Remington 870 Youth in 20 ga. Not too short for large folks, size and recoil easily handled by smaller statured folks, and even 7/8oz of shot is going to seriously mess up a bad guy's day.
Even with an improved choke, pattern spread is going to be less than 1' diameter at distances you would find inside most homes.
Ed
This is certainly one of the best. Especially if there's a wife in the house.
Many (including myself) also like the Marlin Lever guns. They are handy in 38/357mag, 44 special/44mag, and 45 Colt.
