I agree wholeheartedly. Forget the Walthers and Barettas, get a Ruger Standard. If you're a new shooter, you need to practice...a lot! I've been shooting for years, and I still pretty much suck with a pistol at ranges anything beyond 15 yards. So, being as .357 and .45 ammo is too expensive for intensive pistol marksmanship training, I got a Ruger...paid $150 for it slightly used, at one of those eeeeevil gun shows. It's great because .22 is very cheap, so you can shoot a lot without having to spend an entire paycheck on ammo. Furthermore, the principles of pistol shooting are the same with a .22 as with a .45, so you can hone your skills, then move on to bigger, better things and all you'll have to do is adjust for the heavier recoil.
It's a no brainer, spend less and get a weapon better suited for training, or buy a gee-whiz "pretty" gun that's gonna cost you an arm and a leg to get good with.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
