If you hear a bump in the night, nothing sounds quite like a Reminigton 870 pump chambering a shell. Plus, you're only gonna need one shot, assuming the perp is dumb enough to stick aroundf after hearing that.
Also an excellent point and with shotguns you don't generally have to worry about over penetration and hitting unintended targets, like the neighbors. One of these days I'm going to take a 12 ga. pump I've had since I was a kid. Cut the barrel to min legal length and replace the stock with a pistol grip and a folding stock.
I carry a Steyr M40 for personal defense. It has very nice triangluar sites and holds 11 rounds of .40 S&W ammo. It is extremely accurate, but needs hogue grips (which are very cheap) to feel comfortable firing .40 rounds. I also have an H&K USP in .45, mostly for home defense, but it could also be carried in my vehicle and on my person if I am wearing a jacket. One of the harder things to do is to find a good pistol chambered for a decent round, that can be concealed properly, yet immediately accessible...especially during the summer. So many people are carrying guns in Michigan...especially criminals...that you almost have to be ready for a gunfight if you ever have to use your handgun.
Reminds me of the first time I went to the range with my military friend. Rented a glock 23 and had a contest on who could get the most headshots. The range owner came by our booth and just shook his head and started laughing. Seriously though, if you break into my house, I am aiming for your head, because you never know if the thug has a vest on. I'm a 40 fan myself.
I'm a big fan of 40's and 45's too. The point of my last post is that in this day of fancy pistols, revolvers often get overlooked. Sure, except for the smallest snubbies they're no good for CC, but for handgun home defense they can't be beat (and I agree Arnie, nothing is better than a 12). They can sit unattended for long periods of time and work perfectly when needed with no thought, just pull the trigger. Jams are so rare as to not be a factor, and if a round misfires just pull the trigger again. Best of all, for penetration and stopping power it's tough to get better than a .357 Magnum with JHP rounds.
Trust when I say that your adrenalin level is going to be so high that you will be shaking. Dead center chest is your best choice on target.