I'd go with the GP-100 made by ruger in the 357mag for your wife. She'll have enough protection for man and most beasts. As far as alaskan brown bear protection buy her a 20'' shotgun with slugs she can sling on her back. Not very many people have survived the brown bear attack with a handgun. That's with anysize of handgun. There's only one article ever published I know of where a man survived a brown bear attack with a pistol. Kinda scary huh.