A couple of years ago a young lady I work with was given a short barrelled (legal—18 1/4 inches I think) 20 gauge 870 by her dad because she was concerned about being alone when her husband was away on business trips. The two of us went to the range for her to get the feel of it. I'm NRA certified in shotgun instruction is why she asked me for the help. It turned out that, that was probably the perfect size for her to handle. She mastered it quickly and with no discomfort. Her dad is retired military and he knew what he was doing.

I think Legion (186213) is right on in calling the 870 the best choice. I have an 870 in 12 gauge, and love it. Also have a 12 by Maverick with a pistol grip, but it hurts to shoot, even with low base ammo. It sits by my bed, loaded with #8 shot (and a mandated trigger lock), chamber empty. Once the adrenaline starts to flow though, it's doubtful if it would hurt my hand to shoot it, if I could unlock the blasted trigger in time.

This thread was started about a close in, defensive weapon, right? I saw 'Home Defense”, in the thread title and figured if used, it would be indoors. If that is correct, then use #8 shot (bird shot), not buck shot. Up close, #8 will drizzle an aggressor and probably not go through the walls to mess with kids or neighbors in the next room. Buck shot is neat, but it can go through walls and mess up someone's day way down the block. If range is needed, then the buck shot is required.