GUEST,Not that guest, not the other one, either'

Gte a .44 Magnum and stop fuckin' around.

I know that was said as sarcasm, but for home defense, a .44 mag loaded with .44 specials is arguably a very good choice.

A large, slow, bullet is the best choice for stopping an attacker (and stopping an attacker is the only reason to shoot a human being, unless you're really hungry). A small, fast bullet just goes through. It'll kill him, but only later, after he's killed you. A large, fast bullet will cause so much recoil that you'll flinch unless you're very big, strong, and well trained. And the size of the muzzle opening might make an attacker think twice.

Of course a pump shotgun is the best of all for defense. Not only because of the stopping power and the scary appearance from the front end, but because of the characteristic sound when you work the slide. A lot of bad guys recognize that sound.

Peter