[fatima]

Home defense,I am afraid right now.If I had a gun I would feel safer.The police are keeping an eye and said things should be OK and have the names of people who showed up at my house 2 times.One time after dark to say they wanted to do construction work.I need a gun.

[G Larry]

Yep!

S&W .38 w 4 in. barrel.

Get it in steel so you can get 2nd shot on target.
(weight reduces recoil)

[Truth29]

If you are purely looking at home defense and do not intend to carry around the house at all times, nothing beats a pump action shotgun. The racking sound alone usually changes an intruders mind. If that suggestions seems favorable to you, go somewhere and try out the various gauges to see which one is best for you. If you want a small, light, concealed carry pistol, try a Ruger LCP, which I recommended to someone else up thread.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

The best weapon for home defense is a small, pump-action, 12-guage shotgun.

You don’t want to use a handgun for home defense. If you have to use it, your adrenaline will be pumping, you’ll be shaking, you will miss your target.

To stop an intruder, you’ll need a powerful handgun, such as a .44 or .45 ACP. Mel Tappan thought a .357 is not powerful enough. I think a .357 would work, but I’ll defer to his expertise.

The problem with those powerful handguns is that they’ll penetrate wall board, which means a family member somewhere else in the house or a neighbor could get shot accidentally not only if you miss but if the bullet passes through your intruder.

A 12 gauge with bird shot (#5 or #6) at about 5 yards (typical shot distance inside a home) will create a wide enough pattern that, if you’re pointing your barrel at the intruder and fire, you’ll hit. The pattern will be tight enough to put the intruder down. If you miss, the pattern will disperse and that light shot, even if it gets through some wall board, will not be as lethal as a solid bullet.

The pump action gives you follow-up shots. Intruders are also scared to death of hearing any “racking” sound, so studies have showed.

What you want to look for is any of the tactical shotguns.

A favorite is the Remington 870, such as this one:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Shotguns/Pump-Action|/pc/104792580/c/105537780/sc/104803380/Remington174-8708482-Express174-TacticalHome-Defense-Shotguns/709955.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-shotguns-pump-action%2F_%2FN-1102348%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104803380%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104792580%253Bcat105537780&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104792580%3Bcat105537780%3Bcat104803380

I can’t emphasize this enough, YOU MUST GET PROPER, CERTIFIED TRAINING.

A firearm is a tool. It is dangerous if used incorrectly. And it only works as well as the person using it.

Good training will teach you how to use it safely and competently and THAT will give you confidence.

[Redcitizen]

Stay safe. Get you a bat or a knife till you get your self a gun.

My reccomendation- a 357 mag ruger lcr. Shoot .38 caliber bullets out of it and .357 bullets in case you need more power. Its an effective caliber and a relatively simple gun to operate.