Personally I agree, if I don't come home with a black and blue shoulder, I have not been shooting, but after a while, it just plain hurts!
I assume you are talking about handguns, I can not remember what the model is called, but ruger has a .22 modeled after the german luger, which is a blast, in both stability, range and accuracy. I believe it is the MK V series, I picked one up at a yard sale one time, and was real impressed with it.
I prefer the single action revolvers myself, or the model 1911 automatics, as my hands are not exactly big enough to wrap around some of the other makes. Especially if you get into high cap mags. I just find shooting them awkword and uncumfortable......and if a .45 will do the trick....as it has proven time after time in real combat, why change?
But I really do not know which way to stear you, especially if you want to go tournament, since most of my shooting is at beer cans and golf balls.
My best suggestion would be to go to a shooting range like High Noon, in Prescott Valley, ( not sure what they have here in Phoenix, if they have anything, as paranoid as everybody is, when you even drive by a gun shop down here ) which rents firearms, and choose the one that fits you, and your shooting style.
Once you have a weapon, I can help you with some things, like up grades and such, to try and get bettter performance out of it, but I am no proffessional by any means when it comes to gun smithing. Infact most of what I know is basic, and I would probably find you a wealth of knowledge, as I have pretty much quit shooting all together, for the last several years. Just got to expensive, and my best friend ( also my step-brother ) died, and I just lost interest in it.