Hardworker gave some good advice,,,
A used Smith & Wesson Model 10 would be a great starter handgun,,,
It's a medium frame (K-frame) DA/SA revolver chambered in .38 Special,,,
It's the most basic handgun there ever was but it's also a great piece of machinery.
Right now you can buy a used heavy barrel model at
buds gun shop for $269.00.
The other end of the spectrum is to get a .22 semi-auto pistol,,,
The best ammo you can find will be somewhere around 7-10 cents a round,,,
Decent ammo in bulk packs of 550 rounds (Federal at Wal Mart) run about 3.6 cants a round.
My take is buy the .22 first so you can afford to shoot it enough to gain proficiency,,,
Use the time shooting the .22 to research/try out centerfire revolvers and semi's for your next purchase.
These are the 5 most common target style .22 pistols out there,,,
Any one of these 5 will give you many years of excellent performance.
I've
not listed them in any order of preference.
Browning Buckmark = Great pistol but I found the grip to be funky.
Ruger 22/45 Mk II or MK III = Great pistol with a 1911-ish grip.
Beretta U22 NEOS = Great pistol with a very slender grip.
Ruger Mk II or MK III = Great pistol with a luger-ish grip.
S&W 22A = Great pistol with a very fat grip.
Any of these will serve you very well,,,
They are all reliable firearms that aren't ammo picky,,,
Rather than sweat over which one is
better, get the one that fits your hand.
Aarond
.