I have some "things to think about" to add to this conversation.
#1. and probably the most important is,
"Under What circumstances are you willing to kill somebody?"
Kind of need to establish that before you go on to weapons selection.
If you are not willing to kill a person then Firearm Safety Rule #2 comes into play.
"Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to Destroy."
So by extension,, If you are not willing to kill someone, you shouldn't point a gun at them, and if you shouldn't point a gun at them,,, then you don't really have any business with the gun in the first place.
All that said, everyone but the weakest of individuals, will have a threshold after which they will evoke a violent response. Waiting for God to come and save you when he already put a shotgun in your hands is a down right stupid argument, so we can just get that off the plate right now.
Survival demands, that if you must fight then you must come forward with the most violent response you are capable of. You are fighting for your life and you better realize that fact going in. It is not something you figure out half way into the fight. If you see you are behind the curve,,, YOU NEED TO FIGHT HARDER!!!!!
Waiting to see what the two guys with ski masks carrying guns in your living room want from you, is not a question you should be asking.
You should be bringing your shotgun to bare and concentrating on shot placement. The thinking part of this scenario has been over for along time and you should have already made the decision to fire,,, like many years before.
Yes, you need to figure out what you're going to do well in advance. You won't have time to "figure it out" during eh fight which by all estimations will last between 2 and 5 seconds!
It is generally recommended that you write it down and mail it to yourself so you have a record of what will trigger you to use lethal force..
Always remember you are not trying to "kill people." you are only trying to Stop Them! from hurting you or your family..
Example: You have armed intruders in your home. You find them and shoot them ASAP! You need no further justification (even here in CA!) Good Idea to have a light on your gun so you can identify them rather than killing your drunk neighbor who went to the wrong house.
A man is holding a knife to your Wife's neck. You blow his head off as quickly as possible! You don't have time to think, you only have time to act and the longer it takes only gives him more time to react. Seconds count
A man is Raping your Wife or Daughter, you blow his head off, probably taking care to have the overspray land off the victim. Remember a shotgun blast will probably cover more area than you think and you are responsible for everything it hits. "Gun Safety rule #4" Plus the trauma that will be generated on your family will only be compounded by the mess.
Remember Eli Wallach's line in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
"if you're going to shoot,,, shoot!,,, don't talk!"
Guys,,, this is what Firearms Training helps you figure out.
You'll notice that in all my examples above I mentioned "Shotgun?" Well a 12 ga. shotgun is the most devastating and versatile close range weapon there is. So that's what we use for Home Defense. 00 Buckshot and Slugs,,, no birdshot!!!
I just got back from my 5th Tactical Shotgun Class at Front Sight at the beginning of this month. I started these classes over a year ago. Prior to learning how to use a Shotgun for Defensive Purposes, if you came into my house uninvited, I would have probably shot you with my G21SF .45 ACP.
Now you get 00 Buckshot or maybe a Slug!
Here's a pic of my Home Defense Gun. It is a simple Mossberg 500 with an 18.5" barrel. The magazine is fully loaded,(6 rounds of 00) no round in the chamber. (Known as "Cruiser Ready") And additional 6 rounds are on the velcro side saddle, 3, 00, and 3 Slugs, and I can grab two more loaded side saddles when I pick the gun up just in case.
You also note that there is a light mounted to the fore end. That is for identifying the target before I shoot.
Nobody with a clear mind wants to kill anybody. However you should never be afraid to defend yourself or your family with lethal force if circumstances warrant such a response.
It is up to you to decide where that line is, and I suggest you figure it out right now,,, if you haven't already done so.
Note: The holes on the hostage on the target below are from the wads, the shot payload was on the edges of the bad guys heads. These were shot at 5 yards and it pays to know exactly what your what your gun will do, to avoid mistakes.
I hope some of this helps.
Randy