Depends on what he wants it for...I love my Beretta 92A1 but it's a bit big for concealed carry if that's what he wants. After handling and shooting the Walther P99 (which I loved!) I'd recommend the P99 or PPQ.
The "best bang for the buck" in my opinion is probably the M&P9 or compact models.
The "best bang for the buck" in my opinion is probably the M&P9 or compact models.