[Jeff Higgins]

I'll go out on a limb and guess that she is not a shooter. If I'm correct, that should be the single biggest consideration regarding your purchase. This is what RPKESQ is alluding to above.

The recoil and blast from any 12 gauge, especially a short barreled on with, god forbid, a pistol grip, is certain to intimidate a new shooter. Forget the macho man Rambo-esque trench guns. A 20 gauge with a full stock and a short barrel would probably be ideal, if she can handle it. If that is still too big, a .410 will still be adequate at living room distances.

Forget the 00 buckshot. A load of #6's, like in a standard lead pheasant/duck load, is about ideal for such close range. I don't care how open the choke is; even a straight cylinder choke pattern will not open up to more than a golf ball or tennis ball size at the ranges we are discussing. All of those little bb's are far more damaging than a few bigger ones and, if she misses, far less likely to hurt anyone else outside of the home.

Any pump gun from the reputable manufacturers will work. Take her along and let her pick it. Make it as "hers" as possible. Women are unpredictable this way; she may really like one for (what seems to us) to be the oddest of reasons. That's great; if one catches her fancy, she is more likely to want to shoot "her" gun and get familiar with it.