My personal tips for using handguns are:
First you want to get a gun that you are comfortable using, IMO the best handgun is the .44 Magnum (It wouldve been the D.Eagle but, the .44 magnum has the exact same statistics as the eagle, only thing is that the magnum has 1less bullet in its clip, but the eagle has alot more recoil). First thing you wanna learn is that handguns are not only used for short range. You can shot people from long range from handguns, but the range is pretty distant. If you look at the Terminal, you can KILL someone from like one side of the plane, to the other. You can SHOOT a person anywhere from the map. You also wanna give yourself like .2 seconds before firing all the shots because all the handguns move upward after every bullet. When you unlock the akimbos for your handgun you really wanna use that. Me personally think that the tactical knife is the best attatchment for each handgun. So if you use akimbos, it will boost your kills from there. When iWanted to get the tactical knife for the D.Eagle, all iDid was run around with my handgun, no matter what the map, situation, or anything. iOnly ran around with the handgun. The tactical knife is a lovely attatchment especially if you like to be fast and quick and you use commando.
~Bottom Line~
You wan to use a handgun you like, look at the statistics of the gun and chose from there. Don't discrimminate just because it's a handgun it doesn't shoot for long range. Once you unlock the akkimbos attachment RUN WITH IT until you get the tactical knife