[fini]

The only advise I will give is to get a shotgun that looks like a hunting shotgun (wood stock) and use bird shot to load in the gun.

If you are ever charged for using the shotgun, you want the gun to be your "hunting gun that just was handy when you needed it." You use bird shot because at close distances it hits like Thor's hammer, but does not penetrate walls that well, e.g. the kids' room.

I also recommend a pump because they are very reliable and the sound they make when being loaded is the international sound of "you are in a heap of trouble boy."

[Beagle8U]

“I also recommend a pump because they are very reliable and the sound they make when being loaded is the international sound of “you are in a heap of trouble boy.”

Used for self defense or hunting, the only sound should be the safety being clicked off.

There will already be one in the chamber long before I need to shoot.

[donmeaker]

I recommend not giving burglar’s or robbers a chance to shoot first. Further I recommend number 1 shot, as it will penetrate to the back of a man, where the spinal chord is likely to reside, and you have more chances to hit it than you would with 00 shot.