Racking your shotgun is one of the best things you can do.
Remember that if in a self defense situation your goal is to stop the threat. It is NOT to kill or injure the person creating the threat. You want to do the minimal you can possibly do to stop the threat. I carry pepper spray in addition to my concealed handgun because many situations would warrant pepper spray before a handgun. Remember that no matter what happens you will end up in court defending your decision and if all you did was blow a hole in the body in the dark you will probably end up in jail or prison paying the guy what he wins when he sues you.
If someone breaks in you do not want to kill them, you want them to leave. If they prove to you that the only way they are no longer a threat is if you shoot them THEN you shoot them. If all it takes is you yelling 'We are home, get the F*** out, I am calling the cops' then that is all you should do. If all it takes is you racking the shotgun that is all you want to do. Few criminals who are not high on drugs will hear a shotgun rack and stick around to wait for you to prove to them it is what it sounds like. Trust me, this is a better situation to explain to the cops then 'I heard him, I could tell he was in this room, so I stuck the shotgun in the door and pulled the trigger'.
Every situation is different. You can be the most prepared person in the world and someone who breaks in freaks out when they hear you snoring and just blows your head off as you sleep, regardless of the weapon sitting next to the bed or how it's loaded. But your goal is to be a responsible gun owner. This means doing everything possible to NOT use it on a person EVER. Only in an extreme situation where there is no doubt that if you don't pull the trigger fast enough you WILL be dead should you attempt to use a weapon to stop a person who is a threat to your life (not shoot to kill them, just to stop them).
I own a Colt AR-15 Target Match Hbar and I love it. It is for long range accuracy, not for tactical use. I carry a Ruger LCR 5 shot revolver .38special with internal hammer. I chose it because it is small enought to carry into clients' homes for my business without them knowing, or anywhere else for that matter. It may not be the biggest or have the highest capacity, but it is comfortable enough to carry all the time. This means I actually will. It doesn't matter if you have a .45 or a 20 round 9mm if it is not comfortable enough to carry all the time.
There is a revolver that holds .410 shotgun shells. This gives you the home defense safety of a shotgun in the small(er) package and reliability of a revolver. It is not a small gun, so it is not the best option for many people. But if you can handle it you may want to consider it as your primary home defense weapon.
Lights and lasers on your weapon should be chosen carefully. In your home that laser or light coming around the corner tells the bad guy exactly where you are and what you have. They are now in a life and death situation and you have a bright target in front of you. It is best to have a hand held light (if your weapon can allow this) and hold it out to your side so that if they shoot at the light they will likely miss you. As an alternative (such as with a shotgun) very dim night lights in your home can allow you to see just enough to find a target without having a light in front of you to tell him where you are.
Remember that if in a self defense situation your goal is to stop the threat. It is NOT to kill or injure the person creating the threat. You want to do the minimal you can possibly do to stop the threat. I carry pepper spray in addition to my concealed handgun because many situations would warrant pepper spray before a handgun. Remember that no matter what happens you will end up in court defending your decision and if all you did was blow a hole in the body in the dark you will probably end up in jail or prison paying the guy what he wins when he sues you.
If someone breaks in you do not want to kill them, you want them to leave. If they prove to you that the only way they are no longer a threat is if you shoot them THEN you shoot them. If all it takes is you yelling 'We are home, get the F*** out, I am calling the cops' then that is all you should do. If all it takes is you racking the shotgun that is all you want to do. Few criminals who are not high on drugs will hear a shotgun rack and stick around to wait for you to prove to them it is what it sounds like. Trust me, this is a better situation to explain to the cops then 'I heard him, I could tell he was in this room, so I stuck the shotgun in the door and pulled the trigger'.
Every situation is different. You can be the most prepared person in the world and someone who breaks in freaks out when they hear you snoring and just blows your head off as you sleep, regardless of the weapon sitting next to the bed or how it's loaded. But your goal is to be a responsible gun owner. This means doing everything possible to NOT use it on a person EVER. Only in an extreme situation where there is no doubt that if you don't pull the trigger fast enough you WILL be dead should you attempt to use a weapon to stop a person who is a threat to your life (not shoot to kill them, just to stop them).
I own a Colt AR-15 Target Match Hbar and I love it. It is for long range accuracy, not for tactical use. I carry a Ruger LCR 5 shot revolver .38special with internal hammer. I chose it because it is small enought to carry into clients' homes for my business without them knowing, or anywhere else for that matter. It may not be the biggest or have the highest capacity, but it is comfortable enough to carry all the time. This means I actually will. It doesn't matter if you have a .45 or a 20 round 9mm if it is not comfortable enough to carry all the time.
There is a revolver that holds .410 shotgun shells. This gives you the home defense safety of a shotgun in the small(er) package and reliability of a revolver. It is not a small gun, so it is not the best option for many people. But if you can handle it you may want to consider it as your primary home defense weapon.
Lights and lasers on your weapon should be chosen carefully. In your home that laser or light coming around the corner tells the bad guy exactly where you are and what you have. They are now in a life and death situation and you have a bright target in front of you. It is best to have a hand held light (if your weapon can allow this) and hold it out to your side so that if they shoot at the light they will likely miss you. As an alternative (such as with a shotgun) very dim night lights in your home can allow you to see just enough to find a target without having a light in front of you to tell him where you are.
