[ansel12]

Start with a pistol that you would be willing to wear during every hour you are awake, including while working outdoors and at rest in your home.

[al baby]

I worked in some crappy areas of So. California as a Carpenter contractor My work bags had a nice little spot for a 9 millimeter had it with me all the time

[Titan Magroyne]

Thaere are lotsa weapons with their own special uses (and fans of each) but - along with the advice to be willing to pull the trigger when necessary - I gotta go with this: Start with a pistol that you would be willing to wear during every hour you are awake, including while working outdoors and at rest in your home. If you know you care little for maintenance or feeding/ejection failures, pick a revolver. Load it, forget it, remember it when you must. (I like my semi-autos but...)

And not to diss a good pump-action shotgun, but my Saiga-12 spoilt me rotten. Easily my favorite tho it contradicts my handgun advice, LOL.