In the husband's defense, I've seen MANY women choose tiny firearms.I helped a range with a church ladies group. These poor gals showed up with tiny guns that their husbands sent them with.
Poor ladies. After struggling with a .22 jennings, one lady asked what we were all carrying (g19s). We loaned her one and she started making good hits and was tickled pink.
Another was using a micro revolver and asked if she could try one, the same with a .380, the same with airweight .38 snubby.
We worked with them on racking the slide. Some had trouble. All of them could rack the slide and with more instruction/practice would get it figured out.
We sent 4 or 5 ladies home who wanted a proper fighting pistol and were going to take a piece of their husbands hide for giving them tiny toy guns.
Then shoot them and find out they don't like them.
So, I always talk advantages/disadvantages, and then try to have different guns to try out.