A 2inch 38 special or 357, a safety will get your butt shot in a confrontation without proper training.
For a first time gun owner if the weapon is to be used in the home only a good 4 inch .357 magnum loaded with .38spl P+ hollow points is a good choice. The larger magnum will absorb recoil nicely from the .38spl rounds and the .38spl P+ in hollow point is a good self-defense round. If they are going to carry it on them or in their vehicle then I would go the 2 inch .38spl route and consider the polymer revolvers from Ruger or S&W. If you are looking for a used revolver go to the High Road Revolver Forum and look for a sticky note on what to look for when buying a used revolver.
Long gun wise I would suggest a .12 gauge shotgun, a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 with a 20-24 inch barrel for home defense with low recoil buckshot loads. Get a thing called the Limbsaver for the stock, it helps with the recoil. If you want a rifle of course the AR or AK platforms but finding ammo for these is near impossible. If you can find a Marlin or Winchester 1894 lever gun in 357/38 or 30-30 caliber you can throw some lead down range nicely.
Another long range firearm you might consider is the SKS rifle the communist block fielded before the AK was introduced. They usually hold 10 rds of the AK-47 caliber with their traditional magazine. But these are getting harder to find as well.