Using a firearms inside a house isn't usually a good idea. Bullets tear up furniture and the woodwork, bloodstains are hard to remove from carpets -- all in all, a lot of hassle.

More importantly, most modern bullets can penetrate the walls of a house and injure people outside, especially bullets from high-powered rifles and high-powered handguns. (I've shattered a concrete block with a single round from a .357 magnum pistol. I hasten to say that this was on a range, and done as part of a safety demonstration. It's not something I do as a regular thing.)

I have said elsewhere, and I stand by it, that I would far rather have my hardwood nightstick for self-defense inside my home than a pistol. I know how to use it, and if I have it and you point a gun at me, you'll end up with at least one badly broken wrist. And yes, if need be I could kill you with it. And while I would have little hesitation about shooting someone who was threatening death or serious injury to me or mine, I would have NO hesitation about using the nightstick. Of course, you have to learn to use it properly....