WildBill wrote:Has your wife shot the Glock 26 and can she shoot it well? Can she work the slide? If so that's a good gun for her. As for malfunctions, she should do what everyone should do - practice failure drills until they are automatic.
I would caution against her buying any gun without shooting it. Especially the snubbies. They are light and feel good in the hand, but when you shoot them it is a different story. The small revolvers have a bit of a bark and kick. They are hard to shoot accurately without a lot of practice. If the gun is painful to shoot, your wife won't practice.
My recommendation is to not give your wife your gun or buy her a gun. Let her choose it, buy it, clean it, shoot it, pratice. Let it be hers.
What he said. 100%
You won't believe how many Basic Pistol classes I do for women where their significant other bought them a handgun and they can't seem to shoot it. And most of them have a little S&W airweight revolver, and hate it. Not that it's a bad gun. It's a fine little revolver, but it's not for everybody.
Either try to get her into a basic pistol class where she can shoot a few different models, or take her to a range where she can rent a few to try. A little money spent on range fees or classes now will save a whole lot on a gun that is never carried.