Lol I don't get how this turned into a cheap vs expensive gun contest. My Kahr is pretty goddamned expensive. I also don't think it's worth near it's cost unless you just happen to want a stainless steel striker fire and don't mind going with a single stack. My TRR8 is crazy expensive but in comparison, I think it's actually a decent value for what you get.
I sold a RIA M206 recently after sending it in for a timing issue and it coming back with even worse problems. Out of the box though, I thought that gun was just as good as my Colt Cobra for all defensive purposes. I don't get it lol. If someone wants to carry a cheap guy, why does it matter? If someone wants to carry an expensive gun, why does it matter?
Price wouldn't necessarily stop me from carrying something unless it was too extremely rare to ever replace. The chances of ever being involved in a self defense shooting are incredibly low for most people. The only time I've ever even seen it as even somewhat likely was when I lived deep in the hood where shootings occurred outside my apartment on a weekly basis. At the time I carried a 45 single action revolver. I knew it would get the job done if absolutely necessary, and I knew I'd have to be very deliberate with it.