation, YOU WILL LIKELY BE ARRESTED. Be mindful of what you say when the police are at the scene. Anything you say will be used by the plantiff's lawyer. Again - understand the laws and what implications they have in that situation.
5. You will need to go for CCW training to carry concealed. Just because you have a CCW permit in your state, that does not mean other states will honor it. (Note: you can get a Utah non-resident CCW as well as a Florida non-resident CCW - and the combination of those two will cover over 40 states). Some states do not have any reciprocity for other state's CCW. (NJ, for example, does not honor any other state's CCW).
6. Regarding the weight of the gun -- the heaviest part of the gun is the moral implications: are you ready and willing to take another's life to defend yours? That burden weighs heavily on your shoulders...
7. Training I essential - but do not be frustrated if you can't get consistent bull's eyes. You just need to be able to hit center of mass (~ 2 foot diameter target) from 5-10 feet.

A couple of questions regarding CCW:
1. Anyone use a Walther PPKS for CCW?
2. Many say that you need 9mm or greater for CCW, but I believe that a hard to handle small framed .45 caliber firearm is less effective in putting bullets into a perp than a smaller caliber (.380 or 9mm) firearm is. Control is key.
3. Condition 1 (Locked and cocked) vs. One in the chamber and decocked. I have been trained that one in the chamber and decocked (double-action) is a better bet, since there is no need to switch the safety off before firing, but you have the 'safety' of a heavier trigger pull. If you CCW, how do you carry?

Thanks,
-Z