12 ga shot gun.
20 ga shot gun
Remington 20 gauge pump shotgun should work.
Any pawn shop should have one.
Cheap like 100 to 200 bucks.
Shotgun. No need for accuracy, just point and spray.
If she is good with the 38, get another. More likely to have the smaller gun close by than the shotty.
Winchester 370. Cheap and use it once the target appears. A shot from 6ft even close will stop the intruder.
I have a snubby airwieght .38
Stings like hell and I cant hit **** with it.
Get a shotgun for the house.
Its 3 AM and trouble is happening, who has time to aim?
What Mylife said. Point in the general direction. Precision aiming not required. Ocassional range time for familiarity, proper control and confidence.
This may sound odd, but I’m a big proponent of a .223 rifle. Easy to shoot, accurate and the rounds tend to break up when the hit something, so they aren’t a big problem with over-penetration.
If she has a .38 she’s all set. Shotguns are heavy and unwieldy for an older woman.. She can easily carry the .38 and she can’t keep a shotgun under her pillow either!
If you can handle it a 12 gage shotgun with 00 buckshot.
>> She has a .38 handgun but has been told by a few people (shooting range owner...
I may be reading too much into this... but if she has a .38, and she’s comfortable and proficient with it (as in she goes to the range regularly?) maybe she doesn’t really need ANYTHING else, besides someone to dispel the FUD she’s become afflicted with.
Although a good and HANDY shotgun is never a bad idea, either, IMHO.
A shot gun might have too much kick for a woman of your age.
Yes
Shotgun. Period.
Preferrably a double barrel or a pump.
Remington 870 12 gauge pump. Affordable, effective and always goes bang.
I don’t know why they continue to push the shotgun as the primary defense weapon for people with limited mobility or strength. The shotgun is a relatively large weapon and certainly not ideal for an elderly woman.
A .38 revolver is a good choice, but the trigger pulls on the DAO/hammerless models like the S&W 642 may be too much for elderly women. My neighbor (about 80) bought one and his wife cannot use the trigger (age, arthritis).
Try holding a shotgun and a phone (or a flashlight). Try opening a door while holding a shotgun. Now imagine you’re an elderly woman.
And God help them if they actually fire the thing.
Based on my experience, few things bring instant calm to an area like the sound of a shotgun racking a round into the chamber.
Seriously, the thing to concentrate on is training, not some ideal magic-wand firearm that takes no training and hits its target every time. If I ever run into one of those I'll buy it. Until then, practice, practice, practice...and then more practice. Hey, it's your life at stake - isn't it worth a little time?
FYI, back in the “Andy Griffith days” the .38 revolver was standard police issue. It may not be enough to handle modern meth-fueled zombies, though.