Pistols

Smith & Wesson 2206 - A semi-auto produced in the USA by Smith & Wesson between 1994 and 1996 and chambered in 22LR.  Originally produced with a 12 round magazine, later produced with a 10 round magazine due to legal restrictions.  The 6 inch barrel combined with the ease of shooting the .22, and light trigger pull makes this the perfect gun for the first time shooter.  With this you are not likely to develop any bad habits such as flinching or jerking the trigger.  The relatively narrow grip is also idea for those with smaller hands.

Smith & Wesson 686+ - Produced in the USA by Smith & Wesson since 1981.  This is a stainless steel 7 shot revolver, which can fire either a .38 Special or a .357 Magnum.  The weight of the gun with the 6 inch barrel allows for good accuracy without being too heavy to induce fatigue.  This model includes a integral locking device which, when activated, prevents the hammer from being retracted.  This is a good gun for a first time shooter and the experienced shooter alike.  However the larger grip makes this a difficult gun to shoot for those with small hands.

Beretta 92FS - Produced in Italy by Beretta  since 1976.  Originally designed for the Italian Army, this is chambered in 9mm Luger, 9mm Parabellum or 9x21 - all three represent the exact same ammunition.   In 1985 this was adopted by the US Army as the M9.  Originally produced with a 15 round magazine (not a clip) it was produced with a 10 round magazine between 1994 and 2004.  Magazines were also available, less widely, in 16, 20, and 32 versions.  This is a good gun for someone who has fired a gun previously and has developed good habits.  There are a wide variety of these on the market and it has been and continues to be a popular gun. 

SIG 230SL - Produced since 1977 in Germany by the joint venture of the J.P.Sauer (Germany) and a SIG (Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft) Arms as a compact police and self-defense pistol.  The SL denoted the stainless steel finish.  This is chambered in 9x17 or 9mm Kurtz or .380 Auto- all three of these represent the same exact ammunition.   The 230 has a simple blowback operated, hammer fired pistols, with a double action trigger and a manual decocker lever mounted on the left side of the frame, behind the trigger.  This gun has no safety and no manual slide lock.  This is a very well designed small gun designed to carry concealed for personal protection or as a backup gun because of it's reliability, accuracy and relatively mild recoil.  One limitation is the single stack 7 round magazine.   

Taurus Model 605  - Produced by Taurus of Brazil, a smaller (2" barrel) revolver in 38 Special or 357 Magnum.  This gun introduced in 1995 is small and powerful when using .357 Magnum, this combination creates a substantial amount of recoil.  This gun is good for the experienced shooter who has mastered the fundamentals of shooting.  Due to the short barrel this gun would not be accurate at longer distances.   This gun is durable and reliable.  When Taurus introduced this gun the prototype had been tested with over 11,000 rounds with little signs of wear.   Because of this reliability this would be a good gun to carry while hiking for protection against bears.
 

Shotgun

Remington 1100 - Produced by Remington in the USA.  This gun is a classic semi-automatic sporting gun.  Because of the versatility of using the interchangeable barrels this guns is useful for trap, skeet, sporting clays as well as hunting.  The semi-automatic action absorbs much of the recoil making this a great gun for the first time shooter.

Rifles

Hi-Point 9MM Carbine 995B-  Produced in .  This 9mm is a semi-automatic carbine rifle, meaning that this is a rifle with a sort barrel (16.5").  Carbines are generally less powerful, and less accurate than longer barreled rifle.  This gun is effective to about 50 yards.  This is a fun gun to shoot and would be a good gun for short range target shooting (or plinking).

Ruger 10/22 - Produced by Ruger in the USA.  This gun is  arguably the most popular .22LR rifle in use today.  A semi-automatic rifle with a 10 round magazine which is accurate to about 100 yards, makes this is a great first gun for someone wanting to target shoot, hunt small game or plink. 

Marlin 25N .22LR - Produced my Marlin in the USA, this is a 7 shot bolt action rifle in .22LR.  This is an accurate gun with open sights.  Perfect for introducing children to shooting.


M1 Carbine 30 Carbine -  Produced by Universal in the USA.  This is a magazine feed semi-automatic carbine rifle which was actually used in WWII.  This was designed as a compromise between a long range rifle and a pistol.  This is a fun gun to shoot and would be good for the seasoned shooter.


Ruger M77 -  Produced by Ruger in the USA.  This is an internal magazine fed, bolt action 30-06.  Effective and accurate past 300 yards this is designed for the hunter.  With a substantial amount of recoil this gun will not leave you asking yourself if the gun went off.