Training is fine but I'm not foolish enough to think every shot I make will hit its target in a high tense situation where I'm fighting for my life.

You are wrong. Buckshot will penetrate just as much as any pistol rounds, more than some rifle rounds.

.22lr won't reliable peneatrate worth [censored], and most .22lr ammo isn't as reliable as centerfire weapons. Lots of duds in .22lr ammo.

A go-to weapon should be
1. Extremely reliable.
-Some guns are reliable, some aren't. Pump-shotguns can be extremely user dependent on relibability. Sometimes you get guns that are generally reliable, but you have a lemon. Only way to tell is to shoot the gun. . . .lots.
2. Be able to penetrate 10"-18" in ballistsics gel.
-Getting to the vitals is the best way to produce enough blood loss to reliablly stop them, it will also allow the possibility to hit the spine, which will drop them.
3. Be affordable to practice with so you can be proficient.
-I'd never practice with ammo I can't afford. To me, this puts common calibers up front. I just don't have the money to shoot lots of .458 SOCOM ammo.

If woken, shotgun under my bed and fight my way to my AR-15. If watching tv, 1911 by my couch and fight my way to my AR-15.

ar15 pistol 300blackout

Glock 35 w/ Speer Lawman.

valid point

those lawman rounds are NASTY

even NASTIER especially in a CQB type situation. Gotta think about over-penetration though, were not trying to take the neighbors out lol

Mossberg 930 spx with buckshot or one of the glocks

Sorry, If its a self defense situation im worried about the threat to my life and my families' life.

Put rounds ON TARGET, and all will be gravy. Thats why you train with your weapon you know....

i keep a 20 gauge coach gun stuffed with high brass #4's next to the bed.

at close range, its gonna be nasty, but i feel reasonably confidendt it won't go thru a wall and hit somebody else.

1300 Defender w/ 8 rounds of 00 reduced recoil.
Kimber Pro CDP w/ Hornady TAP.

Bedside gun is an 870 12 ga stuffed with #4 buck, wife keeps a CZ83 .380 in her nightstand. My carry gun stays in the living room (pretty much dead middle of the house) in a lockbox. We have a crawling, climbing toddler so they all stay locked up.

ANY good choice for a defensive weapon is going to be able to penetrate sheetrock. Box O Truth has some really good tests on the subject.

I have a Tron Frisbee refurbished by Trijicon. It has a kill life expectancy of 8 years before I have to send it back in again.

dogs

I'm betting an RPG would work great. Think about it you walk around the corner with an RPG in hand that'd scare anyone outta there without a shot fired. A flamethrower would be pretty fun to light up the intruders with also.

smart man.....or possibly woman

What if your dealing with experienced crooks? One's who knew what to do and were just as familiar with their firearms as you are (if not better)

I don't think insurance companies provide coverage for RPG blasts inside a home..... or maybe

What ever I grab first. Time to stir the pot some more. I dont think it will really matter what you shoot at an intruder. If they are not expecting something to go bang. Its going to be suprise and they are going to run like hell regardless of the caliber. There are always circumstances that a bullet wont kill someone on impact. i.e. I have personally worked a GSW to the head from point blank range. Man shot himself with a 45acp, standard 230gr ball ammo. He was walking and talking to me after 2hrs of being shot. I've worked another, same MO, with 9mm, DOA. Most breakins are crime of oppurtunity not planned. If planned most likely the homeowner would be ambushed prior to entering the house, or killed right away, just saying.

Mine is my Glock 23 in the nightstand, loaded with Cor-Bon defense ammo. Reliable and effective.

Glock21 45 with light then to dresser for snubnose 38, and finally to closet for 12ga pump with light with every other round 8shot and oo buck with extra rounds on stock.

Just for an fyi..... I have seen 9mm frangible ammo go thru 8 pieces of sheet rock set up 1-2 ft apart from each other. Penetrated the same as fmj rounds. Of course there was no insulation, studs, wire, or pipe for it to possibly hit.

We did this at a gun training as a demo to show how you need to know what is in your background. I thought the frangible would start to break up but it didn't.

12ga Remmy 870

18 1/2 inch Ithaca Model 37.