Get a .22 lr. Everyone should have one. I got a Ruger Super Single Six Convertible as my first handgun when I turned 21 and now, nearly 30 years later, it is still my favorite handgun. It is stainless, has a weight forward balance and is so reliable and accurate. It has killed many, many things at great distances. There is something confidence inspiring when you throw out a hand full of empty 12 gauge hulls as far as you can toss them and then proceed to make them dance with a handgun.
Someday I'd like to get a Browning Buckmark semi-auto .22 and that is another good choice.
After the .22, the Model 10 in .38 spl. is hard to beat. Mine has a 6" barrel and practically shoots itself. Everyone who fires it loves and can hit what those fixed sights are aimed at. What's not to like.
Get a gun in a round you can master. Practice, and then move up. C.B.