THIS is my rifle. THIS is my gun. THIS one's for fighting. THIS one's for fun.
Semper Fi'
For concealed carry, a .357 wheelgun - you can use either .357 or .38 rounds.
To start learning to shoot a rifle, a .22 Marlin or Ruger, and then eventually graduate to .308 or 30.06.
So a lot depends on what you want the gun for.
You can usually drop a beginner at up to 30 yards with a 12 gauge. If you want to hit them from further out, you need a rifle.
What do you have against beginners that you want to hunt them?
A. Handgun
B. Shotgun
C. Long Gun (rifle)
D. Carbine
after that we can narrow it down a little
Somebody's trolling on FR!
And I say get Glock because they're very reliable, and you, not a "gunsmith" can do a complete detail strip of the entire gun with only a 3/32" punch.
I think you need to go to a good gun store to clarify what you want to do. They should be able to help you.
A Ruger .22 and go through a couple thousand rounds. (<$15 worth of ammo.) You'll learn how to shoot, load, clean, etc. before you invest much money.
My first gun was an old over-under Stevens .22/.410. I would recommend it as a first gun to anyone.
For a beginner, I would recommend a .22 semi-auto or bolt-action rifle. If you get the semi-auto, though, you may need to shoot with someone more experienced in case it jams up.
uh-oh. looks we got one of the vanity posters who you never hear from after the initial post. i would suggest not taking a gun to college. unless you live alone off campus perhaps.
Better check the laws where you are attending college. By the way what state? Age? Male Female?
Without some basic information from your post one has to make assumptions to answer your question. So here are my assumptions:
a. You want a handgun.
b. The handgun is for learning/pleasure (such as plinking).
c. The handgun must be of good quality but inexpensive to shoot.
With those assumptions, I recommend a Ruger .22 Cal Single Six revolver with an interchangeable magnum cylinder. It's a great quality pistol that's not to expensive to purchase and dirt-cheap to fire all day. Also, the hollow-point magnum rounds are potent.
.22 Buckmark - great pistol for learning. Shoots LR, but has no kick, and because it's oriented towards target shooting, it'll be something you hold onto for many years.
Whatever you are comfortable with and can afford.