I wouldn't say I'm a 9mm guy. My first pistol was a Colt Govt 1911 that was a couple years older than I was. I love the 1911 design and the feel of the full size frame ones. I just learned that there are many varieties in ammunition that can achieve your target ballistic properties.
When I read that ER surgeons don't know the difference, I mean shit. Those are the dudes that fix said wounds, if they say a 9mm HP does same/comparable tissue damage as a .45ACP HP... why would I limit my own capacity? The recoil issue is also a thing.
My PT92 is heavy and large, I wear it on a shoulder rig, sometimes OC over a hoodie and shirt, sometimes CC under a coat. No different than a 1911 would be, but I carry 17 instead of 7.
I use some heavier grain HP semi jacketed subsonics. I don't remember exact grainage for bullet specifically but if memory serves the total round is 147gr. I got them because even as subsonic they reliably cycle (at least in my pistol... YMMV and often will), and they are expanding, heavier 9mm bullets. Slower moving, heavier, and HP for tissue expansion, semi jacket for better fragmentation (in theory, one I've fortunately not had to test) if I miss.
The first AK I bought was an AKM, GP 10/63 like everyone and their mother has. It had a quad rail dustcover. As in an aftermarket AK dustcover with what appeared to be a cold riveted rail on top. It had about a 1cm square to try and get your sight picture through on irons. It also had been trimmed and after a couple rounds the dust cover would pop up out of its groove in the receiver and raise the shit out of the rear sight. It also had those railed from handguards. I fired it one time that way before going back to stock. A guy on /r/guns actually sent me a link to get a replacement OEM dust cover. I went back to bone stock on it, just like the AR I have. I might consider the Romanian donkey dick foregrip, because I am a bit above average height but I don't have a lot of reach. When I fire crouched supported position, if I grab the mag for a foregrip like many do, I feel too contorted and bunched up. Wide shoulders apparently dislike that stance, or at least mine do.
tl;dr - I'm a 9mm for daily carry, but everyone like you noted before, has their range weapons only or ones they have for sentimental/collector purposes. I also mod my own weapons based on my own shortcomings on that platform as a shooter, with my only concern being fit and function.