If you do go the gun route, something like a trigger lock or gun safe and seperated ammunition would give her the means to defend herself in a non-spontaneous way. Given your description, it sounds like she'd have ample time to retrieve the weapon and arm herself before an immediate threat materializd.
Alternatively, and perhaps more in line with what might be acceptable to you and/or your sister, she could think about securing non-lethal weapons. The bat is one option, but so is a tazer--something she could weild from a distance. Then at least she could incapacitate the intruder if he was able to make it into the home, which might be more difficult with a weapon dependent upon brute strenght (like the bat).
Plus, pragmatically, it takes a lot to put someone down with a bat. Not necessarily from a physical standpoint, but from a mental one. It's a gruesome task to beat another human being to the point that he is absolutely neutralized and no longer a threat--especially so if he's large, strong, and mentally unstable. The fact that she's defending her children might trigger the necessary response and moxy, but the last thing I'd think she would want would be to not finish the job and for the guy to get up. I'm sorry if that description is over the top, but it's been my experience and I'd personally voice my concern that she ought to look for an incapacitating weapon that doesn't take much physical or mental strenght to effect her will ont this threat.
And I'd like to hear more about these clamps with a better description, if you're recommending that others install them. I'd like them for our windows.
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