This, fortunately, is informational help only. She's family member to a new member on here, and has been alarmed at some recent crime in her area. (Area locked down as they chased down a murderer.) She's asked for self-defense information and so on. She's not a spring chicken, same as most of us, so learning some martial arts is a possibility (if just for mental calm / clarity) but not the main focus here, as "What martial art works best against a 12 gauge at 10 yards?" would be a likely question to be asked there; I don't gather she has much self-defense experience. I used to help at a self-defense school near here, some years ago, but that's with WA State laws (Horrid how many women we had come through who'd been offered violence. Kudos to them for training and becoming more adept at protecting themselves, though!)
Budget is unknown, I'll ask more on that. Obviously budget will drive the plan, as training and hardware aren't completely free.
I don't know Florida's laws, so I'd like to know if I get those right as I research them.
Near as I can tell she's in eastern Lee County, to give you an idea of where.
Is there a good firearm self-defense training course in that area? It'd be hard for me to help in person since we're a country apart. You fellow enablers () will have local knowledge which would help.
Not sure yet what her entire situation is, more questions to ask there.
My usual approach is to ask people to train in the law and then with the hardware, safety first, then operation. (No one wins if you have negligent discharges. And it's not good to "defend yourself" and end up having to defend yourself in court. Better yet when you don't even have to draw because the attacker decides not to risk picking on you, and leaves!) And basic tactics - plus knowing what you don't know - so you know NOT to house clear as a newbie, for example.
Picking hardware, lots to be said for a pump shotgun (If some twerp is breaking in, fortress up behind your mattress, put on eyepro, and set earpro up next to you, call 911 and tell them someone's breaking in, make SURE the officers can communicate with you before entry so you know not to aim at them, and you're not in too bad a position.) Recoil might point some towards smaller calibers, but even 410 ga. would void most attackers' warranties!
But if you move around inside a house a lot and need something with you, handguns are good (Nice if you can have the shotgun too, it's a good option.) I've learned that my preconceptions on "the right handgun" were not always applicable; Some people are revolver people, some are autoloader people. Some can shoot anything, even. What "feels right" to them and is comfortable to them to shoot & carry, is what they'll carry, so go with that.
(Had a nurse come through who'd get off work at 2-3 am who kept getting "kind offers" from the drunks and rapists up on Pilll Hill in Seattle; She got a Stainless Blackhawk in .357. Turned out she was a NATURAL revolver person, by the end of the class her "double taps" were in touching pairs, we drew shirt buttons on one target and she hit each of the three twice in a fairly fast drill. We usually suggested 1911s, at the time, but this worked for her!)
And physical hardening of her place would maybe be a good idea; Budget determines that to some extent.
More later as I get some problems fixed here (My place has some problems, among other things I just got my printer going again after FAR too long of being unable to print. Humor helps, fixing things helps even more
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