My advice, either buy a gun in a larger caliber with a .22 conversion kit (ie, 1911 .45 with .22 slide, or glock 9mm with .22 slide) or a buy a .22lr pistol. It is much cheaper and easier to master. Ammo is cheaper, therefore live fire practice is much cheaper. And since the recoil is nearly nothing, flinching is much less likely to become a habit.
I would take her to H&H or any other range that rents guns and have her shoot a buch of them
I agree on the 22...for cost effective
aside from that I suggest a 38 special - if she likes pink smith has the airweight in pink, charter arms has the pink lady, etc.
Best bet is to find what fits her hand and is comfortable for her.
I agree that a .38 makes a great gun. And, for this case, one of the S&W model 64's that JG is selling (see the thread in this section, or the Gen'l Discussions) would be fantastic. Not too heavy, but heavy enough to keep recoil from being a deterrent. I would advise you NOT to get one of the "cute" little snubbies around for her first gun. They make positively GREAT carry guns, but they are far less than ideal for a beginner's gun.
My other comment regarding what Zombie said, is that what feels good at the gun counter may NOT feel good during live fire. Also, don't get something that is lower quality because it "looks" or "feels" good. Again, I'll use the snubbies as an example. They feel good in the hand, they're light, and they tend to point very naturally. However, they can be downright painful for a new shooter, especially if you get the lightest guns/ powerful ammo combined.
You can order one of the S&W 64's here: JG Sales
Unbeatable even for $220 (+ shipping and transfer) if you buy one on your own.
A .38 like this would be a fantastic gun to learn with, and you would never outgrow it either. A 4" .38 spl is a fun range gun no matter how experienced you are with guns.
As I mentioned earlier, in the way of autos. Again, try to shoot some with the full size caliber first.
Some larger autos that there are .22 conversions available for:
1911's of almost all flavors Advantage Arms
Glocks of almost all flavors Advantage Arms
Sig P228/229, P226, and P220 Sigarms Store
CZ75 CZ Kadet Adapter
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