I want to take a step back. I think mostly everyone is missing the point. If she is unwilling to learn or practice, she has no place being around firearms. Untrained she is a hazard to herself and family. Owning a firearm is a great responsibility.
With that said, shotguns are not the quintessential home defense tool that people think they are. Much of that is based on bad information, urban legend, and bad tv. I will never stop someone from buying a shotgun (I am mildly addicted to shotguns), but please understand how they work.
A few things to try and think about. How long does it take you to fully load up your tube? 3 gunners are great, but only because they spend hours practicing. Now think about someone scared, heart racing, in the dark unfamiliar stuffing the tube. How long will it take to load? Will she try to stuff shells in backward or without the chamber closed?
Also, shot doesn't spread as big as people think it does. Only takes a trip to a skeet range to learn that lesson. Best case, a shot pattern is somewhere between the size of a baseball and a softball after heading down an average hallway. That leaves plenty of room to miss, especially if the shotgun is not properly pointed from the shoulder.
Lastly, walk out a bedroom in your house into a hallway holding a shotgun in a position that it can be quickly fired. How much of the barrel came out before you could see a target? Probably much more than you thought. Could a hiding intruder grab it away from you?
This is all food for thought, but most specifically reasons why people need to practice, and take owning a firearm seriously.
With that said, shotguns are not the quintessential home defense tool that people think they are. Much of that is based on bad information, urban legend, and bad tv. I will never stop someone from buying a shotgun (I am mildly addicted to shotguns), but please understand how they work.
A few things to try and think about. How long does it take you to fully load up your tube? 3 gunners are great, but only because they spend hours practicing. Now think about someone scared, heart racing, in the dark unfamiliar stuffing the tube. How long will it take to load? Will she try to stuff shells in backward or without the chamber closed?
Also, shot doesn't spread as big as people think it does. Only takes a trip to a skeet range to learn that lesson. Best case, a shot pattern is somewhere between the size of a baseball and a softball after heading down an average hallway. That leaves plenty of room to miss, especially if the shotgun is not properly pointed from the shoulder.
Lastly, walk out a bedroom in your house into a hallway holding a shotgun in a position that it can be quickly fired. How much of the barrel came out before you could see a target? Probably much more than you thought. Could a hiding intruder grab it away from you?
This is all food for thought, but most specifically reasons why people need to practice, and take owning a firearm seriously.