I have a 709. Taurus pistols have quality issues, IMO. Some are great from day-1 and some are problem children that may or may not ever be satisfactory. The good news is that Taurus will "fix" them free, including shipping the first year. After that, it will cost you $50-100 each time you ship it back for repairs (UPS and Fedex rules). The bad news is that they may not actually fix the problem the first time. Many folks love their PT709s. Mine has an inconsistent trigger pull force (anywhere from 3 pounds to 10 pounds) that Taurus did not fix when I sent it to them for that problem. The trigger (even one that works right) has a very long take-up and the break occurs with the trigger almost touching the frame; this (and maybe other factors) cause many shooters to hit low and left with the 709. All pistols in this size range are difficult to shoot well because of the light weight, short sight radius, and small gripping surface. If she is really serious about a gun in this size range, I recommend she also look at several newer models, like the Beretta Nano, Smith and Wesson Shield, and the Ruger LC9. If you have bigger $$ you might also consider the Kahr CM9, Kimber Solo, and SIG P938. But all these small guns are hard to shoot well. If a bigger gun is an option, she might consider a Ruger SR9C. If she can actually shoot candidate guns, that's best. But as a minimum she needs to hold any gun she is considering to be sure it fits her hands comfortably. Regarding caliper, most of these small guns are also available in .40 cal but there are compelling reasons to go with 9mm IMO, like ammo cost and recoil. No handgun is a death ray; 9mm offers sufficient penetration but good shot placement is critical to stopping an attacker. Good shot placement is hard if you have conditioned yourself to flinch from the greater recoil of a .40 weapon.