It is too bad you are so far away but that is why I am trying to set up a get together for as many as possible that can travel. It will be somewhere in the middle of the country and I am working with some on this site and have been talking to guys from my last unit as well to see if we could use their land. As for the gun I recommend you go out and find a range that rents firearms. Talk to the people who work there and rent/hold as many guns as you can. This is the best way to find a gun that fits you. There is no one size/caliber that fits all, but the 9mm is an easy one to use and can have some decent stopping power with the right bullets. But really go to a range and rent away, shoot anything you think you may like and see if it works for you. Everyone can make recommendations or spout credentials but you have to find a weapon that fits you. There are also classes for first time gun users that teach the basics and allow you to shoot many different kinds of guns. Do some Internet searches or go talk to some of the local gun shop owners. They will know where to go for those sort of things. My best recommendation for a new shooter is learn the basics and try,try,try until you find the gun for you. Let me know if you can't find a place like I am talking about and I will ask the owner of the business I work for to see if he knows anything out your way in IL.