Finding the right firearm for you
The first question to ask yourself is what am I going to use this weapon for? Hunting "wabbits"? Or defending myself and my loved ones? Is this something I want to carry daily or have staged in my home for use if needed? This will help determine if you can use a shotgun, rifle or handgun to start.
If you are planning to carry this weapon daily, it must be concealable and the next question to ask yourself then is, how do I want to carry this weapon?
If you are looking for a "pocket pistol" or one in a holster vs in a carry-bag, the difference in size you can accommodate is substantial. Snub nose weapons with slim semi-automatic profiles would be best for a "pocket" carry, whereas a revolver would have too bulky a cylinder for full ease or comfort carrying in that manner.
Once you have those ideas in place, now it comes down to both what are you comfortable with on the range and can afford to train with on a consistent basis to make your skills ingrained enough to be of use in a deadly confrontation. The only way to really determine this is to try them out. Every handgun can be equipped with a different grip both in size and texture, so this should not decide for you.
Can you handle the recoil without closing your eyes? Do you know how to field strip the weapon, clean it and put it back together? This is your weapon, you must know it in and out to be effective in utilizing it and knowing it will be dependable when your life and that of your family is in jeopardy. Kimber to me is like a "puzzle gun", you have to know how to really piece it together and apart to utilize it. My SW MP2 is simple now that I have it down pat with the use of the "T" from the grip. My SW model 41 threw me the first time I tried to strip it because the trigger guard is the release for the barrel and slide. Know your weapons.
The next to consider is the ammunition you will carry daily versus on range. We typically recommend use of hollow point cartridges because of one thing. No, it isn't the stopping power, though that is great. It is because when it expands in the target, it will not penetrate through and kill the child standing nearby. Full metal jackets can penetrate through a perpetrator and harm any number of other people, objects and animals. Whether you can handle the added recoil of major power factor vs minor is another consideration and this has to do with the grain of the ballistic.
Almost every range allows for rental of various weapons, so long as you purchase their ammunition for it and sometimes if you are only a member of that range, but take advantage of this to try out varying calibers and styles of weapons before you make your first purchase.