Dave,
Great choice (to be made) going with Pelikan as your 1st fountain pen. Pelikan Mxxx series is really fantastic because you can enjoy the all aspects of fountain pen world (e.g. piston filling, swappable nibs, classic and classy design with or without modern twist, etc) with a broad range of price points and aesthetics that suit you.
A few notes from my experience:
• If you decide to buy, see if the store will let you dip the actual pen you are about to buy (not just the same model on display) to test the nib.
• Buy from an authorized dealer for future customer service including the lifetime warranty and one-time privilege of swapping the nib with a different size if you change your mind within 30 days of purchase.
• M2xx, M4xx and M6xx nibs (and many vintage ones) are interchangeable with each other. If you start with M2xx that has a steel nib and later want to venture out to a solid gold nib, you can buy the nib unit from higher-end models or vintage ones (see nibs.com or other places) and that should fit M2xx pen perfectly (but the steel nib on M2xx is really fantastic).
• If you find the nib skipping or feels dry right after the purchase, don't worry too much. Try flushing the nib, feed, ink reservoir with room temperature clean water thoroughly before attempting other solutions.
Good luck!!
My very 1st fountain pen that I bought myself about 10 years ago.
