this is a good thread and something i've thought about quite a bit.

carrying protection is one half of the way there.the other step is determining if one is really prepared or capable of using it in a needed situation.

lets face it,to make a move that like on man or beast is not a normal thing for us.90% of people have never been attacked by anyone in a serious manner where leathal force is needed so to have to use leathal or non-leathal but very aggressive force is foreign to most and not something easily practiced since no self defense course or martial arts training can put you in that situation.you dont know how you'll react until it really happens unfortunately.

most people,especially women dont have experience in violence,particularly being violent themselves and in some cases have put down their weapon and given into their attacker rather than cross that foreign line of drawing another humans blood.

i'm not implying your lady friend would have this issues with this at all because i dont know her.what i'm saying is its really easy to carry a weapon but sometimes its not so easy to use it and even harder to use it to kill in the case of a knife.

i've given women things to put in their purse and i know it just gets buried in the bottom of it and than they'd be too scared to use it anyways.thats not all women,jut the ones from my experience.

i've also seen pretty brave guys tuck tail and run when things got real as i'm sure we all have.

its all about fight or flight and in the heat of the moment one doesnt have much time to think and adrenaline can cloud judgment.

ask yourself ahead of time in which instances would you be willing to use it and how.

My my, I want the 7 shot Night Guard in .357 so bad I can taste it.

It is nice. I looked real hard at it. But my thinking at the time was that for .357 to do its thing, it needs a bit more barrel length to reach magnum velocity. My 38spl +P is nearly as powerful. Well maybe not quite. I have a 6" Model 686+ seven shooter in .357 magnum, but it is too big and heavy for concealed carry in Summer. It's a sweet shooter, though.
I figured with a 200 gr bullet in 44 caliber, I didn't need a lot of velocity. But the NG in .357 is nice, and I can see why you like it. They also have one in 44 Magnum. I bet that thing kicks like a mule in that light frame.

A 4" S&W 686+ is on my wish list..