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As far as handguns go, it doesn't really get much simpler than the Austrian Glock family- You load them with a full magazine, rack the slide, and fire. It's ideal for beginners to the world firearms for that reason. The most versatile gun in the family would absolutely be the Glock 19.
The Glock 19 is one of the most popular handguns in America by a wide margin- of all the handguns in the nation, nearly 60 percent are Glocks- and the majority of them are likely to be Glock 19's.
What makes this such a bestseller among gun buyers with all levels of experience? Mostly simplicity and reliability- members of the Glock family require no real technical knowledge to load and fire- a user simply needs to load the magazine, rack the slide, and pull the trigger. However, the gun will not fire on its own if dropped thanks to a one-of-a-kind trigger safety on the trigger blade itself, which, without going into technical detail, blocks the firing pin and thus makes it physically unable to fire. It even prevents the gun from firing if dropped or deliberately bashed, struck with a hammer etc.
Another selling point among the Glock family of pistols (not just the model 19) is their longevity- several studies have been done involving this weapon showing it can go over 100,000 rounds without needing barrel or recoil spring changes, and while this isn't to say it won't need maintenance (all firearms require regular cleaning and field stripping to ensure they run reliably) it does ensure you won't need yours replaced for a very long time.
The Glock 19 is also the perfect size for anyone looking for a CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon), at just over 5 inches from the base of the grip to the top of the slide and a little less than 7 inches from front to back, it's plenty short enough to conceal, and it's 15 round magazine capacity means you'll always have plenty of ammo. Additionally, the Glock 19 only weighs 24 ounces, so you'll have no difficulty carrying one inside your belt or waistband, either.
In summary, if you're a first-time gun owner and need a simple, reliable handgun that just does what a gun is supposed to go- go bang- then you've found that in the Glock 19. While other members of the Glock family may be better for competition shooting, home defense etc., the Glock 19 is more than good enough to compete in these areas, as well and should serve the end user as well as any of its counterparts in these roles.
One thing you're probably wondering is, "how much does it cost?" Well, price wise, Glocks aren't going to be super expensive- the most recent generation (Gen. 5) will sell for around 500 dollars, but my favorite sites for good deals on firearms can be found through Palmetto State Armory or Brownells (linked below).
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