[MXTitan]

Being recently married, and planning on starting a family in the not-so-distant future - the thought of protecting my household has been on my mind lately. I have been a hunter and outdoorsman my entire life, and I grew up around rifles and shotguns. However, my handgun experience is somewhat limited. Considering how huge the firearms thread got, I thought this would be a good place to ask. What handgun (Manufacturer/Model/Caliber) would you guys recommend for me to purchase. Also, for those of you in California - what permits/certificates to I have to get to legally purchase and own a 'concealable' firearm?
Thanks in advance guys!

P.S. Price is somewhat of a concern, but considering this gun will also be used to accompany me on my backwoods hunting and fishing trips, durability and quality are a must. Try and keep it around $600 - $800.