re: First Time gun owner Help?

I was in the same boat as you when I bought my Springfield XD40. Luckily I had some friends who taught small arms courses in the military and went out to the range with them constantly. After awhile I was very comfortable with my fire arm. I could pick it up and tell you how many bullets or if one was in the chamber just by the weight of it. So my point is, get proper instruction and practice, practice, practice.