As stated earlier, the most important factors in handgun use are safety, training in use, and weapon reliability. Don't skimp on safety training and equipment! Without a well disciplined safety regimen, you may be more likely to hurt yourself or someone else with your gun than be hurt by an assailant.


Here's an afterthought. If you are new to handguns and want to go with a cheap weapon, may I recommend a Taurus .38 revolver with a double action. It's very reliable, very safe, very cheap ammunition, low recoil, quite effective, and can be had for $200 at most gun shops used. I have a Taurus .357 Magnum six-shot revolver with wood grips, adjustable sights, a scope rail, a double action/single action hammer, and a six inch barrel. An excellent target pistol (my favorite one) with .38 special wadcutters. Very accurate and fun to shoot. I picked it up cheap for $200.