A rifle is easier to shoot well and is much more effective for HD than a handgun. The Ruger Mini-14 in .223 or the Mini-30 in 7.62X39 (the same round fired by the AK-47) are both low-recoil rifles. I also mentioned these because the ammo for practice is still much less expensive than other calibers. In a handgun I would go with at least a 9mm or 38 Special.
BUT...If you might be thinking doing some varmint hunting also, a hand gun and a rifle in .22lr is great. Just make sure to double tap for home defense.
Heck just for shooting experience, a .22 is fun and cheap. And a hand gun an rifle can be had for less than the cost of 1 Berretta.