Best firearm for home defense.

[grumper]

She wouldn't have to aim as much as a shotgun if you got her a grenade launcher instead.

 

[Axxe55]

She wouldn't have to aim as much as a shotgun if you got her a grenade launcher instead.

But she might not want to remodel her home!

 

[karlac]

She wouldn't have to aim as much as a shotgun if you got her a grenade launcher instead.

And an M79 has a buckshot round ...

 

[Major Kong]

How about this?

MK

Sent from somewhere over the Soviet Union

 

[Axxe55]

How about this? View attachment 315023



MK

Sent from somewhere over the Soviet Union

Home wrecker!

 

[Moonpie]

I’d buy her a .22lr pistol such as a Kel-Tec P-17.
And a pile of quality ammo for it.
She can learn to shoot that. They’re quite reliable with good ammo. Plus they have the large capacity. Slide it easy for older fingers to manipulate.
15+ rounds of Mini-Mags in a goblins face is acceptable.

 

[FireInTheWire]

Oh boy

 

[candcallen]

^ QFT

IRRC, the first mention of the likelihood of mitigation of collateral damage in the situation as originally stated in the OP, and certainly a major consideration.

.410 short barrel would be on my short list for recommendations. It was good enough for my great grandmother, for both indoors and out, until she passed at 103.

Small light 410s kick worse than a mossberg 500 20 gage.

 

[Darqhelmet]

Shotguns are the worst for an inexperienced shooter. To many failure points. Take multiple trips to the range see what works.

Also I’ve seen it posts in here already. Is she mentally willing to fire at the intruder with the intention to stop (disable or kill) then? If not it’s all pointless and she should get a big dog.

 

[candcallen]

If were talking pyrotechnics or explosives in a home I suggest this.

Stinger® CS Rubber Ball Grenade - Defense Technology

The Stinger® CS Rubber Ball Grenade is a maximum effect device that delivers four stimuli for psychological and physiological effects: rubber pellets, light, sound, and CS. The Stinger® Grenade is most widely used as a crowd management tool by Law Enforcement and Corrections. The Stinger®...

www.defense-technology.com

You can get them with and without CS gas. I have deployed a couple dozen of these and they are very effective. Especially when you see idiits picking up gas grenades and tossing them back. About th er time they reach for these they blow up in their face showering them with rubber balls. If you time it right.

You have about 2 to 3 seconds from spoon release to showtime.

 

[oldag]

At the typical indoor distance, the shotgun pattern will be very tight. Very loud, lots of kick.

I would recommend teaching her to shoot with a .22 revolver. Then try .38 special. Then .38 +P.

With a .357 revolver, operation is simple. And she can shoot .38, .38+P or even .357 if she is up to it.

 

[lightflyer1]

I’d buy her a .22lr pistol such as a Kel-Tec P-17.
And a pile of quality ammo for it.
She can learn to shoot that. They’re quite reliable with good ammo. Plus they have the large capacity. Slide it easy for older fingers to manipulate.
15+ rounds of Mini-Mags in a goblins face is acceptable.

Might as well go to the CP33 for more round count or the PMR30 for the .22 magnum. Why short yourself ammo? That PMR30 is very light weight!

 

[FireInTheWire]

FWIW- my wife is 4’9” and weighs a Benjamin. A S&W AR-22 loaded with mini-mag is her go to.

Think about the criminal not the gun. The odds are the criminal is just looking to make a quick buck and doesn’t wanna die. You start flinging a bunch of .22 the odds are they’re gonna runoff. The other criminal on the other hand is likely going to be on some high-powered drugs and he’s looking to kill or rape. With that being said, studies have proven that a very accurate shot to the brain is the only way to shut them down instantly. People on heavy drugs can remain mobile for a very long time with standard shots to the body.

Also to note, the fact that she lives with somebody else, they’re gonna need to have very good communication.

 

[Bozz10mm]

I would recommend a pistol caliber carbine in 9mm. Something like a Ruger PCC. Low recoil, easy to maneuver, and 17 rounds or more with a Glock mag.

 

[Ausländer]

The largest caliber/gauge pistol, revolver or shotgun (shortest barrel possible since this is for inside the home) that the individual can safely, accurately use and consistently hit their target with.

Some folks have issues racking the slide on semi-auto pistols -- if so, use a revolver.
Some folks are recoil sensitive -- use a .38 as suggested above.

If all they can properly use is a .22LR, then so be it. In that case, I'd suggest a revolver with a cylinder that holds 9 cartridges over a semi-auto due to potential jams (a la Sig Mosquito).

 

[oldag]

I will add that I have seen a slightly built girl shoot a compact .40 without a flinch, and actually liked shooting it (where some adults complained about it being too snappy). Tolerance for recoil is not necessarily related to a person's size.

 

[EZ-E]

1st.... like others have said, is she willing to kill someone?

2nd .... how much recoil can she handle?

I'd recommend a semi auto compact .22lr, a S&W EZ 380/9mm or a revolver in 9mm.

IMO a revolver in .38spcl has too much recoil for an older person, especially if they have strength issues or arthritis in the hands.
My wife's step dad took my mother in law gun shopping last year. She couldn't rack the slide on a semi auto, so he got her a .357 revolver. My question to him was.... if she can't rack the slide, how is she going to be able to handle the recoil of 38 or 357?

 

[Moonpie]

Might as well go to the CP33 for more round count or the PMR30 for the .22 magnum. Why short yourself ammo? That PMR30 is very light weight!

Disagree.
The Cp-33, while a decent gun, is huge and quite unwieldy.
The PMR30 muzzle blast is very loud and blinding. Would be deafening inside of a room.
This would cause momentary shock.
Ammo cost sucks these days so training with it wouldn’t happen.
The P17 is almost perfect for older shooters with weak hands.
Shoots soft. Triggers are smooth and break light. Slide spring is gentle. The slide manipulation on the CP33 is kinda dorky. Not something one needs to be fucking around with in a SD situation.

 

[Sam7sf]

Single action revolver, because if you kill all intruders with it you’re a true warrior.

 

[1911'S 4 Me]

Instead of a pump shotgun try a semiautomatic .410.