My first handgun was an EAA .45 Witness P when I was 20. I didn't have a license to carry, it stayed at home for personal protection after some uncanny events. Let's just say I was shot at 5 times for no reason on my own front porch.
XDM 40. Still have it and plan on keeping it. Definitely glad I decided to pay extra for better quality, rather than buying cheap. Based on my experience with the XDM I stand by "you pay for what you get" even more!