Choosing a pistol is a very personal thing as you can see from the varied opinions. I started with a 22 revolver and then went to a HK USP 40 S&W. I wish I had waited. I found out later I shot better Glock 26 (very small 9MM) and the Sig Sauer 40 S&W. SO I bought the Glock 26 and traded the HK USP for the Sig version.

So the lessons are start small and practice. Then try out various handguns to find out what feels best to you and to discover what you can shoot the best with. A gun is no good if you can't hit the target. Then again, I believe most shootings are at 25 feet or less.

Lastly, choose the proper ammo for your caliber. Magsafe and Glaser (as mentioned previously) are expensive but they won't penetrate multiple walls. There are more conventional rounds that would generate less controversy in court like Federal's Hydrashok or Horandy's TAP personal defense rounds.

Try to find Evan Marshall and Ed Sanow's books Street Stoppers and Handgun Stopping Power for in-depth info on shootings and the types of ammo involved. Police reports and autopsy reports are used. Probably a bit dated but good info.

Just my thoughts.