I have avoided discussing suggestions about buying your first handgun for a long time. For the most part, it's because my passions trend towards rifles. In the grand scheme of conflict and "weapons of war," pistols are but a blip. Their low power, short range, and relatively difficult use make them nearly irrelevant for infantry combat. This doesn't make them useless, though. Handguns are primarily weapons of personal defense. They are a tool that's easy to keep with you at all times, and provide a chance to fight and survive long enough to reach a more effective weapon- like a rifle. In a pinch, lacking something more suitable for the task, they are a tool for close quarters fighting. Outside of military use, the primary benefit of a pistol is the ability to easily conceal it. With all of that said, the handgun is usually the first thing someone thinks of when they decide they want to buy a gun for self defense. The amount of options, opinions, and information available on the topic is overwhelming to someone who is not already versed in the nuance and language of the gun world. My goal for this article is to simplify this down to a few key points and make the process a whole lot simpler for the first time handgun buyer. So let's begin. Bottom Line Up Front I've got a fair bit of thoughts here, so let me start with the most important part first. Despite what gun many gun counter salesmen will say, or what someone's inexperienced instincts tell them, this decision is simple. The average first-time handgun buyer should start with a compact-sized 9mm gun with a barrel length of 3.5" to 4" and a nominal capacity of 14-15 rounds, depending on local laws that may arbitrarily restrict that to something less. The most important factor for the gun selected is its reliability. CZ 75D PCR, my current go-to carry gun Everything else, including striker fired, hammer fired, ergonomics, safety, no-safety, sights, optics capability, or anything else is secondary to those factors. All of these other points come down to training and practice, which is the most important thing after reliability. Luckily, there are many guns on the market today that meet standard. Now let's discuss how I arrived at this bottom line. Handguns are Boring The process of becoming a skilled pistolero is exciting. A gifted handgun shooter is a sight to behold, and the pursuit of that kind of performance is anything but boring. But the pistol itself is boring. While optics, lights, and "go fast" accessories trickle into the pistol world- they are simply not at the same level as what's available with long guns. Manufacturer don't want you to see that, though, so they're doing everything they can to squeeze blood from the marketing turnip and convince you why their pistol is better than the other guy's. CZ P10F with Trijicon SRO optic So I'll be honest with you. Between running this site, writing for magazines, competing, renting, and shooting a lot of handguns over the years- the fact starts to settle in that most handguns are pretty much the same. Yes, there are nuances to things like ergonomics, trigger, and other things. However, these are all personal preferences to the user. What I like might be different than what you like. In the end, the only thing that matters is whether the thing goes bang every time I need it to without fuss. This actually knocks out a surprisingly large number of brands and models with less than stellar reputations. Reliability is Number One