I only put the video link in my message to show what can be done with a revolver, and to stir up this thread.
There are other considerations in this debate as well. Would a novice know to turn off the safety? Would the novice hold the gun securely in order to have the gun cycle the action properly?
No matter how you slice it, a pistol is a more complicated piece of machinery. In an emergency situation involving a novice the KISS principle prevails.