I agree with the other guys, that a .357 revolver is hard to beat, period. Not just for an "entry level" gun, but a forever gun.
I know automatics are cool, and that's what you see in all the movies and TV shows. They spit out a lot of lead fast, however, the "spray and pray" method is not the best way to learn how to shoot. I see young bucks at the range all the time with 9mm and .40 cal. autos emptying a magazine as fast as they can pull the trigger, and their targets look like bad shotgun patterns. Holes everywhere and very few in the black. They learned to shoot from, again, watching TV and movies.
Revolvers are not cool to the young generation. However, they are efficient and perfect to learn on. Comfortable grip because there is no magazine running through the middle. You can change the grip if you like and seriously alter the gun: the way it looks, feels and how it shoots. Rubber grips, wood grips: with and w/o finger groves, with and w/o checkering, etc., etc., etc. You can find the combination that is perfect for you and your hand. They don't jam and are not finicky about ammunition like autos. No magazines to mess with, everything you need is connected, and a part of, the gun.
With a .357 you have 4 or 5 major power loads you can shoot through the same gun: .38 Special, .38+P, mild .357 loads, regular self-defense loads, and hunting loads. There's nothing quite as versatile as the .357. The price of ammo varies as well, depending on what you are shooting. It's kinda fun at the range when everyone is shooting their 9s and 40s and you cut loose with a heavy, flame throwing, magnum load and watch them all jump! Revolver rounds are usually more powerful than sissy automatic loads.
(.41 mags, .44 mags, .45 Colt and then . . . there are the
really big ones . . .)
Just kidding about the auto loads being "sissy." The alternative to the revolver is, of course, an automatic. Many of us old farts started off with autos, and then in our old age migrated back to revolvers. Some went from revolvers, to autos, then back to revolvers. Autos are a bit more problematic, but they work OK if you get a good quality gun. I bought a Ruger SR9 for a fun cheap gun to shoot, but I actually carry a .45 cal Glock 21 as my carry gun, and have for 14 years. Everyone has their favorites, but nothing has been tested as thoroughly as the Glock, because it was the first successful polymer frame, striker fired gun on the market. It's been tortured tested by more groups, including the FBI, and they issue the model 23 and 22 (.40 cal) today. They just simply work when other guns will not. Newer clones have not been around or tested as much, and may be just as good, however, the only auto I would ever buy for personal protection is a Glock. Sigs are fine guns, too, but way over priced these days.
So for a home protection/range gun I would suggest a Ruger GP100. I like S&W double action guns better, however, the Ruger will be cheaper and it is built like a tank. Your great-grand children will thank you for getting it.
http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/ ... skan%C2%AEIt's solid, accurate, and will absorb a good deal of the recoil, especially when shooting heavy loads. With .357s you can hunt deer with it, or using .38s small game as well. (Check state regulations on barrel length for hunting.) .38+Ps are great for home/self protection, too. It will be easy to teach your wife or girl friend how to shoot with one, too. (Not complicated.)
Sorry I ran on for so long.
The AR-15. Good for one thing - killing people at close to medium range. It's allowed in some states for deer hunting, but is best suited for small fragile things like people and prairie dogs. Other than that, it's pretty darn useless for the high price you pay for one. Even the Ruger Mini-14s are pretty darn costly these days. You can get an excellent deer hunting rifle for a third of the cost of an AR.
If all you want to do is punch holes in paper, beer cans, golf balls, and other assorted targets, get a Ruger 10/22. It's cheap to shoot, and you might even want to get a .22 pistol (like a Ruger Mk. I, I or III, Browning Buck Mark, S&W 22A) for a
FIRST pistol. At least a second, so you can afford to shoot more. It's not my #1 choice for home defense, but we started out with one first. Recoil is zero, and I can put 12 .22 rounds on target in less than 2 seconds. Once my wife got accustomed to shooting that, we got her a .357 and she's still packing it. But she learned on that .22. Just (another) thought.
