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Charles L. Cotton wrote:If she likes the XD, then that's the gun for her, at least for now. Get her a holster and belt so it can be on her side all the time, unless she's in bed. Then it should go into a strong box on her night stand with the finger groves so she can quickly enter the combination in the dark.

I know some people will question having it in a holster all the time. It's more of a safety issue than a readiness issue. Keeping the gun safely secured from unauthorized access by the kids or others is a full-time job. When it's on her side, she always knows where it is. The odds of her needing it are slim, but if she does, then there may not be time to get to another location. This problem is compounded with kids present.

Chas.

this you want one she's comfortable with and willing to use.

If there is an infant or toddler involved the child should be placed into a " papoose" type carrier so both her hands are free. It has been shown that a shotgun is more difficult to take away than a pistol. If she will keep the pistol in a lock box, it will just as easy to keep a shotgun unloaded for safety and jack some shells into it when needed. A dog is a very wise idea for a first alert system.

Everyone has given great advice for a weapon, but I'd like to suggest some tools for the kids as well. If your grandkids are old enough baseball bats are easy for them to handle as well as mace & a flashlight in strategic places. I hear of so many incidents with kids being home alone.

My wife uses a Model 1100 in 20 ga. Her pistol assures she can get to her shotgun.

CHLLady wrote:Everyone has given great advice for a weapon, but I'd like to suggest some tools for the kids as well. If your grandkids are old enough baseball bats are easy for them to handle as well as mace & a flashlight in strategic places. I hear of so many incidents with kids being home alone.

Jago668 wrote:

CHLLady wrote:Everyone has given great advice for a weapon, but I'd like to suggest some tools for the kids as well. If your grandkids are old enough baseball bats are easy for them to handle as well as mace & a flashlight in strategic places. I hear of so many incidents with kids being home alone.

Strategically placed claymore mines are effective, too.

Laugh all you want, but home invasions with kids home alone are a fact.

CHLLady wrote:Laugh all you want, but home invasions with kids home alone are a fact.

Exactly, a lot of potential burglars/home invaders knock or ring the bell to see if the home is occupied. Most children, home alone are trained not to answer the door for anyone, giving the impression of an unoccupied home. I personally would not leave a child home alone that was unable to safely handle a firearm, but that's just me and my wife's decision. My son was trained with b/b guns as a cub scout, a rifle by the time he was 9, and a shotgun at 13. He is now 17 and almost an Eagle Scout and is proficient with all of the firearms we own, knows where they are kept, how to load/unload, and what the procedure is if he is confronted by a situation like this. I have told my son that if possible, to get out of the house and call for help, but also that his life is much more important to his mother and I that an unknown criminal.