Find an expert and talk to them before you buy anything. Do research. Talk to folks at shooting ranges, especially the pros and see what they recommend. If possible, go to a range where you can rent a gun and try it before you buy one. Examine your requirements and make sure you are comfortable with your choice.
I’m definitely NOT an expert on this, but I’m sure there are plenty of folks here on Free Republic who are.
Finally, make sure to safeguard your purchases and the documents so that you know what their serial numbers are and you’ve got them properly secured.
Good luck!
Done all that. Took the NRA training, fired everything from a 22 single action, to a 44 magnum, and decided on the Taurus Judge for home defense. As I get comfortable with it, I may move on to a semi-automatic, probably a 9mm. Right now, as I am not very mechanically inclined, semi-automatics make me nervous, and, as I have read a lot of history, I know exactly how they work, and I’ve fired semis from 380’s to 45’s. Right now, I’m more comfortable with a revolver that fires shotgun shells.
Maybe it’s not so good in a gun battle, but, if I find myself in a gun battle, I probably screwed up in advance, and my best bet is to keep my head down and get the hell out of there.
My brother has had guns since the early 1970, and it was he who originally told me about the Judge. I don’t make such serious decisions without getting all available information.