On the handgun thing I'm a big glock fan, I own several different models in 9mm. They're not the prettiest, or the most comfortable, or the most accurate, so it's not for everyone. But in my experience (and many others), it's one of the best guns for a functional defense item, and the accuracy is more than good enough for any real-world scenario. They're a very simple design with fewer parts than most semi's, insanely reliable, always goes bang when you pull the trigger.
Here's a glock abuse test for your amusement. I've never seen any test of any other handgun on the market come close to what the glock lives through:
Glock 21 Torture Test - Theprepared.com