Congrats on getting the wife into shooting Spence
I personally love my Sig P229 and P239, but my girlfriend has a problem racking the slide on both.
A lot of the guys on SigForum.com say that their wives really like the new P250, as the slide is easier to rack than all of the other sigs, but these are just a tad over your intended price range.
Are there other pistols that you can rent at the range? If so, let her try as many as possible and let her choose. Try not to steer her away from anything based on your feelings alone, even if she likes the Beretta.
FWIW, my girlfriend enjoys her Walther P22, but that's far from a 9mm
Oh, and work on her grip next.
