I will have to agree with pretty much everything Anthracite and Johnny LA had to say in regards to shotguns, and would like to reccomend a specific model and give you a few reasons:
The Mossberg model 900 “Intimidator”; features of this model include easily removed plug so you can have 5 rouds of standard 2 1/2" ammo (just fine for indoors and self defense) plus one in the pipe if you so choose (there is a sturdy and easily actuated safety), the stock is easily replaced with an inexpensive folding or pistol grip style (I’ll touch on that in a moment), the caliber is .12 gauge, also this model comes with a laser sight on the foregrip which will make most intruders shit themselves if they were deaf to the “clak-clack” sound of a round being chambered and allowed you to get off at least one well aimed shot with ease. The gun is also very inexpensive and intended for use as a riot or home defense gun, not a bird gun that can substitute. The long barrel of most game guns is a real hazard in home defence when you have to pass through doorways or if an assailant might grab it away from you.
In regards to recoil: The .12 gauge has a load of kick BUT as I mentioned you can go with a pistol grip on this gun which with some practice maked the recoil almost meaningless. Hell, I don’t even like to shoot regular bird guns because of the recoil but my Mossberg is nothing at all to shoot.
I would also say that while a shotgun is my ideal of a home defense weapon and you are wise to think in those terms, you might also wish to consider having a handgun and a concealed weapon liscence (not too hard to get in most states unless you are a felon, can’t pass the NRA test, and can’t find two people not related to you to vouch for your charachter), simply because while home intrusions are a bad thing, most assaults still occur outside the home and that shotgun isn’t worth a shit in the closet while you are in a dark parking garage somewhere.
For a pistol I will flatly reject revolvers for several reasons: At most you have 7 rounds (the new Ruger chambered for the .22 cal Hornet round is a 7 rd revolver) but more often 6 rounds. I’m a pretty good shot, but my aim goes to hell when the range is crowded and I forgot my ear protection so I can only imagine what would happen to my aim if I was in actual danger. If you do manage to hit your assailant with one or even two of your rounds what if he has buddies?
As for semi auto handguns: They are not the pieces of crap they used to be (in fact most of them were good it’s just that a lot of people either didn’t take proper care of them or there were a few cheapo pimp-guns out there giving the rest a bad rep). I resisted making the purchase of an auto for anything other than a fun range gun because I believed this to be true for years. I have owned my Baretta 92F for well over 6 years and put in excess of 1000 rounds through it with never one problem before it dawned on me that it was better than all my revolvers for most purposes other than “BANG” (it being a 9MM and most of my revolvers being .357), so tow weeks ago when I went gun shopping for my “new toy” I bought a S&W .40 Cal as my new carrying gun (I like the power of a .40 cal but a .9mm is still a fine gun). Also because the gun market is really opening up to ladies you can find a great assortment of guns designed as either “secondary” weapons for law enforcement types and are thus smaller in frame size or quite a few guns designed specifically for women. My Baretta 92F was actually designed to replace the model 92 carried by military police because the old model 92 was generally too large for the hands of female MPs’.
I would stay away from Glocks for one main reason: trigger safety is a bad concept. Glocks don’t have a standard mechanical safety, and while some other guns have trigger safety’s as well (my S&W for example) with Glock’s it is universal. Some people have suggested that with a revolver it is easier to get one off in a hurry. This is only true if you don’t keep a round chambered which I do with my .92F and is quite safe (standard disclaimer you should never do that blah blah blah. Ask most cops if they keep one in the pipe and if not bet they have the Glock) with the safety engaged.
Many autos are now double action, meaning you can chamber a round, gently lower the hammer, engage the safety and in a hurry all you have to do is release the safety and pull the trigger and it is ready to go that fast. With practice it becomes second nature.
Also H&K makes a true double action semi-auto pistol that you can chamber a round (cock the gun) by squeezing the grip itself (the model is called the P7 I think). They are a bit pricey (HK don’t come cheap) but a well made gun.
I’d say if you cary a purse or valise most of the time your best bet is the Baretta 92F, it’s light, easily modified (you can adda laser sight to the slide w/o even violating the warranty and trust me a laser is worth every penny) and can carry 15 round magazines (pre-ban is legal to own and buy just can’t manufacture or import them anymore) with one more in the pipe that gives you 16 shots to hit your targe(s) as opposed to the 6 rounds you have with a revolver, plus even with speed loaders revolvers take forever to load even if you are not shaking and terrified.
Also if you do decide to carry a pistol I suggest getting a special concealment bag for it unless you feel comfortable with a shoulder holster. Actually I think the purse holsters are better because if someone tries to take your bag from you, as is often the case, they remove the holster for you to find a nice little surprise painted at them in the one moment they are most distracted by your loot.
oh and one last thing, don’t go lighter than .38 or 9MM no matter what. a 9mm has little recoil in a well designed and fitted gun and is more likely to stop someone hopped up on dope than a .25 and is also much more likely to draw attention to your distress. a .25 sounds like a damned ladyfinger firecracker, that won’t even wake me up.
Mucho appreciated.