[red-beard]

If you are going to arm yourself, get something you can handle and learn how to use it. Train to be proficient and then take time and think about the different things that can happen. Finally, do everything you can to avoid a situation in the first place: lights, alarms, locks, etc. Pre-think everything though. Make yourself a bad target and those types will go for something easier.

On the question of "what should I get?", the answer everyone says is a shotgun. The thought being that you just point in the "general direction" and you'll get an automatic hit. Almost no one I know who has a shotgun for the home actually trains with it.

Single O buckshot is basically a bunch of 30 caliber pellets. They are round lead. They penetrate drywall very easily and will go through multiple walls. Each "round" has 12-15 pellets. So firing two rounds from a shotgun is like emptying the magazine of a 25-30 round rifle. The "spread" is a lot smaller than you think. I saw the results of a police shotgun fired at a car from 10 feet away. The spread was about the size of my palm.

Pistols are generally a good choice. They are small and can be placed in a safe close to the bed for easy access. Revolvers are stupid simple and generally go bang every time you pull the trigger. I like a 3" .357, since you can also shoot .38 spl. with it. Use hollow-points to minimize penetration in walls.

Finally, when the US army wants to clear a house/room, they use a short barreled 5.56/.223 rifle. I prefer the idea of a 16" barrel (length including pinned flash hider). It is easy to operate. You are less likely to miss. And the drywall penetration is less than most pistol rounds. Again, using hollow points is a good idea. Training is fun and easy. Recoil is virtually nothing. Most of the versions today have rails which can mount easy to operate light/laser sights.