I buy rvry woman I care about a S&W 642. 38spl airweight snub, no exposed hammer to catch on anything in, say, a purse. No slide to manipulate, or battery of arms to clear a jam. It can collect dust and be 100% percent reliable. And even if you have a FTF, you can just pull the trigger again. If she carries it on her person, it's small enough to conceal on many body types (a LCP or p3at would be easier). And these guns are more than accurate enough at the range. My mom can really, really shoot hers! It came with Crimson Trace grips!