Any trouble pulling a trigger will surely be overcome by adrenaline if there is a dire situation. It's a very intuitive action even for a novice. Sure it is. But where are the rounds going to go? See your own comments about your grandmother.
Clearing a jam or loading a clip could be more troublesome. Or for some, even putting the magazine in the right diection. Well, if the jam occurs after the 5th shot, I don't see how she's worse off. If she has a jam after the 5th shot or has to reload because the gun is empty and the perp is still active, she's already toast.
A revolver is very nearly foolproof. If she can shoot it accurately under duress.
My grandma had a big revolver and always said she'd aim for the feet cause the recoil would put it where it needed to be. That might've been an exaggeration on her part.
Not trying to be argumentative here, but the responses I'm getting, while somewhat valid, are not all that convincing. If she can't keep her finger off the trigger until she is on target, maybe she shouldn't have any gun. But that doesn't seem to be the problem, inasmuch as the son provided her with a semi-auto to begin with. Still seems to me something on the order of a G17 would minimize the problems that were stated.
