Thanks all for your replies and advice. A couple of you emailed me with some advice as well, and I deeply appreciate it. Unfortunately I cannot reply directly as I am too new to these forums.
To the person who suggested the Judge - that was the one that appealed to me the most. I’m large enough to use it. I do worry about neighbor collateral damage, but I’ll be moving into a house soon and that won’t be an issue.
It’s been a number of years, but I used to shoot all the time with my dad and did a fair amount of skeet shooting and range practice with a variety of weapons. I just lost interest over time (firearms don’t really fascinate me - swords, etc., do, and I own a few working ones - but I’m not stupid enough to bring a knife to a gunfight) and never bothered to purchase one myself. Needless to say, I’ll have to hit the practice range again and become proficient in whatever weapon I choose.
I live in Little Rock, AR, in a fairly high-end part of town, at a fairly high-end apartment complex, a little bit out in the country. However, the crime has been inching out slowly in our direction, and the thugs here mean business. Most of the people who live in my complex are between houses, or in temporary housing, or retired. That’s what worries me - we have nice stuff good for stealing.
I have a dachshund who may or may not sound the alarm, but anybody breaking into my apartment in the middle of the night is probably armed and needs to be dispatched immediately and permanently. We have some police officers and military personnel who live in the complex and display their vehicles, and the community is gated, but some of these meth and crack heads aren’t going to care about that.
I’ll definitely avoid the weapon light. Thanks again.
Like a firearm, it may be better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. They can be left off. Sorry to hear the tweekers are that bad in AR.