Best choice for a first handgun?

seems you have handgun experince so you could consider a 1911, though nothing beats the trigger on a Sig.

For caliber the 357 sig is kinda dying out, but any 40 S&W chambered pistol can shoot 357 sig with a 357 sig barrel, about $200, same mags even.

Really all you can do to decide is go to the store and handle the weapons. As far as ergonomics (I'm a 6-2 240 lb southpaw) I love the 1911 and the springfield XD, the HK has always been out of my price range but it is overbuilt meaning you can shoot +p+ through it apparently no problem.

EDIT

Go to the gun store and ask to dry fire the HK if you are worried about the trigger, see for yourself. (to mimic the reset they can rack the slide after you pull the trigger to give you the feel). Most combat handguns will have a rail, glocks rail is proprietary (big negative imo) but most manufacturers are the picatinny rail.

One thing I didn't consider when buying my XD was the 6 o'clock hold at 25 yards, I don't like that so I had to buy new sights for it, so test fire it too.

To the gun show, at least here in cali it was OK, not the greatest in my opinion, only a few modern dealers... Better to go to the permanent dealers than the show.

At $1000 you can pretty much get any factory produced handgun you want.

I'd recommend .40 S&W just because of the three calibers it's cheapest and easiest to shoot. All three are good "killing" round so don't worry about that.

You can have a Sig Sauer P226, HK P30 (I fired the P2000, not the P30, I liked it), Glock 22 (the trigger is not that good out-of-the-box in my opinion), Jericho 941 (now called the baby eagle). I would personally love to own any of these gun.

For a range gun, that is accurate, durable, and will retain its value over time I would reccomend a Sig Sauer P226 chambered in .40 S&W.

I'm personally going to be buying Sig Sauer SP2022 soon. It's the compact model with the polymer frame so it's about half the cost.

The best handgun to start out on for anyone is one thats comfortable to them,everyones hands is slightly different. Guns in semiautomatic really have gone in two distinct angles for grip angles,

1. could be described as the luger inspired angle, its more swept back like a delta wing,

2. is more vertical, like browning hipower or 1911

Then finger length becomes important, can you get a clean clear firm grip all the way around the grip, can you operate all the controls on the gun without repositioning your hand.

Is the grip comfortable. where your finger joints are are critical in deciding if the gun fits right.

A lot of guns are now coming with adjustable back straps in order to tailor the fit to customers hands a feature not seen in the past when guns either fit you or didnt.

The cradle made between your thumb socket and your index finger and how high the gun rides in it is also important factor. so the best thing is to go to a gun store of show and pick up alot of guns see which ones feel right, like an extension of your hand not like something bolted into it.

On my hands i can not hold most glocks where they feel like an extension of my hand while the xd and the sig has a slightly higher ride and fits the joints of fingers better. I can use the hk p30 but not the usp because of the spot of the magazine release makes it less desirable for my hands

Lastly you might want to consider purpose of the pistol, plinking, target shooting ,home defense and the associated ammo cost.

I like a man who knows his own mind.

At $1K you can buy just about any top of the line pistols on the civilian market. H&K makes real good guns, but they demand a premium price for them and IMHO their guns are overpriced - you can get comparable quality of less in such pistols as Sig P226/228/229, FN-(9, .40, .45), S&W M&P(9, .40, .45), Glock, and Springfield XD. Plus, H&K is kind of weird when it comes to service - if you are military or LEO you will get great service, but as a civilian it's so-so at best. H&K and Sig IMHO will best retain their value over the long haul if you do your part in terms of maintainence.

I would pass on the .357sig caliber pistol, and go for either .40S&W or .45ACP. The .357sig has not taken-off since introduction and I severely doubt it will ever approach the popularity of the .40 and .45. That means unless you reload (and it is not a simple pistol cartridge to reload), the cost is not going to drop.

Reflex scope is not a problem on range guns. Although, I would not recommend them for home defense use.

Troy had a good answer as far as what kind of gun to get. As far as the gun shows go, they are different every time. I have been to some where all the guns were new and the dealers were willing to come down quite a bit on the normal price, but I have also been to some where there were only beaten up used guns that people were asking more than they were worth. You just need to know what you are looking for and the value of it before you go in the door. Good luck

since you got $1000 you might as well drop by a range and rent a variety of handguns, try them out in various calibers, see what you like most and what shoots best for you. how well a handgun fits you & your hands is very important, if the fit is bad no matter how much you try & practice you will never be as good as you'd like.

I don't think you'll be finding beat up hi points. I don't think you'll look at hi points either. first they don't sell for much (if it's $129 new, what do you think they'll fetch used?), second when was the last time you saw a used one for sale? (probably never) third $1000 means you're not so low budget the hi point is the only thing you can afford.

Springfield XD40

Smith and Wesson M&P40

H&K40 (probably the most accurate or the 3)

Sig Sauer40

Ruger40

All three have rails that you are looking for. 40 caliber provides the best between both trades what you are looking for, more Power than a 9mm and yet you will have more accuracy with it over a 45, because of the kick. Prices are ranged from $300-$600 dollars respectively. Most guns always retain their value depending on the condition, and rareness. So dont expect the price to go up untill 10-20 years down the line. If you buy cheap brands like kel-tec or hi-point the price and value go down. Good luck!

I applaud the the thought and research you have put into this. Many experienced gun buyers don't think it through as you have.

You may like this. It is a .45ACP with the features you desire and in the neighborhood of your budget.

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/62599-1.html

EDIT: One thing not mentioned in most descriptions for this pistol is the removable plate on the slide that facilitates the mounting of a reflex sight or other types of sights. The drawback to this is that the raised combat sights (done so to accommodate a suppressor) can interfere with a reflex sight picture, and the reflex can be a bother when you want to use your iron sights.

Remember, you will soon have spent more on ammunition than you did on the gun. So you should consider the price of ammo. Of the three you list .40 S&W is probably the most cost effective, .357 SIG the least.

I'll say Glock 24 if you can find one.

Anything from the XD line will satisfy all of your criteria. In addition, these are possibly the best built and most hearty guns for the money in the world.

In a Zombie apocalypse, you want reliability, durability, magazine capacity, the ability to accept rail mounted accessories, a weapon that is easy to shoot............I give you the Springfield Armory XD:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M36x4qh7tsc

You will be impressed.