Try Vances very knowledgeable and prices are good. Not to mention they usually have 6 months same as cash, kind of helpfull if you are buying an expensive gun such as the desert eagle. If you wait till right before deer season vances does 1 year same as cash. I prefer to buy then but I usually buy 2-3 guns at a time. Kind of saves on the wallet and no interest.
Buy the gun that feels the best for you and that you like. I used to carry the S&W 4506 steel frame its a fucking cannon, weighs a ton too. We now carry the S&W M&P 40 lighter and more compact, however no thumb safety the only negative to me, but it carries 15 + 1. I now have 46 rounds at my disposal versus the old 25 rounds. The S&W CS9 is a nice compact 9mm shoots awsome and is ligth weight. By the way I'm a S&W fan but most guns are good and some are better and some are worse just depends on what you like.
To me the steel frames and the new polimer frames are just as good it just depends on what you like and want. I like the new S&W M&P 40 because it is lighter for me to carry for 12 housr a day.
Good luck and happy gun buying let us kow what you get!!