I'm thinking about getting a small safe for it. I live in a house with some other guys from college, all of us are over 21 and responsible non druggy alcoholic types. So do yall think I need a safe, or is the manufacture box put in a safe place out of view and easy reach ok?

I'd get one of those quick access safes. You roomies may be fine, can you vouch for all of their different guests/visitors? With the ammount of vistors that multiple roommates create, it's better safe than sorry. (sorry, no pun intended)

Biggest question, what kind of ammunition would yall suggest. Price is a big factor, I was most likely going to get it at a local Walmart. Eventually I will find a range and get some practice in with this gun, but I also want it as the primary defense for my home. Is there a specific kind that is versatile, or do I need different ones for different uses?

Good luck with Walmart. They have plenty of range/practice ammo. SD ammo is pretty thin, at least where I am. Winchester Ranger is what i have for my 9 mm. For my .40 I have Federal Hydrashock. Speer gold dot are in my .38. Without trying to urinate in any wheaties, most proper SD ammo will do the job. My personal preference is heavy for caliber bullets, others, not so much. No matter which ammo you pick, verify function in your gun.
Just my opinion (again), but practice w/ SD ammo may be cost prohibitive. Fire a box of the good stuff now and then but practice w/ the cheap stuff. Speer Lawman FMJ may be a compromise. It's cheaper than premium SD ammo, but it feels just like it IMHO. If nothing else, use the same weight bullet and you should get similar point of impact.

Thanks, that was very helpful. I agree on the safe. And I've heard about both the Hydrashock, Ranger and Gold Dot in some other research, sounds like good choices. As for the range, I will definitely find something to weigh in the same as the SD ammo, and have the same pressure.

This seems like good information, found through some googling.

"Grains are a measure of weight, used both to measure the weight of bullets and powder charges.

It's very rare for an ammunition manufacturer to advertise the powder weight, so it's safe to assume that the grain numbers refer to the bullet weight when you're buying commercial ammo.

The common bullet weights in 9mm are 115gr, 124gr, and 147gr. Generally speaking, in a given caliber, a heavier bullet will penetrate more deeply while the lighter bullet may expand a bit more and will have higher velocity.

The cost differential was not specifically related to the bullet weight, it was related to the higher quality and performance of the ammunition. It's very likely that a 115gr premium hollowpoint defense loading would cost much the same.

Premium self-defense ammo tends to be a good bit more expensive than FMJ training ammo for several reasons.

1. A misfire or jam at the range while practicing doesn't threaten your life. The extra QA that goes into making sure that doesn't happen with your defense ammo isn't free.
2. It costs money to develop a premium expanding defense round.
3. It costs more to manufacture a premium expanding defense round.
4. Self-defense ammo may employ more expensive components such as nickel plated cases or low-flash powder.

+P and +P+ refer to higher pressure than normal.

9mm is limited to 35,000psi peak pressure.
9mm +P is limited to 38,500psi peak pressure.
9mm +P+ does not have industry established pressure limits.

Generally speaking, increasing the pressure increases the velocity and probably also increases the terminal effect of the bullet although it's not clear to what extent. It also results in more recoil and will accelerate wear on the firearm although most people don't have the money to wear out a firearm by shooting +P ammo in it."

Is this info accurate?

Also, would yall recommend +p, or just standard 9mm?

Is this info accurate?

Pretty Much.

Grains are a measure of weight, used both to measure the weight of bullets and powder charges.

There are 7000 grains per pound, FWIW.

a heavier bullet will penetrate more deeply while the lighter bullet may expand a bit more and will have higher velocity.

All other things being equal in a perfect world, yes. Note, Bullet design is key in this regard.

Also, would yall recommend +p, or just standard 9mm?

It tends to be a matter of opinion for the most part. IMHO, the performance increase is largely theoretical in the real world. Again, all other things being equal. Check your manual, some pistols aren't rated for it. IIRC XDs are OK with it, but I'm not certain. To me, it's sort of like using a cheater shot of nitrous in a street car. It's hard on parts, so don't overdo it. Again, it's opinion. There will be others who say there's no issue and to use them as much as you like. They may indeed be correct, I tend to be conservative with things like this.

Most importantly, be careful and enjoy yourself.