I agree pretty much with driftdiver, but would add that if you elect to go with the .45 ACP with hollow points, find ammunition that it can feed properly (some of them are finicky with hollow points) and then shoot several boxes of them through it to break it in.
I've owned like four .45's, and the only one that fed properly when I got it was an Argentine model made like 50 years ago. I'm not condemning .45's, just telling you that my experience with 1911 type guns is that they need some breaking in. Other models may not. Shooting several boxes through the gun to be sure it likes your chosen ammo is good advice with any firearm. Good luck, and I hope you never need that gun for real.
Isn’t a .45 a bit big for most women? My wife has only put about 20 rounds through a .45 before she went back to the 9mm. If he’s looking for a gun for him and his wife ... I’d lean toward recommending the 9mm over the .45.
SnakeDoc