To Rat-man,
What about a Saiga .410?
It might seem a bit extreme but it should be less than eight (8) pounds fully loaded.
The recoil should be minimal and a round can be chambered and kept on safety.
I haven't fired one but have been looking at the Saiga 12 guage for myself.
Plus it could have a good intimidation factor that may avoid even having to pull the trigger.
Just a thought.
Regards,
Doug
Saiga 410's might work just fine, if the people in question can handle a long gun. I had one for a while. While a lot of "professional operators" laughed - I didn't have any volunteers to get on the wrong side of it!
And I had an S12 as well....
For a handgun - trigger pull / hand strength would be the big issue.