In my area the most popular;

- budget pistols are SW m&p/Glock/springfield XD in 9mm and all are comparable but the M&P is the apparent most popular or maybe the least expensive.

- mid level are sig 226

- mid to high level are 1911

Based on the fact that you are going through a "process" to get it I would go for a quality 1911 in 9mm if you can't get approved for 45.

I chose 1911 after trying many different options as it was similar to the high powers I've trained on and I like the 1911 trigger set up much better than any others with glock being acceptable.

A 1911 properly built will last for a looong time, I have about 7000 rds through my nighthawk grp and it running like a top.

If you are restricted on mag capacity a 1911 just makes sense with its nice slim profile and single stack mags. I can go on in more detail but budget becomes a factor before you narrow down the high end options.