Lethal force, training....
first, Id sit down & have a long talk about if she can or will be able to use
lethal force. There's no "shoot to wound" or "I'll just scare them." BS anymore in 2014. Violent or aggressive felons can & do attack.
If she is unable to defend herself or use a firearm properly, then she should just get a C2 or X2 Taser,
www.taser.com .
If she can safely load/unload/clear a working firearm then Id start with a simple no frills stainless DA or DA only revolver. JGsales.com has a huge supply of .38spl police trade in S&W revolvers. A few were NYPD sidearms.
These robust well made .38spl revolvers or a new medium frame .357magnum could be a good place to start. Have her take a few safety or tactics courses with a trained,
respected instructor. Not a gun range safety officer or some internet gun "expert".
.
Author & well known cadre; John Farnam stated a few years ago that the rise in CCWs & gun sales meant new "instructors" were sprouting up all over. Many of them had little or no real credentials. Take a 4hr seminar or 1 day class
first then see if the instructor is worth a full gun safety or CCW tactics program if you can. If training is a problem, look at a few DVDs or videos by top programs; John Shaw, Clint Smith, Jeff Gonzales, Larry Vickers, Ken Lamb, SIG Sauer Academy, Magpul, Massad Ayoob.
If she buys a new firearm make sure she knows how to safely store & clean it. A gun should not be fired one or 2 times, then put in a purse or bed side drawer never to be cleaned or checked in 15 years.
Id also advise using
factory made rounds only. No reloads or hand-loaded ammunition. Some hunters & gun owners think they are super great or can engineer better loads than Corbon, Hornady, Remington, etc. I say, let them worry about the legal or civil issues.
You should stay with regular LE grade handgun rounds for carry or serious defense.
See;
www.nra.org www.gunlawguide.com www.ccwsafe.com www.gunvideo.com www.brownells.com www.mpro7.com www.gunsamerica.com www.paladin-press.com www.glockstore.com www.usgalco.com www.safariland.com www.handgunlaw.us www.midwayusa.com