Gun purchasing advice (Seriously)

for home defence in my opinion and everybody has a different opinion but the best gun for home defence is a 12 gauge pump shotgun. as for swinging around a long gun shotgun. barrels vary in length from 18"to well over 30".the 18" barrel ones are great to have around the house not too long. load it with 4 00 buckshot then slug then 4 00 buckshot then slug.the 4 00 buckshot has 24 pellets if memory is correct if you have to shoot somone in the middle of the nite you more likely to hit them with one of those pellet rather than one bullet at a time from handgun.
12 Gauge for home defense is a great idea. There is one by the side of our bed at night. Not much in the way of aiming is necessary so in the event of something bad happening it is a bit easier to hit the target. I like Mossbergs, I have one of these . For concealed carry the sky is the limit. I carry a Kahr Pm 40 , small enough to carry in the pocket of a pair of jeans. Bit of a handful due to its size. I am a real big fan of the Springfield XD/XDm line. If they don't have something to suit you you probably will not find anything that does. Good luck.....