[WhiteWolf]

While I hate to put the 9mm in the "manly" category... It's too large for my wife to carry and she doesn't enjoy shooting it either. She is very happy with her Beretta .25 for a few reasons:
1. it's small
2. it doesn't kick at all
3. it's small
4. it's small

ok, I am over doing the small part, but have you ever thought where you would put your carry piece while wearing an evening dress? I'll admit I never did. I actually like that she is carrying a .25 instead of a .22 since its a center fire, not rim fire, and the cartridge is actually designed for a semi-auto. Her Beretta jammed once on the second clip, since then never an issue.

On a different note, she is actually happier with something that probably won't kill. While I could and would pull the trigger on my .357 and regret it later, women are different than men. If she knew that pulling the trigger meant that person would die she might not do it. I know, it doesn't make a lot of sense, but it does in their world. If I had chosen her gun for her it would have been a .38 snub or a 9mm. If I had she would never have gotten any good at shooting.