What to get, what to get... lots of choices out there. I've owned a 1911, and liked it. Kind of heavy, very good-looking, worked okay. I had a HP clone (FEG's PJK-9HP) for a few years, it was about the same - a little wider, more bullets in mag. I most regret selling the 1911, even though I made money on the deal.
The best bang-for-the-buck pistol I ever owned - and by far the most reliable - was a Russian Makarov. I put thousands - yes,THOUSANDS - of rounds through that thing, it never jammed once. Can't say that about the 1911 or PHK-9HP. It was more accurate than either of the two mentioned above. So far as power goes... eh, no big deal... pistol is for keeping you alive long enough to get to your shotgun.
Glocks are butt-ugly, but they shoot good and are light. My absolute favorite service-size pistol is a CZ-75 - beautiful, you can carry it cocked & locked if you'd like, and it has a great trigger. It's far better than 1911 or HP, IMHO.
