Hey guys,
My girlfriend enjoys shooting guns (9mm Glock) and the .22 but she is fairly recoil sensitive. She only weighs 105 lbs so I'm not surprised. I'm learning that it is counter-productive to try and "force" a bigger caliber on her (so to speak). I would still like to get her setup with a carbine for self defense purposes but even the (relatively) mild .223 is out. To this end I'm considering getting her a 9mm carbine.
I've read into the various non-AR 9mm platforms out there and there are only a couple that look suitable: the Beretta CX4 Storm and the (discontinued) Ruger PC9.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beretta_Cx4_Storm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruger_Police_Carbine
The Hi-Point hasn't have the capacity (10 rnds), the Kel-Tec isn't durable enough (and I don't hate Kel-Tec, I own an SU-16C & a PF9).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi-Point_Carbine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kel-Tec_SUB-2000
I'm considering an AR-15 platform 9mm because (as long as I use the right parts) it can be a fairly easy switch to .223 if she ever gets up the nerve.
My biggest "barrier to entry" is wanting to get some real-world opinions on the recoil of a 9mm carbine compared to a .223 carbine. The 9mm has about 1/3rd the muzzle energy but I'm not sure that will directly translate into 1/3rd the recoil. If the weapon doesn't have light enough recoil, then I'm on a hopeless quest.
If I do go the AR-15 route I am thinking about doing a 5.56 upper & lower, with a magwell block.