For general shooting, a bodyguard in .380. For concealed carry, the bodyguard isn't bad but if she needs smaller, a Beretta bobcat in 22 or 25
I wouldnt recommend .22 or .25. Those are too reliant on accurate shot placement under pressure, and women who're cool as a cucumber when facing surprise violence OR practicing enough are unicorns.
In general, the bang or presence of a gun is more important than the caliber. If she does have to fire, a 22 or 25 will have low recoil that will make follow up shots much easier, depending on her size. A 100 pound woman would have issues with followup shots, even with something mellow like a 380. I'm addition, a bobcat can be hidden literally anywhere. Women clothing and such may or may not permit a larger weapon without printing
If she does have to fire, a 22 or 25 will have low recoil that will make follow up shots much easier
The premise is flawed, and why I recommend everyone take some self-defense classes. Inside of 20', being able to draw and get off a shot at all is difficult, much less the precision required for .22 or .25 where it's facial triangle or the crime blotter. "Follow-up shots" are how gun manufacturers sell comically underpowered varmint rounds to women who're big hecking scared of handguns.
If you want an easy way to test this without springimg for a non-lethal training handgun, go get a laser pointer and a banana. Tell your buddy to rush you sometime that day and try to "stab" you with a banana before you can draw and laser pointer him in the face. After you get banana'd to death half a dozen times, you'll stop screwing around with squirrel rounds and get a caliber where even a poorly aimed JHP to the spleen will put an assailant down.
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