IMO, it’s not a downfall, as I do not think it’s necessary for a handgun to have an external safety. Rifle or shotgun? Definitely. Handgun? No.
I agree, however there are people who see it as a downfall so I would’ve been irresponsible if I didn’t at least mention it, and I did include “this isn’t a particularly notable downfall.”
Alright. I’ve found a gun I like, it has all the features I’d want in a gun, its rather mid-sized though maybe a little bulky, its both 9mm or 40S&W, so the option is open to choose.
Its also a workhorse of a gun. Apparently never fails, can stand up to beatings, reliable as all hell.
Its Cheap.
so here is where I feel you’ll all be disappointed. Its a Ruger P-Series. I’ve read about them online, they have the features I want, and are CHEAP brand new. But the seem to be slightly looked down upon, not all that accurate. Do I need super accurate? I’m just begining shooting. It seems like this might be a great first gun to learn the ropes, and its got like 3894793 external safeties so I wont (hope I wont) shoot myself in the foot as easily. Any opinions or experience with them from people here? There also seems to be very little aftermarket stuff for them.
Big let down for me was when I went to their website noticed all the new advertising for their new pistols… and right next to it a recall notice for both of them. That never instills confidence in a company or their products. A fluke? Regular occurrence?
Let the debate commence for my educational benefit!
Ruger’s a great company, but known more for their wheel-guns than autos. The P-series has been around a while, though, and was made (I think) with a combat environment in mind; it’s therefore more rugged, less “finished,” more “sloppy” than other more advanced offerings from companies like Colt, Kimber, and such.
Hell, the original M1911 was pretty much the same way. Nothing wrong with that, it’s a tool, designed a certain way to do its thing in a specific range of environments. Just realize that the firearm you’ve chosen has certain limitations that you’ll (probably) never overcome; call it your “beginner gun” and leave it at that.
You don’t need super-accurate for beginner shooting. Learning sight-picture, breathing and trigger technique, learning to NOT anticipate the BANG and flinch, all these are going to be more important initially than actually hitting the 10-ring.
I recommend getting one of these and practicing trigger technique.
Once you go to the range, start yourself out easy, between 5 and 10 yards, and really take your time with sight picture and trigger technique; when you do it right, the firearm’s discharge is almost a surprise. If the range has a “Pro” available, avail yourself to his/her advice.
Learn how your firearm works. Get comfortable disassembling and reassembling it. Keep it clean. Practice safety, shoot safely.
Above all else, have fun! 
This is swaying (flying, racing, what have you) towards an IMHO thread, feel free to move it or leave it as you so choose…
and again…
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THE INPUT I LOVE THE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION!!
I am a qualified Range Safety Officer, published Military and Firearms Historian, and I’ve been shooting since I was 12, and I’m making you the following suggestion to you as someone who knows what they’re taking about:
PICK ANOTHER GUN.
I have had nothing but trouble with the Ruger “P” series semi-autos I’ve handled. Every one I have shot has been incredibly inaccurate (ranging from “meh, near enough” to “might as well throw the gun at your target”), the double-action trigger pull is horrendous, and they seemed uncommonly jam-prone, too.
Ruger’s revolvers are excellent, though. If you wanted a .357 Magnum revolver I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest the Ruger GP-101. But their semi-auto handguns are an entirely different (and best avoided) kettle of fish, IMHO.
Get a Taurus PT-101 or something like that if you’re after a cheap, reliable, n00b-proof (or near enough) double-action 9mm semi-auto. I’ve also heard good things about the new S&W M&P semi-auto pistols, too. But don’t get a Ruger P-series; I honestly believe you will likely regret it.
You’re welcome to PM me if you want more suggestions or advice, of course. 
Ruger P series autos are pretty uninspiring. CZ autos are better performers and are in the same price range.
I can’t say that Ruger Semi’s impress me. The one I’ve fired was amazingly jammy (two jams in under 100 rounds - that’s utterly unacceptable). And from the (two, so limited sample group) people I know who’ve owned one have echoed the sentiment.
Edit: It’s possible this was fixed in one of their recalls…
My Ruger P-85 has had tens of thousands of rounds through it and never jammed or mis-fired. It also does not seem to be a highly accurate weapon, but it’s accurate enough for my use. I doubt however that the OP is talking about a P-model as old as the 85.
Well, the thing about firearms is that they are a lot like clothes: they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors to accomodate indivual fit and taste. There is no “absolutely” correct answer, just more-or-less acceptable choices within a range of alternatives.
Hell, as far as “most comfortable in my hand” handgun goes, my Colt Peacekeeper (considered a low-end “trash gun” by many) is very comfortable with factory Pachmayr grips, and is more than adequate as far as accuracy and shootability goes; I could pin-shoot open-sight with it.
And there are folks who don’t think it would even make an adequate paperweight.
My Taurus PT99 (Beretta 92F clone) is a nice little shooter. I’ve heard “experts” trash-talk it, and I’ve heard “experts” give it decent-to-good reviews. I’ve had ammo go through it without a single jam, and I’ve had ammo that I may as well have thrown at the target, for all the jams I was getting.
Bottom line: you have to find what works for you, and “expert advice” might steer you to it on the first try, or send you 'round-and-'round in circles.
Well I somewhat take this into account. I’m not totally going to blow-off a Ruger due to the opinions given here. I’m more looking to put out there what I’m looking for and have people give me their opinions on what I might like. As some one who has only shot twice I have barely and knowledge of firearms. The sheer number I could never be exposed to without others opinions is amazing. More or less I’m just looking for hints as to what I should/could look into as a first handgun. So I’m taking any and all opinions, and I will look and shoot on my own from there.
If anyone knows of a Ruger and Sig handgun mating and making a hybrid pistol I’d love to hear about it, those have been my two favorites so far… odd as they are seemingly very different.
May I perhaps respectfully suggest that you hold off on purchasing a handgun until you’ve been shooting a few more times?
The shooters on the boards here are an incredibly knowledgeable bunch- you’ve got guys (and girls!) with military experience, range officers, long-time hunters, historians, collectors, competition target shooters, and so on.
And when almost all of them are saying fairly uncomplimentary things about the Ruger P series guns, shouldn’t that be telling you that a Ruger P series handgun is probably not the best choice of first handgun?
We’re not saying this because we have a vested interest in you buying a specific gun- it’s because the P series probably isn’t the best gun for you first off, unless you’re aware they’re not very good and that you won’t be able to re-sell the gun for much (because no-one wants them).
Are you a member of a shooting club? Not just the NRA, but a specific range? That’s an excellent way to meet other shooters, get to handle and shoot various handguns, and get some more experience with firearms in general. Also, that will give you the time to save up and buy a more expensive and better quality handgun, which will serve you well for a long time.