"Situational awareness"

You guys give much more credit than what credit is due for the weaker sex's capability.

A woman's ability to survive will depend on her ability to take a blow, her side kick, thumbs with nails, and a J-frame.

Funerals ain't cheap my friends.

Hey Johnny, are you going to respond or keep digging?

He can't talk right now, he had to go back to the mall and pick up some throwing stars at the knife hut....

David

quartier I should have said in my opinion they are junk they feel like toys to me. also they are probably the prefered sidearm for whoever just because they are cheap. again this is my opinion.

You'll have to define cheap plus describe your idea of toys. Lets not forget innovative in the mix too. The first to use a polymer frame and the first to use Tennifer as a nitriding process for hardening after complete finishing of the steel. Oh yeah, use of polymer for the mags too. Then there were the fewest parts of any similiar pistol around. Manufacturing made easy. The word you might be searching for is cost effective. In fact, Glock has among the highest if not the highest profit margin per unit of any handgun out there. The only rivals are Hi-Point and Ruger. For people, institutions and agencies who can afford what they want and for whom cost is no issue Glock seems to end up the winner more times than not. Go figure.

Back to the Op's question, obviously you are going to get a million answers. My wife was adament when she started shooting that she could manipulate a gun as well as a man could. For the most part she was correct. "Here honey you need a pink gripped Jframe because you are a girl" while I shot a 1911 didn't work. She qualified chl and practices with a G19 but I originally bought her a Kahr. As it turned out she didn't like. It's now what I carry. So my advice, do a little research. Have her handle a few weapons. Then buy one she likes and let her try it out, but plan on selling/trading a few times to find one she really likes.

Whether or not the gun will be effective self defense tool has less to do with the weapon and more to do with the level of training you and your girl commit to.

Bingo I agree and concur, especially if a qualified female instructor is available. She'll have a lot more experience in what and how to carry than you will unless you like dressing up late nights and spending time in places you can get into trouble.
The big issue with JL is have something in the first place that suboptimal? How many qualitifed, experienced instructors recommend starting off with a snubbie? If not zero is has to be pretty close.

my girl friend told me this week she wanted to order a sig 238 for her first pistol I said thats great but I much rather you get a full size and shoot the hell out of it till your birthday. I plan on buying her the sig 238 for her birthday as a carry gun after she gets her CHL. I'm leaning to her getting a glock 17 or a 9mm 1911 compact anything with a good sight radius

Wifey carries a Taurus PT1111 9mm. Small and easy to conceal, fits her hand and is a great close quarter gun.

"less to do with the weapon and more to do with the level of training"

Thats just not true with woman. And "Qualified woman instructor" has no bearing on the subject whatsoever.

I'm a Sig Fanatic and would never let my wife carry a 238 SA with safety for survival because thats what the situation is,NOT Self Defense.

Since it has been established by the OP that his wife wants a Semi-Auto then I see no reason the Glock 26 wouldn't be one of the better options as suggested by quartierleblanc.

"suboptimal" "Q"...Come on man

Johnny, once again can you describe the scenario you are envisioning here and how is a female instructor not applicable? Clint Smith had one at Thunder Ranch who was definitely cute enough, but if she would have come to my hotel room buck naked I would have been scared of her.

Whether she wants to carry a Glock 26 or J-Frame is up to her. Even if an "expert" recommends how to carry, its her trial,error, and comfort that will prevail.

Here are the threats the woman faces:

#1 Her male/female companion (domestic violence)
#2 Robber or Carjacker
#3 Rapist
#4 Serial Rapist
#5 Serial Killer/Sadist

4 & 5 are extremely skilled and a shootout just ain't going to happen and either is bound by their occupation to not be discovered. #4 & 5 are usually so proficient that a firearm won't be a factor in the crime. A semi is most effective against #1. #2 & 3 are most likely to break off the attack when presented with any type of firearm. Only #2 has a chance of non-contact.

Maybe I'm mistaken here but I don't envision a "scenerio" of someone taking her tickets in line at Disneyland.

She can't pull a gun on someone for encroaching her space or saying boo.

Spin it however you like...Her funeral

You forgot last flat screen on Black Friday.

Johnny, you're really wrong in your risk assessment here. Violence among woman is pretty well defined by FBI stats and domestic violence by intimates only accounts for a little over 25%. If you look at the risk factors it's age ( younger more often, especially for rape) , ethnicity ( Black and Hispanic more often ) socio-economic group ( the poorer you are the worse it is, urban setting ( inner city much worse) and finally engagement in some sort of social pathology ( drugs, prositution).
The risk of being murdered by a serial killer are tiny.
The risks to a soccer mom are going to be home invasion/burgulary, armed robbery/assault usually within a short distance of a car or at the workplace or carjacking. It's not the same threat as say a stripper. All of your scenarios are easily defensible.

Not sure I follow. Whats your reason for not wanting your wife to carry a 238? Is it because of the safety? My wife carries hers cocked and locked and I have no doubt of her ability with the weapon.

I think practice is key here as with any weapon. In my opinion nobody should carry a weapon if they are not willing to practice.

Yep, Johhny is just not saying what exactly he envision here. He is sure scared of serial killers though.

I think my list covered your scenarios and #5 is last because its the least likely.

The way the 25% figure is written is not the best use of the statistic but 1/4 of her chance of an encounter being domestic is pretty dang significant.

You guys let her tote what she wants to but trying to find a thumb safety or maneuver a 4" barrel while seeing stars ain't the best plan.

I guess I'm missing the point with the pictures. It looks like one idiot with an opinion trying to overpower another idiot with an opinion. I laugh. Make the pics larger next time.

The objective is to stop the attack, not kill.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mall%20ninja

Johnny you didn't cover much and you were wrong. For many women rape represents a crime of opportunity during the commission of a B&E or burgulary.
A Glock doesn't have a thumb safety and if she's" seeing stars" what difference would barrel length make in the first place? Since a J frame and G26 have virtually the same length what are talking about? Why do you simply assume that any scenario will be in a near contact environment? Again, find a single instructor of any repute who would recommend a snubby as an initial weapon or a weapon of choice.