A .22 is not a bad choice....but I would add a Browning Buckmark to your short list...and it has the same grip angle as a 1911 ...which is probably where you're going long term.
A 1911 is a great platform ...and available in 9mm as well ....from Springfield and others for under $1,000. There is nothing wrong with a 1911 for a carry gun / I carry a 5" 1911 ...and in a good holster Inside Waist Band ...its just fine.
Every handgun platform requires a learning / training curve...but I think the 1911 learning curve is shorter than most - primarily because the design of the trigger is better...and the controls are intuitive and easy to manipulate. Don't let anyone talk you out of a 1911 - if that's what you want !
A 1911 is a great platform ...and available in 9mm as well ....from Springfield and others for under $1,000. There is nothing wrong with a 1911 for a carry gun / I carry a 5" 1911 ...and in a good holster Inside Waist Band ...its just fine.
Every handgun platform requires a learning / training curve...but I think the 1911 learning curve is shorter than most - primarily because the design of the trigger is better...and the controls are intuitive and easy to manipulate. Don't let anyone talk you out of a 1911 - if that's what you want !