Lots of good advice! I'm soaking it in like a sponge
Just to help clarify a few things - I am not a handgun owner, but I am not a new shooter (although compared to some of you I'm prob a newbie by sheer volume of shooting lol). Perhaps I need to clarify that a bit - it seems a lot of the info I am getting is great for a new shooter - even though I don't own I have been shooting off and on for 20+ years (mostly my families S&W Revolvers that I mentioned above - but also a good number of other auto-loaders over the years).
The reason I have never owned a handgun is my priorities to my own family's needs (I have 4 kids - wife is stay at home mom/homeschool mom). So any "extra" money I have had went to the fam first. But what I did was dig out some things I have had in storage from when I was young, sold them - now I have money that is in a sense "mine"
This is how I am able to finally after waiting for many many years to consider a handgun. That is probably why I am so freaked about this decision - I feel like it's my only shot - so I want it to be a decision I will not regret. (although as some have suggested I could prob turn around and sell whatever I bought and consider another if I messed up
)
As far as why I want an auto-loader vs revolver - I just do
I have shot revolvers all my life, they are fine and fun to shoot - but I just prefer the feel of the auto, I like the mags vs. speedloaders, I like the look - it's not that I think they are better or worse - I just want one - 100% preference whether impractical or not
In fact it was weird Thompsoncustom posted about the 10mm Delta Elite - that was the first specific handgun I ever wanted after reading a review in Guns And Ammo when I was in the 9th grade!
As far as the 1911 style - they are nice but one thing I discovered is that I find pretty much all the single stack mag guns I held felt to skinny in my hands. I have fired 1911 and like them (.45 was fun to shoot!) but they just don't feel like they 'belong' in my hands like Sigs, the S&W M&P, and now the Beretta - even the Glocks felt good - but its just that trigger safety I don't like (and I like the weight of the metal frame vs. poly).
As far as what animals I would want protection from - the realistic answer is primarily the 2 legged ones when I'm out and about hunting/camping/hiking/etc... We don't have pigs up here and bears - well they are all black bears and not very likely to tangling with them. That's one good thing about Michigan - not a ton of dangerous critters other than maybe the neighbor's dog
(although I did hear about a guy got tangled up with a badger the other day...glad I wasn't him!)
I'm hoping to go in tomorrow to take a closer look at a different shop and see what I can glean there.
Again, you all have been so helpful. I feel much more confident and have some key things to look for and ask about when I go into the shops that I didn't have before. Thanks!