Consider the Bronco for that test - that's the pistol that thinks it's a shotgun. It only has a two-shot magazine and it's not very accurate past mid-range. But the reload's lightning fast, and it does so much damage that it should pretty much one-hit everything even on a body shot, if you have mods. Worse-case scenario, a quick double-tap should do it.
With that said, the Akbolto that Terrence already has - the twin Bolto pistols - is actually a good choice. The fire rate's insane and it chews through Grineer very easily because it ignores their armor. The only problem is the reload time.
If you're considering a full-auto pistol, most people feel the Viper and Twin Viper are better than the Furis and Afuris.
Some general tips for the rank tests. You don't need to stay inside the circle, you can and should run around. Especially since sometimes enemies will hide/take cover behind pillars - and you have to kill each wave within the time limit.
If you're an accurate shot, it's possible for an Excalibur to take a sniper approach to the handgun test (by super-jumping on top of a pillar, giving you a vantage point)...but that shouldn't be necessary. Running around is probably the best option for most people.
Further Edit: Regarding the Rhino, it's rank 2 locked, but it used to be that if you purchased with plat it would still unlock at Rank 1. It's possible that's been patched, though - I have no idea. With that said, the Rhino is also one of the most expensive warframes with plat, while being relatively easy to acquire via in-game farming, so I'm not sure buying it would be the best idea.
I also prefer the Scindo (axe) over the...whatever the hell the hammer is called, I can't even remember. The hammer's main party trick is that it ignores armor, but all charged melee attacks ignore armor anyway. So the hammer's only advantage is that it ignores armor on regular light melee swings - but the Scindo does more damage.
-- Acyl
With that said, the Akbolto that Terrence already has - the twin Bolto pistols - is actually a good choice. The fire rate's insane and it chews through Grineer very easily because it ignores their armor. The only problem is the reload time.
If you're considering a full-auto pistol, most people feel the Viper and Twin Viper are better than the Furis and Afuris.
Some general tips for the rank tests. You don't need to stay inside the circle, you can and should run around. Especially since sometimes enemies will hide/take cover behind pillars - and you have to kill each wave within the time limit.
If you're an accurate shot, it's possible for an Excalibur to take a sniper approach to the handgun test (by super-jumping on top of a pillar, giving you a vantage point)...but that shouldn't be necessary. Running around is probably the best option for most people.
Further Edit: Regarding the Rhino, it's rank 2 locked, but it used to be that if you purchased with plat it would still unlock at Rank 1. It's possible that's been patched, though - I have no idea. With that said, the Rhino is also one of the most expensive warframes with plat, while being relatively easy to acquire via in-game farming, so I'm not sure buying it would be the best idea.
I also prefer the Scindo (axe) over the...whatever the hell the hammer is called, I can't even remember. The hammer's main party trick is that it ignores armor, but all charged melee attacks ignore armor anyway. So the hammer's only advantage is that it ignores armor on regular light melee swings - but the Scindo does more damage.
-- Acyl