Gun suggestions

[Pointedstick]

I'm heading to the range soon to try out my new Glock 23.  The only other pistol I've shot was an M9 (which is the Beretta 92 9mm), so this will be my first compact.  The next firearm I have my eyes on is a quality 12ga shotgun.

Now that I know you're into FI as well, you should look into the ultimate frugal home-defense weapon: a Ruger 10/22! It's so cheap to shoot that you can go to the range every week and become really proficient with it, and with a bullpup stock, it's light and handy in the house. The long barrel means you can even shoot unsuppressed it without hearing protection and not kill your hearing for life. Put a 30-round magazine in it and you'll be all set.

[Kriegsspiel]

Interesting, can you post a link to it?  When I google it, I get their standard plinking rifles.

[Pointedstick]

Any old $200 10/22 will do, just add a 30-round magazine. The bullpup stock is optional, but will shorten the weapon and make it handier in the house. Here are a few I found: http://www.bullpupgunstocks.com/

If you plan to use a bullpup stock, you could even get a version of the rifle with a longer barrel, which further increases the muzzle velocity and decreases the noise.

I recommend adding some Volquartsen parts:
An Automatic bolt release will let you release the bolt by just pulling it back.
An Exact Edge extractor makes extraction a bunch more reliable. This was back in 2008, so newer models may be better now.

And if you doubt the power of the mighty .22: http://gunssavelives.net/gun/22/

This gun will allow you to put a crazy amount of lead in the air very quickly and with excellent accuracy, due to the total lack of recoil, and the fact that it's a rifle and you can afford to train a lot. It also holds a lot of ammunition, reducing your need to reload like even a high-capacity handgun would. It will also not ruin your hearing for life instantly if you ever need to shoot it unsuppressed in your house.

[Ad Orientem]

And if you doubt the power of the mighty .22: http://gunssavelives.net/gun/22/

Anecdotal evidence notwithstanding I do not consider the .22 to be an appropriate caliber for a primary defense weapon. With the caveat that any gun is better than no gun in a pinch and yes, you can kill someone with a .22, it is an anemic cartridge. The very exhaustive statistical analysis done by Evan Marshall on stopping power has pretty firmly established that.  A .22 is a very fun caliber that has the added advantage of being dirt cheap. It is also great for plinking and rodent/small animal control if you live in the country. But no, I would not choose that for a defensive firearm if I had alternatives.

[MediumTex]

And if you doubt the power of the mighty .22: http://gunssavelives.net/gun/22/

Anecdotal evidence notwithstanding I do not consider the .22 to be an appropriate caliber for a primary defense weapon. With the caveat that any gun is better than no gun in a pinch and yes, you can kill someone with a .22, it is an anemic cartridge. The very exhaustive statistical analysis done by Evan Marshall on stopping power has pretty firmly established that.  A .22 is a very fun caliber that has the added advantage of being dirt cheap. It is also great for plinking and rodent/small animal control if you live in the country. But no, I would not choose that for a defensive firearm if I had alternatives.

I would also say that the 10/22 chambering action isn't something I would want to depend on in the dark when I was half-asleep.

There's not nearly as much "pop" to the chambering of a round in the 10/22 as there is, for example, with an AR-15-type rifle.