In all reality, it was asked that you didn't get into the politics of it Lorton, you have a valid opinion, just like I do. So to present both sides of the coin, here is mine. I pack, and I believe in the right a person has to defend themselves by anymeans necissary and the right to bear arms. For me, if you have made the decision to harm me or my family, then you have made the following decisions. 1.) your life is now forfeit
2.) You are willing to face to consequences of your actions, which dictate that I will use what ever force necissary. If im going to shoot, I shoot to kill, not maim. As long as there is more than one person in the world, there will be violence. That is human nature and no amount of "hugging" will ever change that. Police can't be everywhere at once. Try living in the Midwest.
that said, believe it or not, I pack a Walther P22. It is a Semi automatic pistol firing a .22 Long rifle round. The rounds are extremely cheap, something like .03 a round, they don't kick for anything, and they are compartivily quite. I do not have to worry about overpenetration (rounds going through the bad guy and into innocents on the other side). The smaller size and power of the .22 also mean that my round penetrates and then ricochets inside the target, causing massive damage. The Walther P22 offers a lot of the features of bigger, more expensive military grade hardware like Single Action/Double action, an integrated picatinny rail, Hi-vis three dot sights, multiple redundant safeties, a loaded chamber indicator, last round lock open, a 10 round box magazine, tool-less field stripping for cleaning, and easy maintenance and customization.
Revolver vs Semi auto does not denote power, only technology, formfactor, and capacity. Yes, there are some rounds that traditionally come in one formfactor versus the other. You don't see a whole lot of 9mm revolvers. I only know of one .44 remington mag semi (desert eagle).
There are other issues to consider for concealed carry. Size, weight, reliability, penetration, stopping power. Form factor not so much. There are hammerless revolvers, and semi's with hammers. You have Single action and double action. I can get a revolver with a one inch barrel and a pistol with a 7 inch barrell. First get a formfactor that you are comfortable with, and a caliber that you can shoot well. I don't care how big a handcannon you are packing, when it comes to a situation, you are the one firing that gun, and you have to operate that weapon like it is an extenstion of your own body.