The first handgun I ever owned was a 1911 style (Kimber) .45ACP. Most of the advice you might hear on a forum will tell you to start out small and work your way up, but the way I see it you should get the gun you want to shoot and learn how to shoot it as well as you can. In other words, the more trigger time you have the better you will shoot. That's why I still shoot a 1911 better than any other type of handgun I own. Recoil is also a funny thing. In my opinion, the more you think about it the worse it feels. I shot a 10mm Glock the last time I went to the range, and from the reputation figured it would be like trying to shoot a lightweight .357 Magnum. It had no more perceived recoil than the Glock 21 (.45 ACP) I previously owned.