Recommendations needed! ** Updated w/range report**

[KingPolymer-III]

There is no bigger Glock fan than I am, but someone recovering from surgery may lack the strength to rack the slide back on a consistent basis, therefore the revolver recommendation by jwc above and my subsequent suggestion.

[CZ57]

Taking two very good recommendations and blending into one. A good used Ruger SP-101 in 9mm. I have the 3" model in .357 magnum and I shoot it with full power magnum loads. In 9mm, this is a lifetime gun and then some, so is my .357 for that matter and there is always that .38 Special capability if needed. The SP-101 9mm should have 10 moon clips provided originally from the factory and I bet you'll have a hard time finding one that has very much mileage on it. Autoloader, that's easy, CZ P-01. Best 9mm compact in existence and it is still extremely accurate despite the shorter barrel! You may also see a CZ 83 in .32 ACP. They currently have one at my local gunshop and the .380 version is considered one of the worlds best .380's either caliber holds 12 rounds in the mag! The lighter recoil spring in the .32 will make it slightly easier to charge a round.

[BRASMAN]

Sorry. I did not see that she could not use one arm. I just thought it was a little weaker. My 19 is not hard to work the slide on at all. In fact that is why my kids liked it the best when they were younger because it was so easy to rack the slide.

[Grendel]

I should add, she is not 'one armed' but simply due to extensive surgery a few years back, the strength in her right arm and hand (she is right handed) is not as it should be, or was. This means that she tires very quickly when holding a 'full size' pistol, and sometimes has difficulty in racking the slide for the first shot.

[Golddogman]

Slides on compact autos often have heavier recoil springs and thus are more difficult to retract than on full size models.

[KingPolymer-III]

"I should add, she is not 'one armed' but simply due to extensive surgery a few years back, the strength in her right arm and hand (she is right handed) "

  You know that it could be a blessing in disguise,  I went to Catholic school as a child and was left handed, the nuns beat me with a yard stick and made me write -right handed-, as a result I became ambidextrous and can now shoot with both hands due to being forced as a child to become ambidextrous,  if I am ever in a tactical situation where one hand is dissabled,  and I will be forced to use the other,  I will thank the nuns at Archbishop Ryan , if they are still alive. LOL

[atblis]

Sig Trailside perhaps?

[KingPolymer-III]

A sig trailside is an excellent target pistol and would be an effective training tool to help someone shoot better, transition, or improve,  and alot of bullseye shooters use it for competition, but its not an effective primary defense weapon.  
  If you are going to get it in conjunction with a another weapon in a .380 or higher and then get a small .22 as a light backup, that would be ok, but for a primary defense cartridge, you need at least a .380 for her, but I do advocate the .22 target pistol as an exceptional learning tool and /or a competition pistol.

[Grendel]

Update

Looks like a used Glock 17, A Bersa Thunder 9 or possibly a Taurus Tracker 357 are front runners at the moment.

[KingPolymer-III]

All excellent choices.

[Grendel]

Ok, looks like we're going with the Bersa 9, anyone know a cheap source of mags for this?

The cheapest I've found is 45.99

[KingPolymer-III]

Bersa are excellent firearms but the mags are VERY expensive.  Get them for $35 here. (9mm is half way down)
   www.gungarage.com/bersa.htm

[Grendel]

Quote:the mags are VERY expensive

You're not kidding!

Thanks for the link

[BRASMAN]

Yep, before I buy a pistol I always look and see how much the mags are and how easy they are to get. If the mags are expensive or hard to find  I skip it and get something else. Expensive to me is over $25 a mag and I like to keep it under $20.

[Grendel]

More I think about this, the less I like the idea of paying 1/5 the price of the gun for a mag. I think I'll try and persuade her to give the G17 another try.