For some people, guns are works of art. For others, art and a tool, and a third group treats them as just tools.
What is your priority?
In my opinion, for the FIRST gun, fill the need for defense. This means getting a gun that:
1) is reliable
2) has sufficient inherent accuracy to strike the vital areas of any attackers
3) has sufficient capacity to handle most situations
4) is chambered in 9mm or greater caliber
5) is ergonomic for you
The Glock 17 or 19 will fulfill the roles you have set quite well. It is a reliable, modern design that some people think is ugly. In home defense mode, the goblin won't care if the bullet came from a scuffed Glock or a hand engraved work of art. If you train HARD with this gun, it will not be a pretty gun. It will get dropped, kicked, and scuffed. You'll drag the top of the slide and sights against the soles your shoes. While it's empty, you'll punch targets with the slide and frame, return to the retention position, load, and shoot. People will try to rip it out of your holster while you pummel them. And, you'll shoot thousands and thousands of rounds through it...and this is easily accomplished in a very short span of time.
If you want a beautiful gun...great. If you want a "fun" gun...great. But if the stated goal is fighting, then get a modern fighting weapon. Learning to fight is not fun (up to a point it is fun) -- it's work. Any of the modern service weapons will do just fine, but higher capacity is a definite advantage. Try as many guns as you can get your hands on.
A revolver is nice, it's "retro", but they have significant disadvantages in capacity and skills needed to run the gun (try loading one while running). They're good to learn on by forcing good technique due to the long double action trigger. I have several and they do require an extra bit of dedication and training.
Finally, shooting is not rocket science and doesn't require years of intense study to acquire proficiency (target shooting is a different story). You can learn just about everything you need in 4-6 full days of dedicated combat classes. This does NOT mean you'll be shooting 1/2" groups at 50 feet. Instead, you'll be scoring hits while moving, some of which will be killing strikes. If you can shoot a four to six inch group on a human sized target out to 30 or 45 feet consistently, you're doing fine. It will take time (probably 4-8 months) to develop the reflexes associated with this activity.
I recommend you look around for professional training that:
1) addresses the legalities of defensive shooting in your state
2) differentiates between gun fighting and range shooting skills
3) teaches perception and awareness skills
4) imparts gun manipulation skills (how to "run the gun")
5) includes unarmed combatives in the curriculum
6) includes shooting and fighting targets at five feet or less (especially when in contact with your enemy)
7) trains a bit with the knife and against the knife
8) includes shooting while moving and shooting at moving targets
9) trains in and around vehicles
Most likely, you'll need to sign up for several courses to cover all this information. Each class may require 1,000 rounds or more. Use the above list as questions to ask of the instructor--find out what the class includes and that teacher's experience level with all those topics. Please make sure to call at least three different schools.
