Ask yourself "what's your life worth".. you'll hear this comment over and over again from the webwarriors, yet they're not buying new $40K+ cars every year to have the latest in safety when out and about. This is despite the fact that any one of us who operates a motor vehicle is much more likely to encounter a threat to our safety in doing so than one coming in the form of an aggressor (unless they're engaging in a risky lifestyle.)
For HD/SD, a Taurus that you know to function and do so well in your hands will do fine. Those same people who believe they should be armed at all times are, in fact, telling you to wait to be armed, aren't they? Remember the first rule of gunfighting, right? Have a gun!
More justifiable defensive shootings not involving LE or military personnel involve these so-called "lesser" arms than the Kahrs, Kimbers, Sigs, etc, because that's what people who live in the parts of the country more likely to contain these threats have. Most of the cases I've read up on that identified the defender's weapon type include Rossi .38s, Lorcin/Davis-type .25 and .380 pistols, no-name single-barrel or double-barrel shotguns, and various .22 and .32 caliber revolvers. These are the "beer-budget" arms people living "beer-budget" lives have when firearms isn't a pastime for them. I don't own a single firearm valued today at more than $400, but I trust any of the ones I keep for defensive purposes to do me as intended. They include a Taurus 4" 66 revolver, a Charter Arms Undercover .38, and a Bersa Thunder .380 pistol. The first is primarily a HD gun; one of the other two is on me at all (dressed) times.