Why only two choices? We have a Mossberg 500 for home defense but my husband and I am both armed each day inside our properties. We have applied for our CCW but we have not got it yet. And we have a big Rottweiler living with us. These are the types of protection we have. YMMV.

Oh, btw, I carry a Glock 23.

I wouldn't go with a pistol for home defense if you aren't planning on carrying. Get a good pump or semi-auto shotgun with buckshot IMO. Less likely to over penetrate than a large caliber pistol, and it's easier to use accurately than a pistol.

KG

I think a pistol is fine for home defense. A shotgun is great, but if you're one of those ill-advised people who plans on clearing their house, then a long gun is going to be the first thing around a corner and gives the BG in waiting something to grab. Also, if you have to manipulate a light or a phone to call 911 while you have your gun ready, you can't do that too well with a shotgun. In short, the shotgun will work for static defense and/or if you have a partner than can handle the phone and other duties. Otherwise, get the pistol.

As far as your choices, you're comparing apples and oranges. You have a sub-compact .45 and compact 9mm. You're not carrying, so IMO you should be looking full-size pistol, which is either the G21 or the G17. Since you're asking which gun, I assume you're new to shooting. Therefore I recommend the 9mm. Loaded with a premium defense round, it's a perfectly adequate defense caliber. Additionally, the recoil of the 9mm is very tame for a new shooter. Finally, ammo is a lot cheaper for it than .45, which means you can afford to practice more.

^^^^ uv never seen my mossberg 500 lol 18inch barrel pistol grip forearm and pistol grip grip no stock all black no wooden dowl plug lol so i can hold 6

I agree that the shotgun is the best medicine for home defense....I keep one fairly close at hand, but then I have about 14 to choose from.....but I still keep the Glock 19 and the S&W 686 in the nightstand!

Thank you all for great ideas.
I shot both G 19 and G 30 and liked them both. Even though I have no plan to carry for now but it can change that is why I am looking at compact and subcompact variety.
yes, a shotgun is a great addition or alterantive but not sure about the kick it comes with.
thanks.

i agree with todd on the shotgun issue. Its hard to manipulate things with a big o'l shotgun in hand.
i use to have a taurus 38 and i would fumble with it in the drawer before i got in hand, it was small.
i did'nt get it in hand as quickly as i thought i would and thats why bought it to begin with.
Herd a bump in the night when that happen...scary feeling.
So i ended up with a glock 19. i feel assured when i grab hold, not to big, not to small...for me at least, and the wife can shoot it too.
i guess i'm say'n go with what feels good...my .02$

Hey Todd, why is clearing the house ill advised? I assume clearing means checking every area where an intruder could hide.

I got home the other day and noticed that i had left my house unlocked. We get occasional fake door to door salesmen who are just casing the house. My dog in the back was barking like crazy so i went room to room and cleared the house.

Originally Posted by jimtem

Hey Todd, why is clearing the house ill advised? I assume clearing means checking every area where an intruder could hide.

You hear a crash in the middle of the night or you come home to find your front door open. You have no idea who or how many people are potentially in your house. You have no idea if he/they are armed and with what. You don't know if he/they are high on something. You don't know if he/they are alert to your presence and are waiting to ambush you. And you're going to walk into that situation blindly simply becuase you have a gun? Too many unknown variables make that an unwise decision.

I come home and the door is wide open, kicked in, or a window smashed; cops get the call, and I wait down the street with the kids until they get there. LEOs can clear the house. They are trained for it, I'm not. I hear a crash in the middle night and the alarm is going off, I get to the top of the stairs and wait for someone to attempt to come up while the wife handles the kids and phone. I'm not going to walk down the stairs either back-lit by the hall light or with a flashlight showing my location, looking to engage. IMO, sometimes the best action is no action.

YMMV.

Originally Posted by Todd

You hear a crash in the middle of the night or you come home to find your front door open. You have no idea who or how many people are potentially in your house. You have no idea if he/they are armed and with what. You don't know if he/they are high on something. You don't know if he/they are alert to your presence and are waiting to ambush you. And you're going to walk into that situation blindly simply becuase you have a gun? Too many unknown variables make that an unwise decision.

I come home and the door is wide open, kicked in, or a window smashed; cops get the call, and I wait down the street with the kids until they get there. LEOs can clear the house. They are trained for it, I'm not. I hear a crash in the middle night and the alarm is going off, I get to the top of the stairs and wait for someone to attempt to come up while the wife handles the kids and phone. I'm not going to walk down the stairs either back-lit by the hall light or with a flashlight showing my location, looking to engage. IMO, sometimes the best action is no action.

YMMV.

Ahhh,,, I got ya. I agree, in those situations the actions you described are absolutely the best approach. I had only cleared my house once. The police would have thought I was a nut if I asked them to clear my house just because I was gone for the day and left my front door unlocked.

Thanks for the explanation.

Originally Posted by jimtem

The police would have thought I was a nut if I asked them to clear my house just because I was gone for the day and left my front door unlocked.

That's true. They would have thought you were a little wacky.