you're doing the right thing by going into a safe enviroment with people who are experienced.my tip is this. at the range find the old guys,and ask them what they like to shoot before dropping big cash on your own piece.also consider caliber,as alot of people prefer different makes and models for different calibers.someone that tells you to get a glock for every application is probably biased,and inexperienced.also there's a few places that have loaner guns you can shoot,that helps alot when early in the purchase process.