I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to firearms. I have a preference for older weapons which have a simpler upkeep to them, and they are less expensive.
If you are a beginner, and want to start out in pistols, I suggest trying out a Romanian TTC Tokarev surplus pistol, which you can get for around $200.00 from J&G, and the ammunition for it is also very inexpensive (7.62x25 mm which you can get about 1260 rounds for about $140.00)
For rifles, starting out with a .22 Rifle of your choice makes a lot of sense. Later you can try a larger calibre. An inexpensive option would be a surplus Mosin-Nagant Rifle. They are simple bolt action rifles, but very accurate and highly effective. As well the ammunition for them is very inexpensive (7.62x54R mm which you can get about 450 rounds for about $80.00 to $100.00 on average), but be cautious of what ammo you buy for it. Spent cartridges from lesser quality versions of this ammo sometimes tends to stick in the chamber when it gets hot.
From there you will probably be ready to test your mettle with more sophisticated weaponry and semi-auto rifles.
