I live in a commuter town - about 80% of the people commute to work everyday - which leaves neighborhoods ripe for burglary. There have been a number of break-ins and a few 'home invasions' because thieves thought that homes were empty, but weren't. An acquaintance of my wife was recently beaten-up (her husband as well) during a home break-in.

I'm looking into a little home defense. Now, the last time I fired a gun was in the military (basic qualifications and re-quals every few years). I'm good with a 9mm and an M16 and that's about all I know about firearms. I know that a pistol isn't the answer to home defense and an m-16 is out of the question, so I've been looking at shotguns; specifically the Mossberg 500 HS410. I like the spreader choke for over-penetration but don't know squat about pistol grips.



Does anyone have an opinion on pistol grips? Easier or Harder than traditional pump action?

The gun is primarily for my wife and I want to make sure she's comfortable with it. I don't want to show her 200 different makes and models (doesn't give her any confidence if she she thinks that I'm clueless ) so I'd like to narrow her choices down as much as possible.