“suggestions”
Mis-read your post. I don’t have any recommendations of stores. The shotgun I got online and picked up at a dealer in Prince William. Forget the name.
Per pistols, it depends who uses it. I don’t like the plastic stuff because the lightness of the gun makes it recoil more. If you want to cut down on recoil and don’t have a prob w/the weight, a 1911 is great. Thin magazine good for grip with smaller hands too. Obviously, fewer rounds though. So, I’d say a 45 is actually a good starter piece for the above reasons.
I don’t like pistol calibers below the 9 because they seem to jam more. Maybe my inexperience there. You’d have to be sure to clean them after every range trip. Maybe even mid-way through your range trip.
Per concealed/compact, I have a relative that has a SW 40 compact that he likes a lot.
Thanks for the advice!