what type of gun

[lokidog]

To me a revolver is tough to shoot accurately in double action mode. So for that reason I'd take a 9mm semi auto over the 38 special.

Interesting, my wife's Charter Arms 38 special shoots more accurately/consistently when shooting double action versus precocking it.  Kind of odd, but several people have experienced this.

[coachcw]

I'd start with a revoler and be anal about pistol saftey then progress to a slightly more complex semi auto .

[KFhunter]

To me a revolver is tough to shoot accurately in double action mode. So for that reason I'd take a 9mm semi auto over the 38 special.

Interesting, my wife's Charter Arms 38 special shoots more accurately/consistently when shooting double action versus precocking it.  Kind of odd, but several people have experienced this.

Has to do with changing your grip and not getting it back the same each time, or punching the now easier to pull trigger.

[EA338AI]

revolver is more reliable and my choice in self defense.  no clearing drills to deal with. 

[magnanimous_j]

I love wheelguns, especially for beginners.

But just to clear up a common misconception, a standard 9mm round is more powerful than a .38+p and almost twice as powerful than a standard .38spc.

[SGTDuffman]

Depends if you want a semi-auto or a revolver. There is nothing wrong with either caliber. In most cases anything in 9mm would have a higher capacity and the rounds would be a little more powerful. The .38 might be easier to find right now though.

[argie1891]

Some will say i am totally wrong, but neither would be the best for someone's first handgun... handguns take a bit more of a learning curve than a rifle. for the first hand gun i vote a 22 long rifle. my reasoning is that if you can find it 500 rounds of ammo costs about the same as 50 rends of centerfire ammo. practice with a 38 is not near as much fun especially if it is a snub nose. you can pick up a nice ruger 22 simi-auto for around $350 by the time you shoot 500 rounds you wont be an expert but you will be on your way to being one.  argie1891
P.S. my computer is very mean and it likes to mis spell words.

[h2ofowlr]

Try to find and buy both.  Then sell the one you don't want or keep them both.  I have .9mm and .357 which I can also shoot .38's out of.  You can't shoot .357 out of a .38.  Both serve there purpose and both great guns.  The .357 has a lot more knock down power, but you have 6 vs. potential 14-16 rounds and semi auto options.
.9mm is less expensive to shoot.

[Dbax129]

.357, 4" barrel.  Its nice to have a gun that has multiple purposes, and the 4" barrel lets you hunt in firearms restricted areas and its still a comfortable carry. I carry mine all the time, and it being a legal hunting backup weapon is a nice bonus.  Plus .38 is cheap, but when ammo gets scarce, its nice that you have more than one calliber to choose from to feed the gun.

[Boss .300 winmag]

A .357 is a perfect starter gun.  You can start out with really light .38 loads like wadcutters then up to +P then once you get comfortable up to .357.
I started shooting competitively at age 10 with  .38 and .357 revolvers and they were great guns to shoot and even easier to master.  A .357 is a slightly heavier than the standard .38 in most cases.   An added bonus is the .38 rounds are usually fairly cheap to shoot, especially wadcutters. 

  plus ammo is real easy to get for now! 

[Fisherdave10]

Everyone keeps on saying how revolvers are simple.  Have you seen how many parts are inside of them???

If semi-autos were NOT reliable, why would virtually ALL law enforcement be using them? 

9mm has more power than .38 Special.  Modern 9mm handguns have 2-4 times the ammunition capacity of a .38 revolver.

Get a 9mm semi-auto pistol from a major brand.  I recommend Smith & Wesson's M&P series, Ruger's SR series or a Glock 19.

If you aren't familiar with handguns, either shoot a friend's or visit a range and rent a variety.

I recommend applying for your CPL if you haven't already.

Get a standard capacity (liberals call them "high capacity") 9mm semi-auto pistol.  Joe Biden and Obama don't want you to have one.  That should be reason enough.

[Mongo Hunter]

Depends on what you are using it for. If its EDC (and I mean EVERY day) I like the little S&W J frames. I carry a 637 almost every day with Crimson Trace grips. That being said I really want to get a Glock 26.