the point being that a character is whatever the author wants him/her to be... just as humans come in all sizes/shapes/personas, so can characters...
Remember that only a strong woman would give her man a gun, because in a sense she is enabling him to kill someone. It's a lot different than him killing someone with the gun he was issued. Personally I think woman would be more likely to give something with emotional meaning, maybe something she feels is lucky. Perhaps a locket with a photo of her that he can put around her neck so that she is 'with' him always. He could grab the locket in the more dire situations and find the courage to keep going.
