[artplumber]

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Don't forget that if your "friend" has a sig other, they should be able to handle the piece as well. That means probably smaller hands and less able to handle recoil. Most big mag autos are not going to be friendly for the ladies.

I'm no expert, but am a wheel gun believer for home defense, because they are mechanically simple and will be more likely to be ready to go in the hands of someone(s) who don't necessarily shoot frequently/maintain the piece routinely. They also handle some measure of dirt/abuse pretty well. If you want rapid loading, you can always use speedloaders.