Kahr CW9. Simple, low cost, high quality, great trigger wich will help your accuracy being new to it.

When I was trying to decide what my first handgun should be I read up on guns and watched videos on you tube. Most people who were not 1911 or Glock fanboys recommended a .38 special revolver with a 4 inch barrel. Revolver because they're less complicated than semi automatic pistols. .38 specials because the recoil is not so bad. And 4 inch barrel because trying to learn to shoot well with a 2 inch snubbie is going to frustrate the new shooter . Because I don't have a huge budget for guns I went with a Taurus 82 which I bought here from Buds, less costly than a Smith & Wesson or a Ruger. I actually tried firing several semi automatic pistols first. I most enjoyed the Smith and Wesson Victory .22. I didn't enjoy the Springfield 9mm and I hated the Walther .380. Both of which are loved by other people. So the best advice I can give is goto a local range and rent several different guns. revolvers and pistols. Find out what works best for you.

You say that you are "a new adult into the world of carrying a handgun". I would imagine that then it would be for self defense. All I know is that any handgun is a last desperate attempt to save your life because it is hard to use and underpowered. 80% of people shot with handguns do not die. I'd suggest getting some training that includes situational awareness and threat assessment. Learn to shoot well too. With that being said I really like the SIG 238 for carry because it has good sights, is accurate, and easy to rack the slide. It's also light enough that I carry it everywhere. It's a high quality 380 that will stand up to much use so I can practice with it and not wear it out like many light framed pistols.

For me it was a Glock 43. 9mm single stack 6+1 capacity.Check out Ebay and type in Glock 43 you get 20 thousand results for every possible kind of upgrade. If your a new shooter you will want to upgrade it's fun. Glocks are easy to work on safe they shoot just about any type of ammo and you will have a gun you can carry with confidence that it will shoot.

Glock 19 is a great starter gun and can be enhanced once you're experienced in shooting, Sig Sauer makes a p2022 in 9mm that is a nice shooting gun. I would recommend a 9mm to start out with and smaller isn't always better. Find a gun that fits your hand the gen 4 Glocks have adjustable back straps so you can adjust it to your liking, the p2022 also is somewhat adjustable. If you can find a range that rents guns try the gun out before you buy or if you know someone that owns the gun you like see if they will take you shooting, I find that most in the shooting community will be happy to help. Be wary of a sales person that just wants to sell you their favorite gun instead find someone who will take the time to let you try out as many guns as you want to try and don't feel obligated to buy then and there. once you find a gun you like and try it out you have decided to buy look around Buds guns has great prices and it could save you money in taxes and cost of the gun. Make sure you get self defense/hollow points for carry and home defense they expand to get best penetration without over penetration and are less apt to go through walls and hurt bystanders. Make sure they feed whichever defense rounds you decide to use by either live fire or dry run, load a mag point gun in a safe direction and rack the slide until it's empty the rounds should feed into the chamber fairly smooth, if you have any issues then I'd suggest a different defense round. Lastly Practice Choot em lizabeth

The 9 mm S&W Shield is very popular, though the Walther PPS M2 is a better gun for just slightly more money. Best approach I can think of is to have both a semiautomatic (such as the Shield or PPS), and a snubnose revolver (such as the Ruger LCR, S&W 640, or Kimber K6S). Each type of gun has its merits and problems, so having at least 1 of each helps you overcome those problems. Good luck.

First off, read Wade W's post. The best gun is one you shoot well. You are responsible for the rounds you release. With semi-auto's you can have ejection problems due to improper grip which are common place. Learning to clear these problems and still keep your head in the moment can be quite a task in the heat of the moment. Racking the slide can prove problematic for weaker hands and the action of the slide recoil is an annoyance or painful for some people. Personally I like the revolvers. My wife has a Charter Arms Undercover .38 special and loves it! The Ruger LCR .38 special is another good choice.The revolver has a simpler learning curve. The .38 special, 138 grains at approximately 950 fps is a formidable defensive tool and one that has stood the test of time. As far as ammunition count goes, most defensive encounters are over in less than 1 minute and reloads are rarely needed. My carry gun is Taurus PT101, my wife Charter Arms Undercover .38.

It all depends on what you are going to use it for (protection, target shooting, etc). Male carry any 1911 clone and female snub nose 38 revolver.

Personally I would recommend a Springfield XD-E if you can wait a bit. The trigger is more forgiving than the average striker fired handgun, and the slide is apparently very easy to manipulate. 9mm in that form factor really doesn't snap that hard, and by choosing 9mm over .380 acp you get a much greater variety of high quality defensive ammo.

Really, everybody is different. What works for me might not even be remotely close to what works for you. Familiarizing yourself with handguns is very important and obtaining proper training prior to carrying. Carrying a concealed firearm is a big responsibility. With that being said, you options are endless. So many factors come into play. How do you normally dress, what's the climate, state regulations, physical stature, etc... In Alaska you be dressed more appropriately to carry a large frame revolver where as in Florida wearing a t-shirt, shorts and flips limits those options. Are you gonna carry in your waistband, in the pocket, in a handbag? I know women that I trust more with guns that most men. The smaller pistols like the Ruger LC380, Kimber micro carry, Sig 239, etc.. can be poplar for women because they fit in small purses and handbags. I'm tall and lanky, I prefer a full size semi-auto. I can conceal it well in the waist band without printing. It truly is tailored to each individual person and their comfortabilities. Best bet, is go to a gun shop or gun range and feel a few. get a real good feel for them. Some will let you try out different holsters with the firearm in them to get a feel for it. You never know how easily you can carry something until you're riding down the road on a 110 degree day in the truck with a pistol in your pocket. Some things you bear and some things fit like a glove. I hope this helps and you find the perfect firearm. Keep on training!

The best caliber is a .380. Guns of this caliber are easily concealable and when loaded with hollow points have a great stopping power. Work for male or female. Personally I like the Sig Sauer p238.
firewalker99