That's a tough one for me too. I used to say "revolver," but now understand both have their advantages and disadvantages. Today I'd be more inclined to recommend something like an M&P 9 or Glock 19. I guess the question is how serious the new shooter is about actually learning safe and competent gun handling, and how much they're going to train? I'd even go so far as to recommend a .22 revolver or semi auto for a lot of novices.