.22 ammo can't be beat for the price. Another nice thing about having a. 22 is that if others are interested in learning to shoot, it's much easier for a newbie (especially women) to initially feel comfortable starting with a 22. Personally, I wouldn't feel at all comfortable relying on a .22 for self defense. If you're ever in a situation where you would need to protect yourself, a. 22 just doesn't have the stopping power of a larger caliber.
I currently have a .357 for home and a. 38 snubnose for carry, though I don't carry much at all anymore. NH has easy carry laws so I've had a concealed-carry permit for the 20 years I've lived here, though that was pretty much for driving home from a wedding at 2am with $50k worth of equipment in my marked van.
I had a compact S&W 9mm that I loved in many respects. It was a compact model with pre-ban magazines (13 in the magazine + 1 in the chamber) and it fit my hand perfectly) I had one jam at a range that spooked me though, and without having the time to practice at the range like I used to, I decided that if my life were to ever depend on it, it was better to have 5-6 reliable shots from a revolver than to possibly have a jam in a pistol. I'm still not sure I don't regret selling it though.
You really have to make a determination if you want something for the range, something for carrying, something for home protection, etc. Though there is absolutely some crossover there, I've certainly learned to understand why many gun owners own more than one; sometimes, one gun just doesn't fill multiple roles or needs.
