I'm familiar with rifles and shotguns. But I'm thinking of starting to shoot handguns.  Whats a good gun for someone that has never shot handguns before?

Mid size 38 Special revolver with 4" barrel from one of the major manufacturers.  The 4" S&W model 66 would be ideal.  

Just my $0.02 worth

A 22 of some sort!  They are cheap, damn accurate and fun to shoot.  Either a revolver or an auto such as a buckmark or ruger mark2 would be an excellent choice.  They are kind of like a nice 22 rifle, if you were forced to sell your guns, it would be one of the last you would part with.

After that I'd suggest trying out other people's handguns to figure out what you like.  You'll have to choose for yourself if you prefer revolvers or autos and what caliber is your favorite.

A 22 of some sort!  They are cheap, damn accurate and fun to shoot.  Either a revolver or an auto such as a buckmark or ruger mark2 would be an excellent choice.  They are kind of like a nice 22 rifle, if you were forced to sell your guns, it would be one of the last you would part with.

After that I'd suggest trying out other people's handguns to figure out what you like.  You'll have to choose for yourself if you prefer revolvers or autos and what caliber is your favorite.

Glock 17 or 34

A .22 does makes lots of sense in this case. If you have no handgun experience at all, you will need to shoot quite a bit to become proficient. A .22 is the cheapest pistol to shoot and they have very little recoil. Just like with rifles, it always best to start with a .22 and gradually work up to something more powerful as you improve and get used to shooting.

Some good guns that come to mind in autos are the Ruger Mark II's and Browning Buckmark. For revolvers a nice stainless Smith and Wesson with 4" barrel or a comparable Taurus model would be a good place to start. Once you have mastered shooting this gun, the next logical step up would be a good 9mm such as the Glock 17, Sig P226, etc. Or if you prefer the revolver a good .38 Smith and Wesson with a 4" barrel would be a good choice. Good luck!

-Charging Handle

I would recomend a 4", .357 but start shooting .38 loads in it first.    Then work your way up to .357.

Then after you're able to handle the recoil and get proficient you can trade it and get a good 1911-A1.  

I’d also say start with a .22.  Specifically, I recommend a Ruger Mark II.  They are fine pistols.

I would go with a Hi-Point pistol. They cast under $300.00, and come in .380, 9mm, .40, .45. I have the .45. They also have two models .380, and 9mm with muzzle brakes. They are raided for +P ammo. They have a on question asked life time warranty.

I have the .45, and have shot over 1000 rounds with out any problems at all.

Their web site is.
www.hi-pointfirearms.com

It depends entirely upon what you want to do with it. Is this is just for target shooting/ fun plinking or hunting or self defense or what?

I am asked this question a lot and it just always must depend on what the use is. I would never suggest that you buy a hammer to drive screws and I would never recommend someone get a .22 for self defense, but if your purpose is that this first gun is just a place to start getting into handguns then a .22 is THE place to start.

As with any gun, one should never start with anything that might scare you off because of recoil, muzzle flash, complicated controls (or lack thereof!) or even expense.

.22 ammo is cheap, reliable & easy to find. A quality .22 handgun can be exremely accurate and a lot of fun! If you are not familiar with semi-automatic firearms, I would initially recommend a Ruger single six revolver. Then move up to a Ruger MK II semi auto (I have 6 or 7 of them myself.. I love them!) and then move up from there. You can plink, target shoot, hunt. Actually they are quite versatile.

You might find you like revolvers better than autos or vice versa. Why not start cheap to find out?

I started shooting .22 rim fire rifles in summer camp back when I was 9 years old in 1956.

I loved shooting .22. But............ I had the need for bigger and better as I grew up.  

If I was starting out as an adult, say in my late teens, I would start with a larger caliber than a .22.  

That's just how I feel about "just starting out".  There's a lot of good info and opinions already posted.  Just don't spend a few hundred dollars and become bored after a few weeks.

Quoted: I'm familiar with rifles and shotguns. But I'm thinking of starting to shoot handguns.  Whats a good gun for someone that has never shot handguns before?

 Someone elses.

like shotguns and rifles, they all work, handle and point differently.

SW Model 10 4" .38 SP, or Taurus Model 82.

One that fires blanks.  Hey, you said starter gun and that's what they used when I ran track.

All smart-aleck comments aside, I like a fixed sight revolver in .357.  You can shoot .38s for practice.  Second vote is a .22 semi-auto.