Always carry. Ruger 380 LCP, Walther PPK, Sig 239 SAS 9mm. The Ruger is good for a maximum accuracy of 10 feet, and most confrontations are within that zone. I am retired military and have maintained most of my firearm proficiency by hitting the range frequently. A Double Tap with the Ruger leaves me 5 additional rounds, which is plenty.
My biggest concern is those people who carry, that do not hit the range. They are just as dangerous as those that aim to do harm. They tend to Spray-N-Pray during extreme panic. I recommend anyone who carries, hit the range a minimum of once a month, for 200 rounds. It is best to hit it every 10-15 days, for 150 rounds minimum to retain proficiency and confidence. If you do not, then your results of your response may not be what you have visualized in your head. It is difficult to practice "Real-Life Training" scenarios like military units do, but constantly hitting the range and focusing on target acquisition and accuracy will improve your real life results. I recommend placing only a few rounds in High-Capacity magazines so that you focus on sending each round down range, analyzing its placement, then focusing on the next. 17 rounds in a magazine equates to 17 innocent by-standers. Visualize hitting a innocent bystander 100 yards past your intended target. Visualize that being a child. Conceal Carry is something every honorable American should do, its just that I believe we all should responsibly conceal carry.
Practice Point-Shooting technique until your grouping of 5 rounds, at 12 feet (measured), can be covered by a paper plate, then decrease the time it takes to send those 5 rounds to 3 seconds, then decrease the size of plate.