We have a Remington 870 pump, it hangs with buckshot rounds in the magazine in a gun rack over the bedside nightstand where my S&W .38 revolver lies. If I have time enough in an emergency situation I would grab the pumpgun and rack a shell into the chamber, but if not I would grab the .38 loaded with Gold Saber hollow points while my wife gets to her Stevens .410 standing in the corner on her side of the bed.
If all else fails there is still the Winchester .30-30 and two other long guns in the gun rack, more centerfire rifles standing in the bedroom closet including an SKS, and 6 other handguns that are stashed out of sight around the house.
Unless an intruder can find a way to get into my log home without tripping an alarm and setting off a few floodlights, I think we could handle most hostile situations ourselves before the deputy can drive the 17 miles out here from town if I call 911. And that's providing my hard phone line hasn't been cut, because my cellphone doesn't work out here where we live.
All that may sound like overkill and/or paranoia on my part, but we have had a rash of home invasions in this general area since the illegal immigrants have moved in a few years ago and are doing most of the home maintenance and yard work around here. Their work gives them an opportunity to size up a place and it's occupants, and if they see a plum ripe for the taking they will take it or tell another crew about it and they take it. Ten years ago the local bi-weekly paper reported a half dozen arrests for DUI or other traffic violations in each edition along with perhaps a breaking and entering or assault and battery arrest now and then. Now almost every edition carries a big headline about the latest armed robbery, meth lab find, attempted murder, sexual assault, etc, etc. A local single lady was recently molested and murdered in her home not too far from here by an intruder, and an older couple's home was invaded and they were robbed and badly beaten by two Hispanic men and an anglo girl in that same general area. They haven't been caught yet AFAIK, and I don't want to be the next victim on their hit list.
I know what you’re saying about the home maintenance guys. I have the same concerns about them scouting the place.
Whenever I have work done, I make sure there are a few conspicuous shot-up targets that just happen to be laying around. I just had some tree work done and, even though the owner assured me when I hired him that he didn’t use illegals, a few guys showed up who didn’t speak English (or pretended they didn’t).
I had on my “Right Wing Gun Nut” t-shirt, some blown up IDPA targets on the garage floor, and a Gun Owners of New Hampshire sticker on the inside of my garage door. Plus some .40 brass laying around. I think they understood what all that stuff meant. ;-)
I have done the same thing. I have an Ithica Model 37 riot shotgun loaded w/ #4 buckshot near the bed. I also have a .357 mag close at hand. I live in NE Bernalillo county, NM where a 911 call is a waste of time.