"I am looking for a concealed weapon for my wife.
What do you recommend the .380 or 9mm?
Which models have a small frame, and are reliable?"

There is a good article on .380 pistols in this month's issue of the American Rifleman. It addresses some of your questions as well as speaking to the issue of reliability.

By its very nature a ccw is something you expect to use in a very up close situation to deal with a criminal assailant. While some advocate the equivalent of a handcannon, reality is that one must use what one can best handle and what one will actually carry. Recoil in a .380 blowback type pistol (Walther PPK, etc.) can be disconcerting. There are a number of 9mm pistols that are light in weight, very shootable and highly reliable (Glock compact/sub-compact). Loaded with the hottest self-defense loads available, a small framed 9mm can be a handful. With milder loads, it will greatly outclass a .380 in ballistic effectiveness while being much easier to shoot effectively. A good quality .380 loaded with the hottest self-defense load available will never equal even a standard 9mm load. In the pistols typically chambered for the .380, recoil will take some getting used to. If you wife is an experienced shooter, this may not be a great concern. If she is new to shooting or if it is not likely that she will be able/willing to spend the time needed to develop skill in shooting, she would be better served with a small framed 9mm loaded with a milder loading. I would look at one of the Glock compact or sub-compact pistols. They offer outstanding reliability and light weight. Sincerely. brucev.

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