There have been some great points made so far, and some questions I want to ask/answer, and one thing I omitted from the original post that I shouldn't have: Due to the fact that it will be a carry gun, I want a polymer/alloy framed weapon to keep the weight down - otherwise, I would just go with a high end 1911 platform like a Kimber or Baer Custom, and be done with it.
I had a Taurus for YEARS....great pistol !!! Never had a jam.
Mine was the full-size 9mm (like Mel Gibson's in "Lethal Weapon")
Agreed. And the new 24/7 platform is impressive. I think Taurus is a very underrated gun maker.
Am somewhat familiar with the Sig P220 and it's a good piece and the local PD in Albany just switched to it but in the .357 magnum for better penetration....when I was in the PD here the last pistol I carried was the 9mm Glock and liked that also.....if I had to chose I would go with the Sig.
I'm with you man! Of all the guns I've handled so far, the Sig fits my hand best and stays on target better, even double action. Though I hear that as of late, there are some issues with quality with the Sigs. Something to do with a new executive that joined the company going with cheaper production processes. (?)
I'm very partial to my HK
I had disqualified the HK's because I thought they weren't polymer/alloy. But the pic of yours, that looks like a polymer framed gun. Is it? (I'll be travelling over to HK's website to have a look-see.) Is it a Double Action/Single Action?
There are other issues that need to be thought about in making your decision.
When and where are you going to carry it? If you are going to carry it all the time, then weight comes into play along with HOW you will conceal it. Side carry, in-side the belt, outside the belt, small of the back, shoulder holster, the whole nine yards....weight does matter along with size of weapon as in frame. Bulges here and bulges there can and will be seen. Fanny pack holsters are also good, especially in the summer time and clothes are at a minimum.
These are just a few questions, I could write out probably 20 more.
For the cold Missouri Winter, which is just around the corner, I'm going with an outside the belt strong side carry holster which will ride up nice and high, and be easily covered by a jacket. For the Summer, the jury's still out. I hadn't really given much thought to a fanny pack, but that may end up being a real viable option. And I am also very concerned about advertising the fact that I am carrying a weapon and will go to great lengths to avoid that. Thanks for the pointers!

I myself have a Glock 23. I too have big hands but I decided to get the compact for concealability purposes. Some friends of mine have tried the XDM and think that it is a great gun. My experience with Taurus isn't the best, my dad's Taurus jammed all the time but it is an older one with quite a bit of wear.
Ah, the venerable Glock! I've never spoken to a Glock owner who didn't love their gun! Sadly, the Glock is out of the running for us because it's a double action only gun. But, I appreciate the input on the XDM and the Taurus, although I'm inclined to be forgiving to the Taurus, because by your own admission the gun was worn - and any badly worn gun will malfunction...and the fact that it got worn tells me someone put a lot of rounds through it!
We'll be going to Springfield MO, to the big Bass Pro Shops to handle, inspect, and purchase our guns next weekend. Keep the input coming guys, I appreciate it!