Having taught numerous women to shoot and be at least a little tactically situational-conscious,there is one undeniable truth. Ok,two undeniable truths. The first is no matter how good or effective the handgun is,it ain't worth a damn if they aren't willing to carry it every day. A 22LR derringer in a pocket you carry every day is better than a M-240 kept at home.
The second is the women will treat you just like they do their husbands. They will nod their heads and agree,and then do whatever the hell it is they want to do.
Secondly,there is nothing at all wrong with small pink/whatever 5 shot 32 or 38 Special revolvers. The typical woman isn't going to be involved in a running gun battle with the SLA or the IRA,so WTH does she need a 17 shot magazine with two spares? Give her a short-barreled 38 special in flamingo pink if that's what she wants and it will inspire her to carry it,and then give her some 148 grain hollow-base swaged wadcutters loaded backwards at 600-800 fps depending on how used to recoil she is,and tell her if attacked to just stick it in the guys eye or stomach and keep pulling the trigger until it quits making loud noises.
IF you are lucky and she is one of the rare few that develops a genuine interest in shooting,she can always buy a revolver with a 4 inch barrel after that,and you can load her some actual target grade ammo
BTW,these reverse-loaded swaged wadcutters are the perfect load for home defense or apartment defense,where you have thin walls and family members or relatives that might be at risk if you shoot. They won't completely penetrate the normal human body,so all the energy is expended inside the bad guy where it is needed,and a miss won't shoot through 2 rooms and kill an innocent.
For those of you who are unsure about a swaged bullet,it is dead soft lead bullet with no antimony like tin in it. Pure lead. They are so soft you can usually scratch one with a fingernail. Cast bullets,sometimes called "Hard Cast" bullets are the same bullet,but it has tin or some other alloy in it to make it harder. Hard cast bullets do not expand at all in the human body. They make the same size hole going out they made going in. The purpose of making them hard in a handgun is because you can get higher velocities without "leading" the barrel of your pistol or revolver. Generally speaking,anything above 900 fps needs to be hardened to keep from clogging the grooves in the barrel. Depending on the powder you use,they may also need a metal cap on the base to keep it from melting as it goes down the barrel. No real concern for the casual shooter,but something you need to know if you plan on reloading or buying reloaded ammo.
BTW,forget magnum velocities in guns with barrels 4 inches long or shorter. Ain't going to happen. You can buy and shoot the magnum ammo in most revolvers,but all you get is more muzzle blast ,more noise,and less control over the gun. Plus you spend a hell of a lot more money to buy it. Better to have ammo loaded to moderate levels for quick backup shots that you can put on target if you need backup shots. Plus,many,many newbies to shooting have been ruined for shooting as a hobby be some idiot handing them something like a 44 Magnum with maxed out loads and telling them to "try this one". The most important thing to know about a bullet is that you can put it where you want to put it. Let other people worry about maximum velocities.
I NEVER recommend a semi-auto for ANY newbie,male or female. People under "fight or flight" stress the first time don't need to be having to remember stuff like safeties,and it has been MY experience that no matter how many times you tell them,it is damn near impossible to get newbies to carry a round in the chamber. Also,they all seem to have a tendency to keep fumbling around with the damn thing to see if it's loaded. You don't have accidental discharges or the VERY loud clicking sound of a hammer falling on a empty chamber with revolvers,and you can tell at a glance that it is loaded without having to fool around with it.
Revolvers are the original "point and click" devices.Noting to remember but pulling the trigger.
BTW,I am a HUGE fan of the 1911A1's,as well as the P-35's. I have no use at all or any interest in owing a striker-fired semi-auto or any semi-auto that isn't SA only unless it is a true pocket pistol,like a derringer or something like the old AMT semi-autos. That doesn't mean that a 1911A1 is the perfect gun for everyone. It's a world-class GREAT handgun if you are willing to gain the experience to safely handle,carry,and shoot one,but it's not a handgun for newbies.
