[Max in Utah]

I would chose the Mossberg 500 over the Remington 870 for home defense, for one simple reason: it has a tang safety, rather than one in the trigger guard. This makes the Mossberg a split second quicker in going from 'Safe' to 'Fire', which could be a critical advantage in a defense situation.

The Remington is built better and would last much longer, I admit.

One suggestion: load a "snap cap" in the chamber, pull the trigger on it, and then load the magazine. With the weapon uncocked, you will not need to remember to press the slide release before pumping the action to chamber a live round.

[Sax]

That snap cap tip is pretty practical, I've never thought of that before! You should always practice the motion of safety off (&/or slide release) so it's natural, but when it comes to being woken up, if it's dark, and if you're scared and disoriented, it's one less thing to wrestle with -- that's another reason I like a shotgun to a pistol. It's a little more forgiving.

I always imagine shooting a lot better after a good breakfast and a relaxing drive than going from dreaming in a comfortable bed to a sweaty, adrenaline pumping situation in the middle of the night.