Opinions are abundant here. Tricky thing is figuring out who to listen too lol. My first handgun was a smith & wesson sigma 40. I loved that gun until I started shooting other folks guns. Gen I realized it was a bad glock knock off. The bogged trick is finding a gun that fits the most requirements or needs you have. If you plan on carrying it a lot then a full size might not be as comfortable esp if you want to wear shorts and tee shirts in the summer. If you an on it being a gun you are going to take and shoot quite a bit like you already said a 9mm will be a little easier on your wallet. Is it strictly going to be a carry gun and you plan on buying other guns for fun? I still have my 40 cal plus I have a Ruger lcp that I carry on a daily basis. And I literally mean daily, if I leave my house its in my pocket since its smaller than my cell phone. I also have a .22 pistol for going to the range and not shooting myself into povert every time I pull the trigger. Then I have various shotguns and rifles and a csrgine too but that is another conversation. Again my advice is find what fits you best, not just in your hand, also in he whole scheme of what you want out of a gun. Its like buying a new motorcycle, different aspects of riding require different bikes.