[Jeff Higgins]

Lots of great advice here. You should be noticing a common thread by now. "Buy a .22". I'll second that. Go to a range that will let you rent a few and try before you buy (another common thread in these replies). We all have our favorites. Kind of like women and horses. Maybe even cars. My favorite may not appeal to you in the least. There really is no one "best" for everyone. Take me for example. I'm a die-hard single action man. I bought a new-fangled 1911A1 (in case you are wondering, "1911" is the year our military adopted the original version - it's that old) to see what all the hoopla was about. O.k.; they are nice, they are modern, but there is nothing I can do with one that I can't do with a Peacemaker. The old thumb-buster is just more familiar and comfortable to me. I plink with one, carry one for self-defense, hunt with one, and just basically live with one. Other folks can't stand them and claim they are "antiquated". To each his own. There is a lot to choose from, so try a few. But do stick with a .22 at first. And have fun.

"Smokeless powder is a passing fad."