I thought I found the perfect conceal carry gun in a Smith & Wesson 642. I decided it wasn't so perfect and I wanted more power, longer sight radius, and less recoil.
I thought I found the perfect conceal carry gun in a Kimber Pro Carry 1911 (aluminum frame with a 4" barrel). I liked the power, long sight radius, and lightweight. However, I decided it wasn't so perfect because I wanted less recoil.
I thought I found the perfect conceal carry gun in a Colt XSE Combat Commander 1911 (steel frame with a 4.25" barrel). I liked the power, long sight radius, and low recoil. However, I decided it wasn't so perfect because I wanted a gun that didn't weigh a ton.
I thought I found the perfect conceal carry gun in a Smith & Wesson M&P Compact .40 S&W. I liked the power and lightweight. However, I decided it wasn't so perfect because I was back to what I had with the 642. I wanted a longer sight radius and less recoil.
Now I think I found the perfect conceal carry gun in a Smith & Wesson M&P full size 9mm. It's lightweight, low recoil, and has a long sight radius.
See where I'm going with this?
Finding the perfect conceal carry gun is hard. Renting several guns is a good idea, but you never really know until you lived your life day-in-day-out with your choice of gun on your hip all day long.
Two points I would like you to consider:
I'm skinny. I'm 5' 10" and 145 lbs. A good belt and a good holster makes life carrying a gun so much more practical. I carry my full size M&P inside-the-waistband with a Comp-tac Infidel holster. My belt is a 1.5" kydex reinforsed leather belt made specifically for conceal carry. The holster and gun are very stable and well concealed under a teeshirt.
You don't have to spend $1,000. For that budget you can buy a $500 M&P, XD, or Glock, $150 on a good holster and belt, and have $350 left over for ammo. I paid $450 for my full size M&P.