Welcome to the wonderful world of guns.
Before you jump in with both feet, be warned that it is an expensive hobby. However, it is one that could also some day save the life of you and your family!
Regarding revolvers vs. automatics, here are the pros and cons of each, as I see them:
Double action Revolver Strengths- Not ammo sensitive; light or heavy loads will always cycle fine, even if you "limp wrist" it
- Simple to operate under stress: just squeeze the trigger. Got a dud round? Just squeeze the trigger again.
- Easy to understand how to load and unload them
- They are very accurate, when fired single action; ideal for target shooting. A bad single action revolver trigger pull is usually better than a bad auto pistol trigger pull
- No safety to worry about; the long, heavy double action trigger is the safety
- Can be reliably fired from compromising positions: i.e. weak hand, from the hip after you just got knocked down, etc.
Double action revolver weaknesses- Low capacity (5-8 rounds, depending on model)
- Slower follow-up shots
- More expensive (factory) ammo
- Slower reloads
Auto Pistol Strengths- Higher capacity
- Faster and more accurate follow-up shots
- Lower velocity and less inherent accuracy for a given barrel length
- Cheaper to feed
- Easier to clean and take down
- More stylish
Auto pistol weaknesses- Sensitive to technique issues. For example, if you shoot it with a limp wrist or elbow, it may jam.
- Sensitive to load power. If you shoot factory ammo, this will probably not be a problem, unless you shoot the absolute cheapest stuff.
- Sensitive to bullet shape. certain bullet shapes will not feed reliably in some pistols. Usually, round nosed ammo feeds the best, but it is the least effective. Round nose, hollow point ammo is good for defense, but you have to shoot a box or two to make sure it will feed reliably in your auto. This is even more of an issue with vintage service guns, like the FEG Hi Power you pictured above. Military guns are made to function reliably with ball (round nose) ammo, because that's all the soldiers get. Older designs (such as the Hi Power and 1911 ) are even more sensitive to bullet shape.
As for whether you should buy the Hi Power, can you test fire it first? Is there any kind of guarantee, so that after you buy it you can get it fixed free if it doesn't work in a certain time frame?
In general, Hi Powers are great guns. They are a classic design from 1935, which the great John Browning started and a Belgian guy finished after Browning died. Many people (myself included) believe it is a superior design to the much vaunted 1911. It's just that the 1911 is chambered in 45 ACP, which gun people tend to prefer to 9mm.
FEGs are good Hi Powers. My Charles Daly Hi Power is made by FEG, I hear. It has been a great gun.
One of our esteemed late members, Stephen Camp, was a real, bonafide fan of the Hi Power. In fact, he dedicated his website to it. Rather than babble on too much about it here, let me just provide you with a link to his site:
http://hipowersandhandguns.com/HiPowerComments.html
What is your price range, and what are your other choices of guns to buy?
Where are you located? Perhaps one of us could meet you and take you under his wing? If you're near Chicago, I'd be happy to.
Best of luck!