First of all would a Taurus 732 be a better pick? I own one and have over 500 rounds through it without any problems.
The 732 came with a carry case for CCW. it takes some practice, but it works well once one gets used to it. My 732 so far is totally reliable.
Second, there are other possibilities.
Beretta makes the .32ACP Tomcat. I own one of those. The tip up barrel means never having to rack the slide for loading or unloading.Goes to the hand strength problem.
Taurus and Beretta make smaller,less powerful, pistols in the Taurus PT22/25 or the Beretta 21A. These come in either .22lrf or .25ACP. Taurus is a double action only trigger and the Beretta is a traditional double action for the first shot and goes to single action for any shot after that.
While the .25ACP is in theory more reliable becase it is a centerfire ammo versus rimfire ammo, it has been shown in the last few years, and even in my experience that the rimfire ammo I have used in my PT-22s had been reliable without any hiccups.
Two other recommendations are possible. Both are revolvers. Both are reliable and user friendly, but have more oomph than the .32 ACP. These would be the Taurus m380 in .380 ACP and a Taurus 327 or Taurus 731.
The Taurus m380 is 15 ounces and holds 5 rounds.
The Taurus 327 can shoot the .327 Federal magnum, the .32 H&R magnum, or the .32 S&W Long.
Buy Gun Accessories, Hi-Capacity Mags, Scopes, Gun Parts & More at CDNN Sports, Inc. is having a sale on those.
The Taurus 731 shoots the .32 H&R magnum and the .32 S&W Long. The .32 H&R magnum is a pussycat out of a snub revolver ,is mild on recoil, but in the .380ACP ballpark in power.
I own 2 Taurus 327s. I shoot mostly .32 H&R magnums out of them though some practice with the 327 Federal magnum is done.
With the sub-compact pistols it takes a lot of dedication and PROPER practice to become proficient with them. That goes for any brand,make,or model.
For example, the Taurus 732 is much different from my SIG 225 mid-size gun. Two completely different regimes, practice,trigger types,and training methods have to be used.
Proper grip and trigger follow through are two problem areas many forget about on these sub-compacts. For many people having the pinky finger under the grip has to be a must. For others,no.
I've had constructive criticism given to me by mentors who were watching close to how I was shooting. In the case of sub-compacts feedback is needed even if we've shot many types of guns down through the years. There are a lot of instructors as well who have little experience or teaching others how to use ALL the various types of compact and subcompact guns. Each subcompact gun is an entity unto itself.
What my gun likes as far as ammo brand and bullet type may not be what yours finds as the accuracy and reliable function load. It'll take some experimenting to find out what the accuracy and reliable function load will be.
Where are the thumbs put also contributes to things. Do you shoot with thumbs straight out, locked up, or down? Any of these might rub or block the gun's function. Especially the slide, mag release, or the slide release.
Let her go to a National Shooting Sports Foundation
NSSF - National Shooting Sports Foundation or a
NRA accredited local BASIC gun class. There are women only classes as well. Then she can judge as to what gun/caliber combo are right for her.
This is her choice so let her make it.
Cornered Cat
http://www.womenandguns.com
These are two good sites for the ladies for all their shooting info. There is another site in my signature that would also be a good one for her. Cornered.cat.com is an excellent site for women and guys.
