Recommendations on middle of the road pistol for personal defense, no CC

Obviously depends how the gun feels in your hand but this is a great deal on a S&W M&P 9mm for $350

Revolvers are super reliable (as are the majority of modern semi-automatics) but you are limited to 6 rounds while a semi-auto 9mm holds between 15-17 rounds. With having a second magazine you're up to 30-34 rounds.

Chances you'll find yourself in a situation where you'd need that many are unlikely but I would hate to pull the trigger and hear a click when I need to hear a boom

Some good deals posted.

AimSurplus has Glock 17 trade in pistols for $379. They have other trade in pistols as well.

I have one handgun. I figured it would probably be the only one I ever buy. I'd always admired 1911's. I figured if I was going to buy one handgun in my life, I might as well get what I liked. So, I bought a Ruger SR1911. I rarely carry it, but I have it when I want it.

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not looking for the Cadillac but also don't want to regret my purchase and have an unreliable firearm.

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This should be Glock's motto. They ain't anything special to look at, but they are reliable as they come for a semi-auto. I would go with the G17.

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I'd like to invest in a quality piece for use in personal defense situations either as a bedside option or in the truck during long road trips.

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Since you will never actually have to use it for these, just go ahead and get a 1911.

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I'm not looking for the Cadillac but also don't want to regret my purchase and have an unreliable firearm. All that being said, what is the price range I should be looking in and what brands should I consider? Thanks and yes I realize this is essentially a Ford/Chevy debate.

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Like you lifelong gun owner but only have five pistols, all very reliable.
My everyday carry is a full size Kimber 1911. I'm 6'3", I'm use to it. I use a cheap inside the pants holster nothing special = knuckle dragger. I purchased a FNH 9mm compact it's not comfortable to carry at all to me. I know your talking bedside and whatnot but I'm sure this is just a step towards carrying everyday. What your comfortable with is key. When talking brands people will literally loose their minds. I may be crucified for name dropping but Glock, FNH, HK, Ruger, Remington, Kimber are a few good names to consider off the top of my head. YouTube is your friend but watch out for sponsor supported channels. hickock45 and Jeff Quinn @ Gunblastdotcom both sponsored but give fair reviews and information.

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personal defense situations

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I encourage a buy once cry once attitude

Any mid-full size 9mm of your liking.

few recs i'd look into in no particular order.

Glock 19
H&K VP9
Springfield XDM
Canik tp9sf

I'll toss out the Walther PPQ 9mm. Reliable, comfortable and an accurate shooter with a sweet trigger. Reasonably priced too.

1. This isn't a ford chevy debate. This is a question of picking a gun that you might have to use to protect your life or that of a family member. I understand that having to use it is a low probability event -- but if the need were to arise, it'll be a high consequence event.

2. Price shouldn't be a big consideration - unless you can assign a specific value to your life. What you want is the most reliable handgun you can buy. You can get a NIB G19 on Gunbroker for $500. The Smith M&P is even cheaper.

3. In revolvers: Get a Smith & Wesson or a Ruger. Don't be tempted to drop down to something like a Rossi just because it's cheaper.

4. In semi-autos, there are two choices that offer high reliability and moderate cost.

.... a. 9mm Smith & Wesson (the M&P version, not the cheaper "Sigma/SDVE" version with the crappy triggers). Get the M&P 9 or the Compact M&P 9. Wait and get a Shield for a second "backup gun" (The Shield will be harder to shoot well compared to the "normal sized" M&P's).

.... b. 9mm Glock (G19 or G17) - not one of the smaller G26 or G43 (these little models are a lot harder to shoot well compared to the G19 or the G17).

.... c. There are other reliable semi-auto handguns out there (SIG, H-K, Ruger, Beretta). But 85-90% of law enforcement carries Glocks and M&P's.(~ 67% carry Glocks)

5. Unless you have really small hands, ignore the advice to get what "feels good in your hands." This gets posted a lot, and it's not really a valid consideration for 98.2378% of purchasers. You'll get used to "the feel" --- just like you'd get used to the feel of driving my truck if you and I swapped vehicles for a week.

6. Somebody mentioned the Beretta PX4. It shares three of the bad same attributes of the 92FS -- (a) slide mounted safety, (b)safety lever that flips the "wrong way" (lever must be flipped up to deactivate the safety) and (3) DA/SA trigger (very few LEO agencies allow DA/SA trigger these days).

Keep it simple -- go buy a new or a used Glock 19.