The Bodda Getta

Glock compact 40 would be ideal. Very little recoil, with PLENTY of stopping power.

Former Marine Corps Combat Marksmanship Instructor here. Ive taught a lot of females to shoot in my day, the .22 round is more effective than people think, the .380 is pointless, the 9mm round is awesome if you use a Critical Duty or Defense round, .40 has too much "pop" for most females (yes more than a .45ACP), and a lot of .45 pistols are just too big for their liking (see Springfield XDs for exception).

But BY FAR, the best small shooter Ive ever bought for myself or for a female or any person looking to carry a compact handgun that handles extrememly well is the Smith & Wesson MP 9mm Compact. Not the Shield version. Just the regular compact. Beautiful weapon and handles superior to most. I bought one for my little sister and she absolutely loves it. She doesnt even believe in gun control anymore and she is a member of the NRA now.

Yeah, I forgot to mention there is a shortage of the M&P Shields. Cannot hardly find them anywhere. Was lucky enough to walk into a store one day and they had some left from their last shipment.

I would say go to a range and try different handguns to see what she likes. The best pistol is one that feels good in your hands and that you will be inclined to carry with you. That being said, the S&W Airweight 642 is great for concealed carry. The girls in my house carry the following: S&W Airweight 642 .38+p, S&W Bodyguard .38+p, and a Ruger LCP .380.

I'm a 1911 guy and I don't leave home without my Springfield Range Officer.

My advise, try before you buy. I know that if you ask Sheriff Curry in Shelby county he would tell you to make sure she holds and shoots the gun before you buy her one. The most important thing is that she is comfortable and capable of operating all the functions of the pistol, what ever make or model. Now, with that out of the way, my wife and I have a Ruger LC9. I would recommend a 9mm be the lowest you go because when you need to stop a threat you want to make sure you are doing as much damage with each bullet fired as possible.