First gun opinions

I’m looking to buy my first handgun and i’m trying to keep my budget kinda low.

I recently popped into a small store near me and the guy behind the counter ended up pointing me towards the sar9x they carry for $300. The sar felt very comfortable in my hand and is supposedly well proven and tested, despite being cheap.

My question is, is there a better value for the price or would i be better raising my budget and getting something from a more established brand.

The store also had a SAR p8l for 450 which i liked better but it seems less well known so i was leaning away from that one.