RE: Pistols for dummies
First off, I'm going to comment, I don't mean to sound like I jerk, but you asked for help, and this will help you sound more like you know what you're talking about.
You haven't looked at ".357 mags and just plain .357's"...There isn't a ".357" and a ".357mag", the .357 IS the .357 mag, unless it's the .357 MAX, or .357Sig, neither of which I'm prone to believe you looked at as the max is a VERY custom gun, and the sig is an auto pistol.
A single action means you have to cock the trigger for every shot, it's the best idea for a beginner. A double action means you just pull the trigger and it goes boom. Really, SA means the trigger only does ONE thing, it trips the sear/hammer. DA means it does two things, cocks the hammer and trips it. DA's can be fired SA by cocking the hammer manually, but can also be fired simply by pulling the trigger...however, the trigger pull doing this is usually quite heavy and LONG.
It's hard for a beginner to go wrong with a Single Action .357mag like a Ruger Blackhawk or Ruger Vaquero (fixed sights) in 5.5" bbl. Since you're a "big strong guy", I might suggest a .41mag...which is available in a Ruger Blackhawk in 4 5/8" and 6.5" bbls, and also in the Super blackhawk if I recall correctly. Or a .44mag, which lets you learn with .44spcl rounds, then jump up to the .44mag rounds when you're ready...it's available in their Vaquero and Super Blackhawk models in various bbl lengths. It's also available in their Double Action Redhawk.
OR, you could go the other way, if you're not looking to hunt with this, Get a Ruger P-series auto pistol in 9mm or .45acp. A good 1911 is HARD to beat as well, I suggest Springfield Armory and Kimber, Colts are WAY over priced and not any better as those two.
A Ruger revolver can usually be had for around $400-500 new, the pistols can be had for $400-450 usually, the 1911 pistols are typically $500 and up.
If I could do it all over again, I'd do it the same way I did it this time...I'd buy a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44mag, feed it a LOT of .44spcl ammo until I got the hang of it, then start hunting with the .44mag ammo....I picked up DA revolver and auto pistol shooting very quickly after that starter gun.
You might also consider a .22lr semiauto pistol like a Ruger Mark II (or the new Mark III), it's just NECESSARY to have a .22lr pistol, and it's CHEAP to practice, so you can learn a LOT with one.