Wife hates shooting my PPQ and G48 in 9mm.  Too much recoil for her.  

So, for home defense, I'm picturing her facing down a bad guy with her Ruger SR22 pistol and thinking we need to step that up a bit.

I'd like to go with something along the lines of an AR9 for a few reasons:

- easier to handle than a 9mm pistol for the wife
- can't shoot 5.56 or .223 at our local range, but can shoot PCC
- easy to mount a RDS, light
- AR-type controls seem like a good idea. She's not mechanically inclined, so weird charging handles (Keltec Sub 2000, SP5) are out

What do you think about the following?

- FM9
- Armstadt Arms UDP-9
- Ruger PC charger (doesn't meet all of the above, but it's available locally)
- Battle Arms Xiphon, Sig MPX also look nice, but I don't want to spend that $$$$
- Buying a CMMG RDB upper and building an AR9 would be fine, too, but they look to be hard to get

I'd REALLY like a CMMG Banshee 300, but can't find one.  

I'd consider a Ruger PC Carbine (basic model) with Glock mag adapter.  It looks less intimidating, easy to use, can practice with a 10/22 on the cheap.  Lightweight and easy to maneuver.  Don't have to worry about all the brace BS.

My wife loves her Rossi 92 in 357.

I built a couple of "truck guns" on the AR platform 5.56 and 9mm, but they were heavy and larger than what I wanted for a PDW... I settled on something else... a Recover Tactical brace for a g17.3... with a Vortex Venom red dot, and one of Recover's front magazine units... mine greatly improves hit quality, and will shoot 2" groups at 50m... the dot is a much better low light choice for me

this

Glock 17 or 34 with flux brace. Small, light, handles quickly and very reliable.  Heap of you have the donor. I put a dot on mine and love it

I just finished assembling my AR-9 and It’s great it has a 7.5 inch barrel low recoil.That being said just because you build an AR-9 doesn’t mean you have to build do a pistol build you can use 16 inch barrel and fire that way as well.

Thinking short and light - so PCC - like 6" barrel for close quarters.  Longer barrel / rifle seems too long for her "wingspan" to get comfortable.

My loves my CZ Scorpion.  She considers it "hers" now.  She shoots it well too.

I'd go RDB; probably the lightest recoil with factory/defensive ammo.  The endomags work 100%.  I bought an 8" upper with an AR lower.  Picking up my Omega 9K today.  I don't currently have any 5.56 or 300 BLK uppers, but like the flexibility of a common lower for multiple calibers.

We looked at a few AR9s at a local shop yesterday (FX something, FM9, Sub2000, and the Ruger charger).  Ended up buying a Banshee 300 9mm online when we got home.  We'll see how she likes it.  

We also went to the range and did some drills and she got a bit more comfortable shooting the Glock G43X, so that's good.

Good luck with the old "see how she likes it" trick.  Looks like you're wanting the Banshee on your side of the safe!  Should be pretty soft shooting with regular factory ammo.  I'm using Speer Lawman (147gr) as a proxy for my home defense rounds and this is a bit of a thump coming out of my 8" CMMG barrel, but pretty flat shooting.  I think lighter factory loads would have less recoil, but I'm no running a suppressor so need subsonic.

You can't prove that!  

MPX pistol or carbine is another good choice along with the CMMG RDB.

Wife was intimidated by the Remington 11-87 Police under the bed so I sold it and got a CZ Scorpion with brace.

She loves it and shoots it very well.

Added a Sig Romeo dot and a Surefire X300

A few mags of 147gr HST and a couple 147 FMJ.