Hi Red!

Money isn't a big issue, but I'd like a weapon that wouldn't require a lot of upkeep. If possible, I'd also like something that my 115pd girlfriend could learn to handle in case of an intrusion.

Generally the issue is overpenetration. The standard answer is frangible ammo (e.g. Magsafe or Glaser Safety Slugs) to be used in a handgun (these are designed to break up before penetrating too far), or a shotgun shell loaded with birdshot as noted by FLW. The caveat is that you may not get sufficient penetration to stop the assailant with either. I'm not at all sanguine about employing pepper spray in an enclosed space. A Taser would be better as a less lethal approach, but you only get one shot and I'm also, in general, unthrilled with the prospect of meeting a lethal threat with a less lethal device.

They make frangibles for both semi-autos and revolvers, so the selection criteria are indistinguishable from using them with hollowpoints or ball ammo. There are pluses and minuses for every choice. Handguns are relatively anemic as firearms go (i.e. multiple hits may be required to stop the bad guy), but they are quite portable, maneuverable in enclosed spaces, and concealable. Revolvers (here I'm speaking of double action swing-out cylinder types) are simple - the original "point and click" interface as they say. They are often the first choice of the novice because it is easier to see what's going on with them, to ascertain whether they are loaded or not, and they are less prone to stoppages. The downside is it's entirely driven by muscle power. IOW, you have a heavy (12-15# or more) trigger pull (thumb-cocking the gun will yield a lighter pull of c. 4# but is not recommended for various safety concerns in a high stress situation). Keep in mind that women in general have only about 50-75% the upper body strength of a man, so what feels like 12# to you may very well be like 24# for her. To hit your target you have to pull the trigger without disturbing the sights. In the revolver area I would recommend a 6- or 7-shot medium frame (e.g., S&W K- or L-Frame, Ruger GP-100, etc) chambered in .357 Magnum in stainless steel with a 4" bbl. The Cadillac in this category is a Colt Python. Your gf may have trouble pulling the trigger at first, but if she works at it those muscles get stronger pretty quickly. I would load it with .38 Special +P ammo - either frangibles (pretty expensive) or jacketed hollowpoints like the Federal Hydra-Shok or the Remington Golden Sabre, in no more than 125-gr. bullet weight. Winchester used to make a non-+P 110-gr Silvertip that would probably be a good performer with less overpenetration potential if they are still available. Just remember, the bigger the bullet weight (they go up to 158-gr) the more felt recoil, and, I'd expect, greater potential for overpenetration. I would not recommend the little 5-shot snubbies (e.g., S&W J-Frames) because while everyone wants to get one for the SO, or the SO wants it because the bigger gun is "too heavy", they are really not a novice's gun IMO. They have a short sight-radius (easier to miss), heavy trigger pull and light weight (easier to pull the sights of target and more felt recoil). If it is punishing to shoot, she won't practice with it and training is critical. (As I tell my students, shooting is not so much like learning to ride a bike as like a foreign language - it's a perishable skill and you really need to make a little time for it in your life every day dry-firing and put c. 50 rounds through it about once a month. A gun is not a magic talisman and you're no more armed because you bought a gun and dropped it into your nightstand than you're a violinist because you bought a violin and tossed it in the closet.) The revolver may be left loaded indefinitely with no springs under tension. It's limited by its ammunition capacity and slow reload time.

A semi-auto typically has higher ammo capacity and is easier to reload. Many have the same heavy double action (DA) trigger pull as the revolvers, either for just the first shot, or for all of them (called DAO). To me the Cadillac of the DA guns is the SiG. Others, like the 1911 and Glock have much lighter triggers, but what makes them so efficient also makes them very unforgiving of poor gunhandling. In this realm I'd recommend the Springfield XD, although depending on hand size a double-stack magazine may be problematic. Since the semi-auto harnesses part of the energy of the fired cartridge to cycle the action, it's possible to shoot a larger caliber comfortably (personally, I like something that starts with a ".4"). Downside of the semi is that you can cause a stoppage just by giving at the wrist when you fire it, it's more ammo sensitive, and it's also prone to stoppages, which the shooter must learn how to clear quickly.

The shotgun is the most powerful weapon a homeowner can typically employ for home defense. The two most common gauges are 12 and 20. The 20 has a smaller bore and therefore will have less recoil. Your ammo choices are much fewer than with 12 gauge. Again birdshot is recommended for lesser penetration. I think the only buckshot round generally available is No. 3 buck, so I don't think this gauge is as prone to overpenetration as a 12-gauge with 00 Buck. There are several types of shotgun action. The venerable side-by-side and over/under types are limited in ammo capacity. The most common defensive guns are pump or semi-auto. The pump is the simpler and cheaper and much is made of the sound of the action being "racked" being "understood in all languages". Leaving aside the tactical disadvantage of giving away your position like that, one big problem is that people who are stressed are prone to "short stroking" the pump gun, which can cause a major malfunction. In this area I'd recommend a Mossberg Bantam 500 in 20-gauge (it's got a shorter stock and the fore-end is set farther back so smaller statured people can run it, and its tang safety is good for left or right handers) or a Remington 870 with a youth stock. In the semi-auto's you have less work to do, but the trade-off is they have more parts and are therefore theoretically potentially more subject to breaking (although I've personally never really seen this happen so far) and if you have a jam, they are harder to clear. With the pump you have to work the action for each shot; with the semi you just keep pulling the trigger. (Note that even the pump and semiauto shotguns are limited in ammo capacity even with an extended mag tube and the ammo is bulky.) In the semi-auto's I'd recommend a Remington 1100 LT-20 if you can find one. If $$ no a problem, the Benelli M-1 Super 90 is "da bomb" (although I don't know if they make it in 20-gauge). I would point out that shotguns do in fact hve to be aimed, as the pattern only opens about 1" per yard. So even at room distances and with a cylinder-bore gun, it's easy to miss a man-sized target if you don't aim it. You should also take your gun out and "pattern" it with your chosen ammo to check for "doughnutting" and to learn how far away the target can be and still keep all of the pellets on the target. What makes a shotgun so effective is that it has a whole bunch of pellets hitting the target at the same time (i.e., the whole is greater than the sum of its parts). If some-to-many of the pellets are not hitting, a) they are not helping you stop the threat and b) whatever doesn't hit your target is going to hit something - and you bought whatever that something happens to be. Shotguns should not be left with a round in the chamber as they are not generally "drop safe". There is a potential issue if the mag tube is left fully loaded for a very long time that the spring may "take a set" and cause feeding problems. Finally, shotguns (and long guns in general) are not very maneuverable in enclosed spaces.

Another possibility may be a carbine in .223 (same cartridge as the M-16). I recently read that .223 hollowpoints are not that overpenetrative in a building. I don't have a source for this however, and no personal experience doing this. I would point out that firing a gun in this rifle caliber indoors would be VERY LOUD and almost certainly permanently damage your hearing unless you are wearing hearing protection.

Anyway, there's my $.02. Hope it's useful.

you can buy pepper spray at Wal-Mart for pitty's sake, it's not like you need a special license or even training, just walk in and buy it. The other stuff you can buy through the mail from US Calvary, or Brigade Quartermaster, again no special license or training or permission required.

Pepper spray in self defense in never a lawsuit.........done right of course.

What he's saying is that an attorney could build a civil case around the fact that since you had the OC you should have subdued the person instead of shooting him.

And for the record, soldiers that ride horses are cavalry; Calvary is the location for the putative crucifixion. The location of the "l" is different.