I have a S&W 686 357 mag/.38 special. I use it for protection in the woods not at home, kind of living in a good neighborhood, though I do have my lucky bat in my closet.
I did my homework when looking for my first handgun in gun forums, and came up with my set up for both protection and hunting uses. Not to mention I prefer revolvers, the less complex the mechanism the less there is for something to go wrong. That will be the only gun opinion you get from me from me here.
ADD:
If you're looking for a bigger gun (rifle/shotgun) go ALL OUT"