I have a Bersa Thunder 9 Ultra Compact. Great Carry Gun. Will shoot anything you put into it. You can get it for around $350 with 2 mags. Then buy two more mags for $40 each. Then buy custom holster from ubgholsters.com for $70.So for about $500 plus tax you can have a great gun with lots of mags and something to carry it with. Also consider the Thunder 9 High Capacity as it isn't too large to carry and has longer barrell and more mag cap than T9UC. Probably about 20-30 dollars more than UC. You should be able to find something in your range of great quality. Hope this helps.