I have very mixed feelings about the Bersa .380. I bought one late last year because I realized that my XD-40 was just too big for daily carry. Size-wise, it was perfect. I had no qualms about the size of the bullet either. The gun had a snappy recoil, but handgun recoil doesn't seem to bother me much.
But the stupid thing kept spitting burning gunpowder onto my wrist!!!
Let's just say that puts a real crimp in your range time.
I **want** to like that gun. Lots and lots of other people I 'talked' to online said they never had any such problem. Some did, however, although they suggested just wearing long sleeves. In Texas, in the summer??? Maybe not.
So I traded it for a S&W m37 with no lock (made for a foreign order last year, and I happened on one of them). I actually shot the Bersa a little more accurately than I do the snubbie (slightly longer barrel may have something to do with it, IDK) but it was just too miserable to shoot with the burning stuff.
If your wife wants a Bersa (she does want this gun, right? she's looking for it with you and shopping with you and trying the guns in her own hand, right????) she might want to read through BersaTalk, maybe rent one if possible. But unfortunately, this little "spitting" problem seems to be related to a specific gun, not just all Bersas, so I don't know how you can have a guarantee it won't happen.
I have to admit, I occasionally think "I ought to get another one and see if it's better". For $200 it's such a great buy if it DOES work for you, you can't hardly complain. And they're easy to clean.
Good luck to your wife as she picks her first gun!
Springmom