All I ever wanted growing up was a 1911. Bought this one. Shot it - the recoil was god aweful and I ended up selling it a year later. Ended up buying a Kimber several years later and fell in love...
My first handgun I bought was a Colt Police .38 Special for $175. Well worth it...but if I may give some advice, do research on a few you're interested in and see if you can't shoot them to compare