I have a gsg 1911 and to be honest, you need the zrts kit for this gun to run fine, so it adds another 100$ or so. The 1911 was made to be a 45acp, so in order to run it simiarly on a puny 22lr round, changes had to be made, such as changing the slide for a zinc alloy, changing the barrel bushing, adding a screw on the barrel, etc... All those changes have made this gun a completely unnatural 22. And even with all those changes, it doesn't reliably cycle anything except cci mini-mags unless you install the zrts kit, and then it cycles all high-velocity ammos. It's not completely bad (if it was, I would get rid of mine), but it's not the best option out there imho.
I also have a browing buckmark, and it's by far my best 22lr, and possibly my best gun. On several levels, it outshines some of my 2000$+ guns. It will cycle anything. I really mean anything. The worst possible crap (think Winchester M22, or the 222/333/555, or the reming thurd), no problem. It's also super easy to clean, easier than any other 22lr I've ever had. And it's more accurate than any other handgun I own. Actually, I've never been limited by its accuracy, because unless I buy match-grade ammos (which are quite expensive for 22lr ammos), the gun is more accurate than the ammos. It's also a gun I can let anyone use to introduce them to firearms. Mine is a contour 7.25'', which is the deluxe model with a long bull barrel and a picatinny rail (really cool to install scopes and other toys), but basic 5'' models are less expensive, in the 450$ range I think. The buckmark was my first handgun, and I can't recommend it enough as anyone's first handgun. More expensive than the gsg, but the price difference is totally worth it.
I also own a 22lr revolver, and it's nice, but not what I would recommend for a first handgun.
I'm also with the popular opinion that 2 guns is better than a 9mm with a kadet. Not much more expensive, but a lot more versatile.
And finally, if you don't have enough budget for 2 high-quality guns, don't buy 2 cheap ones, get only 1 good one. I have a bunch of guns that never leave the safe, some far from being cheap, but for each calibre I almost only use my best one.