The more I think about it, the more a 9mm 1911 seems like a good choice. Are they generally pretty heavy?
A steel framed 5" 1911 will run about 42 ounces .... a 3" alloy framed gun will be a little over half that. My Springfield EMP is 26 ounces, empty.
Why is it that you want an exposed hammer on a revolver?
If it's because you shoot your 617 better in single action (cocking the hammer first) ..... then maybe a double action carry gun is not for you, unless you invest the time and ammo to master the DA trigger pull.
I settled on the 1911 mostly for that reason: I shot my DA revolver very well if I thumbed the hammer back ..... but if I had to pull through the DA .... not so much. I was told that in a self defense situation, there would not be time to be thumbing the trigger back ...... the 1911's SA trigger most closely matched the SA trigger on the gun I had .....
The 1911, IMO, is also easier to conceal than a revolver: it is flat, so it rides IWB better than a revolver, that is ......well,
round. I never did find a comfortable way to carry my sp101 IWB..... which incidentally also had a 3" barrel, weighed an oz. more than the EMP, had half the capacity (5 rounds vs. the 9+1 of the EMP) ..... it pushed a 158 gr Hornady XTP about the same speed that the EMP pushed a 124 XTP ...... but I didn't think anybody on the recieving end would notice the 34 grain difference, given the supersonic velocities involved
I really would like to keep the price down for initial purchase.
1911's can be spendy ...... good ones in 9mm especially so .....
The Ruger sR9c is, IMO, the best value in a CCW pistol out there- can be had for just over $400, reliable, good trigger, concealable .....
I've been trying to get to the range once per week to work on my technique, but that doesnt always happnen.
If cost is keeping you away from the range, then my best advice is learn to handload- a basic set-up will cost you less than $100, and save you around 50% on ammo...... and you'll learn quite a lot in the process. It's not that complicated, really.