Well vrmntslyr, a question like this can easily open Pandora's box. The problem is, there are many excellent manufacture's and products out there. First off, are you looking for a revolver or semi-auto pistol?

If you're going for a revolver, it can be hard to go wrong. Since their design is so simple, they've been around for so long, and they're easy to operate. A few manufacures include S&W, Ruger, Taurus, Colt, Beretta, etc.

If you're looking for a semi-auto pistol, that's a whole different ball game.Design and features varies from one manufacture to another. Not that I'm against semi-autos at all, (I actually prefer them), it's just that they vary quite a bit more. A list of high qualitymanufactures include Ruger, Smith & Wesson, Glock, Heckler & Koch, Sig, Beretta, Kimber, Colt, etc (a few other manu. that I have no personal experience with, but are supposed to be good are CZ, Walther, FN, etc)Rugers are a good starter, as they are affordable (half the price of some of the above!) but still excellent quality and rugged. Glocks are used by the bulk of police forces and Austrian Army, as they are light weight, reliable,and are easy to use. Sigsare used by a number of police forces, and was the only pistol besides Beretta to pass the US Military tests, though did not win the bid. Beretta is used by the USA military and various police forces. H&K is used by Military special ops, and agreed by many to be thebest (and carry a hefty pricetag.) S&W are all around great guns and used by police forces and the FBI (or at least atone time they were, I can't keep track any more.) Kimbers are viewed as the best 1911s on the market, and are used by the LAPD SWAT team. Colt isup there with Kimber, but costs an arm and a leg.

It all depends on want you want, andhow much you want to spend. Don't just take our conjecture on it though, for more info I recommend you check out...

http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg00-e.htm