OK, the world today is generating record gun purchases. One of the big reasons people want a gun is for home defense. This is a serious decision and not one that should be made lightly. There are some things you need to ask yourself:
1) Am I 100% sure that I could shoot someone if I needed to? If the answer is anything less then 100%, do not buy a gun for defense. There are other less-then lethal options available. Peper Spray, Mace, Stun-gun are just a few.
2) Who do I want to have access to the weapon? Wife? Sons? Daughters? Elderly persons?
3) What are the physical abilities of everyone who may use the gun?
4) Who do I want not to have access to the weapon? Wife? Sons? Daughters? Elderly persons? Visitors? GRANDCHILDEREN?
5) How much firearm experience do all the people with access have?
6) What is the layout of my house? Do I live in the country? City? Apartment?
7) Will I use the gun for anything other then home defense?
8) How much do I want to spend?
All of these answers will effect your purchase and determine you get the right gun for your requirements. If you go to a reputable dealer, they will in all likelyhood ask you most, if not all of these questions. The last thing you need is to have the worng weapon in an emergency situtation.
Pistol vs. Long gun?
A pistol is a good choice for home defense. I would not recomend anything smaller then a .38 special. This gun can be easily handled by just about anyone. They are small, light and have little recoil. Unfortunatly, this also means they have less stopping power, that is, will do less damage.
There are basically three types of pistols available. Single shot (1 shot then you must re-load) Revolver (rotating cylinder holds the rounds) or Semi-Automatic (Ammo is in a detachable magazine). For home defense, I would not recommend a single shot. If you miss on the first try, you're done. Revolvers are a good choice. First they are generally cheaper then a semi auto, but they don't usually hold as many rounds. Semi-Autos are a good choice as well. You get more rounds but you stand a bigger chance of the gun jamming.
To be continued....