[struggle]

20 gauge shotgun is a good point and shoot for an adult woman. It will not penetrate walls well so your 7 year old will be safer.

[Blood of Tyrants]

The best safety device is the human brain. Get the boy a 22 and take him shooting and let him know that any time he wants to look at guns, you will gladly take them out and let him handle them safely. Make sure there is no mystery or magic about them.

AS for home defense, get a Mossberg 500 12 gauge shotgun with a pistol grip. You don’t even have to aim very well to hit your target. When shot from the hip/waist, your wife will hardly notice the recoil.

[yarddog]

The .38 special with good loads should be fine.

The 7 year old makes it a whole new ball game. It all depends on how reliable the kid is. Also make sure to have him/her take an NRA gun safety class. Never make the gun a forbidden fruit. If the kid wants to know about it, that is a good time to show some good safe handling. Make sure it is unloaded and explain in the strongest possible language just how dangerous a gun can be if handled carelessly.

[gop4lyf]

Two is one, and one is none.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Serbu Super Shorty...

[Tijeras_Slim]

What is her shooting experience? That will determine a great deal. Despite my best efforts, Mrs. Slim dislikes handgun recoil, so I got her a S&W 351, which is a scandium snubnose .22 magnum 7 shot. 11 ounces, no recoil, and Hornady now makes a Critical Defense loading in the .22 mag that reaches 1000+ FPS out of the 2” barrel, expands nicely, and has shown 9+ inches of expansion in ballistic gelatin.

[NY4Romney]

Another northerner moving down to North Carolina! Is it our wonderful weather, better economy, lack of insane white hating liberals, or friendly people? :)

Raleigh or Charlotte?

[RightOnline]

You came to the right place.

My girlfriend and I live in Raleigh, NC. She’s third in command of a security company (runs all the armed guards, loss prevention officers, etc.). Also their trainer. FReepmail me, and if you guys move near Raleigh, she’ll train your Missus; trips to the shooting range, the works; just to help out.

As for laws, guns, etc.....Not bad here in NC. A handgun license will cost you $5 at the Sheriff’s office. If you happen to have a concealed carry permit (referred to here as a “CCW license”), that serves as your “license” no matter how many guns you choose to buy. Just FYI.

We have numerous handguns here in the house, plus a pump 12 gauge Remington shotgun with combat grip. Great for home defense; the sound of that pump alone will scare the hell out of any perp. As was pointed out above, the big advantage of a shotgun is the fact that you/she can shoot and not worry about putting rounds downrange through 4-5-6 walls.

That said...our primary handgun of choice around the house is the Glock 30......a sweet LITTLE .45. Virtually no recoil. An amazing handgun, but you DO need to practice with it, as you do with any handgun, to gain proficiency. It has serious stopping power, is easy to handle (even for a small woman).

I’d opt for both: a pump 12 gauge and the Glock 30 (she and I each have one; sequestered in different parts of the house.....not to mention his and hers Glock 23 Gen 4’s, a .357 magnum, a .38, a 9mm, etc.).

[mountainlion]

There should be some self defense classes somewhere down there. In case something does happen you have shown an intent to do things the proper way.

[Buffalo Head]

A couple of others have already offered the optimum advice. However, don't shorten the barrel less than 19 inches. Randy Weaver had his wife and son murdered by the feds because of faulty measuring his barrel ended up 1/8 inch shorter than the 18 inch minimum.

#0 or #00 Buckshot is probably the best choice for projectiles. Slugs would be next on the list.

Some training should be mandatory.

The most important aspect is whether she willing to kill someone if necessary and appropriate. If there is any hesitation on that answer, she is not ready to defend herself or others with a firearm.

[umgud]

You need to keep her with a big bore snubbie.

[Lockbar]

I agree with the others that a 20 ga. is the easiest gun for a woman to handle if you want to go the shoulder fired weapon route. But since there might be others in the house I would not suggest using buckshot. Buckshot will easily go through modern day home-apartment walls. Get what is called “BB” shot gun rounds. “BB” is the same size as what we had as a kid in our BB guns, but the shell will hold around 125 of them and they will be moving alot faster. “BB” is usually used for pheasant or turkey. Thats what I would have in my shotgun if I was concerned about hitting innocent people in the next room.

[mdittmar]

Mossberg Model 500

[MN Doc]

Personally, for that situation, I like a short-barrelled 20-gauge double. It can be kept open & unloaded, with no other safety device, with the shells on a high shelf close by; maybe in the same closet. Four or so shells loose & easy to load, and another 4-6 shells in a buttstock sleeve like the one Uncle Mike's makes, which holds five. It wouldn't be kept on the gun, but can be conveniently picked up & carried, or slipped over the stock easily if there's time. Some of these guns are made with a "tactical" forend, which could mount a laser sight &/or a high-intensity flashlight. You could use buckshot, but at the distances of most household encounters, something like #6 birdshot is just as effective & less likely to penetrate walls. A youth-model pump-action shotgun would be more versatile for hunting, etc., & makes that lovely sound as a shell is jacked into the chamber, but is a little slower to load for the first shot in a pinch & might be a little harder to learn to use for a rookie. The 12-gauge is a little heavier. There are .410 gauge models, but those smaller barrels are a little less intimidating than staring down the end of a 12 or 20-gauge double.

[Jedidah]

A can of wasp spray, the kind that shoots 20 feet.

[Sarajevo]

Take her to a gun show or two, or a gun shop. Let her try on a few different weapons. My wife is also small, and she prefers a .410, the Circuit Judge specifically.

The issue is to get your wife a weapon she feels comfortable with and will use.

[sauropod]

I have a Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun.

Get yourself one of those. And practice.

[anton]

Wife needs a Ruger LCP hammerless 5 shot revolver with laser grip. She should CC it in a safety holster on her person at all times. Goes in the safe at bed time. Then, the trigger lock comes off the Mossberg 88 which is under the bed.

And, as others have wisely said, get that kid shooting a .22. I started at 7 with a single shot bolt action .22 rifle. Never, in a million years would I have taken a gun out for play because I knew there was a time and place for it.

[omega4179]

The .38 special revolver is fine for home D. Its easy for novices to be safe with a revolver IMO.

[The Wizard]

A big dog is the best protection....and they give love, too