After watching all the illegals enter our country and seeing police be beaten and those committing the crime being turned loose . It was time at 77 years old for her to learn how to shoot.
Being close to 2 sanctuary cities--may also have had an influence in her decision,
She has decided that if she has to shoot--a shotgun is her best bet. So I will pull out one of the 20 gauges for her to follow in the paths of the daughters and grandsons and and educate her on the use of it,
LOL-as a side note if we had the way to get there,she would be up to heading to Texas,to meet the people headed that way by truck,car and convoy.
Just goes to prove--don't think about messing with the little old lady from Minnesota.
Tom

Terrible shame it's come to that Tom.

Good for her.

An option, :

Less than lethal.

Byrna® makes a multiple round launcher for pepper/teargas balls, that will incapacitate anyone for danged near half an hour. The launcher looks like a handgun, just a little bigger.

My wife has one and loves it. Even though she is a competent marksman and has a permit to carry, she could never shoot a human being.

They also make a 12ga shell with the same type of payload that can be fired in your own shotgun. Don't expect them to cycle an autoloader, though.

never a bad idea to teach on a 22lr then work up

cheaper ammo , learn everything before the recoil then step up to a little more recoil maybe even have a middle ground gun between.

my wife didn't like the 20ga recoil and it was only trap loads often women more need to put the shotgun out at the shoulder joint which is not really what we teach typically.

it is how a lot of serious female competitors shoot clay they will have a curved but pad that sort of goes from the armpit across the shoulder joint at an angle

my wife took to the pistol much better , with pistols I always start people who haven't shot before with 1 round in the gun when they get comfortable with that go to 2 and when good with that then load more
logic being if they fire that one round and drop the gun or something like that it is already unloaded.

shotguns are not really the easiest gun to teach , but us outdoorsmen often go that way because we have had one in our hands since we were 11 maybe earlier more than any other gun.

work up to any buck or slug loads start with trap loads

a 22lr on target is better than a flinched off target more powerful round.

A lotta truth here^^^

For those with ability to reload, it is possible to conjure up some12 gauge 3/4 oz to 1 oz #00 buckshot (6 or 8 pellets) that have little to no recoil at all. Or a 7/8 oz Lee slug. Most buckshot and slug loads are loaded hot by default, but don't have to be. When fired, they resemble a light target load. But you don't want to be standing in front of it when it goes off.

Tom-You will get a lot of recommendations or what she should shoot. My wife, who is disabled, has shot a lot of shotguns and rifles. For ease of carry and very light recoil I got her a Ruger LCR in .22 Mag. Really nice, light little revolver with minimal recoil. She settled on it after handling many handguns at gunshows. The grip was "just right".

Moosetrot

Get her something that points easy and is very simple to operate. When she is scared trying to remember how to aim and operate the firearm it needs to be as simple and effective as possible. Someone just learning to shoot is not going to do well if the firearm is needed unless point and shoot is all that is needed. A barely legal barrel length, open choke shotgun, semi auto, buckshot, comes to my mind. Especially if you have neighbors. When you practice, practice taking off the safety more than anything else.

Good for you Tom, proceed slowly and lots of practice.... take care.

My wife is pretty good with our Browning sweet sixteen on skeet. But she seems to be better with out model 12 in 20 gauge. Either one I have Buckshot made up for them.

Make sure to get insurance if you think it might come to that. It'll cost lots if it ever went to court.

The police are not now nor have they ever been in the bodyguard business. Their business is to be a deterrent. The liberal DA's and legislatures have removed the abiity of the police to be an effective deterrent. The only way to have protection and to establish a deterrent is to arm yourself and be prepared. Of course the left is doing everything in their power to remove your right to be armed and to defend yourself.