Here's another vote for a Mak. I have a BHP and shoot it better than any of my other handguns, but it is way too big for me to conceal. For potential carry I have KelTec P11 (9mm Luger), a KelTec P3AT (9mm Short, aka 380) and the Mak (9.2mm, actually.) The Mak is larger and heavier than either of the other two. It is less powerful than, and carries 2 fewer rounds than, the P11. I carry the Mak.
The Mak is a hoot to shoot, whereas the P11 starts to hurt my wrist and elbow after a couple of magazines (too many years of 44 Magnum are catching up with my joints.) As a result, practice with the P11 is a challenge. The hottest 115g JHP load I've fired in 9mm Luger is Speer's Gold Dot, at 1280 fps (from the Browning - would be less from a shorter barrel.) Brown Bear 115g JHP goes out of the Makarov just over 1000 fps. The muzzle energies in foot-pounds are 255 (9 Mak) and 418 (9 Luger.) The Mak is below the BHP in power, but is still ahead of another commonly-recommended defense gun, the 38 Special snub nose - my 2" S&W sends a Federal +P 158g (I think, but it might be lighter in which case lower energy) JHP downrange at 819fps, for 235 ft-lbs of energy. And that gun is REALLY no fun to shoot.
The Mak has been dead-nuts reliable with anything I've shot in it, including a wide variety of my own handloads. It is also one of the simplest of autoloaders (only 27 parts), detail strips almost completely using a screwdriver and needle nose pliers or dental pick (or just the issue cleaning rod), has spare parts available at very low cost, and has an active following on the net with lots of info on self-maintenance and self-improvement of the gun (I smoothed and lightened the trigger pull quite nicely with just a Dremel tool, following published info.)
The challenge many Mak owners face is the difficulty of refraining from buying a second one.
There's just something about the things that makes you want more than one. I have a Bulgarian ($210, barely used) and an East German ($325 with 2 mags + holster, showing holster wear but excellent mechanicals.) The EG is a much smoother working gun, and worth the extra (to me, at least.)