First, I agree with the prior posters that you should go with a larger-framed 4"-barrel revolver rather than a compact snubby.
Smaller guns are hard to control because their lighter weight does less to mitigate recoil; remember, every action has an equal or opposite reaction, so the force propelling the bullet forward creates an equal force pushing the gun backward. If the gun has more mass, the force have less of an effect. I like to put it this way. You have 3 choices- a small and lightweight gun, a powerful cartridge, and mild recoil- but you can only pick 2.
In other words, if you want a small gun, you either learn to handle stiff recoil, or you pick a cartridge that may not be powerful enough to get the job done (such as .22LR, .32ACP, or .32 Long). For a beginner, a heavier gun is a better choice because stiff recoil often creates an accuracy-destroying flinch.
Another factor is the distance between the front and rear sights, known in gun jargon as "sight radius". The greater the sight radius, the easier it is to spot a misalignment between the front and rear sights. Consequently, it's more difficult to align the sights when the barrel is very short. Proper sight alignment is very important to accuracy, so the easier it is to line up the sights, the better.
Regarding revolver versus automatic, there are two things that many beginners fail to consider when checking them out. First, a double-action revolver (the kind where the hammer cocks itself as the trigger is pulled, rather than having to be manually cocked before each shot) will necessarily have a long and heavy trigger pull. Keeping the sights aligned while pulling the heavy trigger is difficult and requires lots of practice. For this reason, most beginners have an easier time shooting an automatic with its relatively shorter, crisper trigger pull. Second, IMHO most modern automatics are
easier to clean than revolvers, and this is coming from a diehard revolver nut!
Yes, they have to be partially taken apart to do this- known as "field-stripping"- but most newer designs are very easy to field-strip; it can generally be done in less than a minute without tools (although this varies from gun to gun). However, automatics only have
one part that really needs to be cleaned thoroughly every time- the barrel- whereas revolvers have the barrel, 5-8 individual chambers, and lots of nooks and crannies. Also, if there are unauthorized users in the area- namely children- IMHO the ability to quickly break the gun into 3-4 subassemblies is a better way to prevent unauthorized use than any internal revolver trigger-locking system.
Regarding permits and licensing, you need to tell us your home state to get a comprehensive answer. This matter is almost entirely governed by state law.
Good luck!
