The begginers' handgun.......??

[CKB3]

IamJEEP,
My wife and i about a year or so back went through this exact same dilemma. We both first took our ccw at the central FL fairgrounds (in orlando). We both had little to NO experience with firearms. Just so you have some numbers to reference, We spent $140 EACH on our CCW. Then spent $75 for a private lesson with a NRA certified instructor. I recommend doing the same. We shot a .22 revolver at the CCW class and then a .22 semi auto at the private lesson.
Fast forward to today... We both carry our own firearm that we selected on our own which we both felt most comfortable with. I ended up with a Springfield Armory XD-40 (fullsize) and my wife carries a Smith & Wesson .38 revolver with laser and a third home defense shotgun.
Another important issue with being married was that we both felt good about picking up eachothers gun and firing it without any extra thought. This was more important that she was comfortable with mine than hers as she has much smaller hands than i do.
I personally Love my XD and would recommend it to anyone. I have also had a lot of luck with Glocks. If you can find someone you know that would be willing to take you to the range and use their firearms that might help in your decisions. Good luck and if your in the central florida area let me know...

Curtis

[IamJEEP]

Thanks Curtis for your input. My girlfriend has been showing less interest lately so, I haven't messed with the ccw courses. If she doesn't show interest before Xmas, I will do it all on my own. My bro-in-law has 5 different handguns that he will let me shoot so, I can see what's best for me. I have a smaller grip than most but so does he, I think his guns will for me well. This has been pushed back on the list of things to do but, its still something that will be done. Keep an eye out for updates when I finally give this topic 100%.