Hey, thanks for all of your help, folks. Lots of good info, and I did take everything into account, and have been burning the midnight oil the last couple of nights looking up different models, reading reviews, watching YT videos, etc ... and yes, as mentioned, I'm looking at the smaller models at this point.
I also got out to a couple of dealers yesterday to check some out, and talked to one guy who has several of the compact models that we mentioned in this thread. Like most of the reviews, he likes them all, and said he couldn't think of anything negative, or a model to "stay away from".
So I've decided on the S&W M&P .22 Compact, and a Thunder Beast .22 Takedown can. I've always been mostly a S&W enthusiast anyway, although my guns are older, and revolvers. I like the ergonomics, feel, weight, and sights on the S&W, and I think this will be a good combo to start with. Later, I'll likely get one of the heavier & longer barreled Victory, Ruger, or Buckmark models, and can see myself at some point getting one of those Phoenix Arms plinkers. Those look pretty cool for the price.
Thanks again. Will update.