First handgun

Hey all! I just joined the forum yesterday and I've already got a question . I'm somewhat new to the world of firearms. I've been shooting since I can remember but always with other people guns and I never really did any of the maintenance or research involved with owning firearms. As a consequence I love guns but know very very little about them.

I got my very first gun for christmas. An off-the-shelf wal-mart special on a 12 gauge shotgun. Nothing fancy but very suitable for my needs. I've been shooting clay pigeons with it numerous times and my friends love going shooting too. I've loved the idea of owning my own guns ever since I got my shotgun and decided to add to my arsenal. I've been doing research for a while and last week I bought a 91/30 Mosin Nagant. Very satisfied with the rifled especially considering how cheap it was.

So... my question. The next thing I want to start researching is a good handgun. I've got this idea in my head that I need at least one rifle, one shotgun, and one handgun. That way I'll be prepared for whatever I need. The shotgun and rifle are mostly for hunting but I want a handgun primarily for home defense and concealed carry. It doesn't need to be anything with amazing range, and I'm not looking to blast a huge hole in whatever I'm shooting(or whoever if worse comes to worse). Mostly I'm looking for something reliable and something cheap(both in initial cost and the cost of ammunition).

So far my research has led me in the direction of a 357 revolver. I like the sound of revolvers being more reliable and general more straightforward weapons(besides... revolvers are freaking cool!). As far as getting a .357.... thats basically just what a lot of people seem to prefer. I don't really know why.

There's so much I don't know though I thought I'd put the question to you guys. I know it's a bit of a novel... but what does everyone think? What kind of handgun would be reliable, cheap, and just generally practical?

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