Reading this helped me to decide on my first carry gun, as his most valid point is at the end: "No one else decides for us. The choices are ours. And if you wind up with a “wardrobe of carry guns” just as you already have a wardrobe of clothing for different seasons and occasions… well, there just isn’t anything wrong with that."
http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/05/massad-ayoob-the-right-carry-gun/
I went with the Ruger SR1911 5", and my second will likely be a Ruger GP100 3" or 4.2" in .357, and my third...well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
Basically, consider some of the opinions here, go to the gun store, feel out the selection, read some reviews, watch some videos, etc. We live in an age where you can find all kinds of information before you even wrap your hand around a grip.
One benefit of revolvers is that you can buy used with a bit more confidence that all will work well, and might come away with a great deal on an excellent firearm, and get something that your budget might not have allowed for otherwise. With a quick visual inspection of a revolver (make sure nothing is bent, or burred), and a few dry fires, you can be fairly sure that when you squeeze it, it's gonna go bang every time, until your rounds are spent (so long as you don't load any bad carts that have the bullet pushed out to cause the cylinder to be unable to turn). After that, it's all about practicing with a speedloader or moon clips, or both.