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You're quite welcome. Some of the other contributors made some good points as well. If you are strictly looking for a "home defense" gun, and don't need something to carry in public, then your best bet is probably a good pump-action 12 gauge shotgun with about an 18-20 inch barrel. It's drop-dead reliable, works really well at the distances you'll encounter in your home, and stops what ever you shoot it at. Plus, with additional barrels, you've got a gun you can hunt and shoot clays with. I've got a safe full of guns, but it's my shotguns I use the most. You could probably find a good Remington 870, Winchester, or Mossberg used at a pawn shop or gun store within your budget.

If you need something to carry around outside of the home, then any of the quality pistols recommended here would be fine.

If that's the case, keep in mind that a lighter gun (not necessarily smaller caliber though) that you are willing to carry, will be better than the big gun you leave at home because it's too cumbersome to lug around.

Polymer frames do alleviate that consideration somewhat, because they are typically lighter for a given frame size, and the good ones are generally very good (Glock, Springfield, Taurus, even S&W), but they could be more costly. Maybe you can find a reasonably priced used one.

For ease of use, nothing beats a good revolver (S&W, Ruger, Taurus, etc.), and they are easier to learn to operate (particularly under stress), but are limited in capacity.

One final note, and this is strictly my opinion (30+ years in Federal Law Enforcement/Nuke Security, ex-SRT officer). Never bet your life on a pistol caliber that starts with a number smaller that 4 (and that also means 9mm, It's a good round for a submachine gun, but I wouldn't carry it in my primary self-defense gun), and a rifle caliber that starts with a number less than 3.

Good luck with whatever you buy, practice (a lot!!!), get some quality training in both the gun itself and tactics, and remember to have fun. And teach your wife to shoot, and shoot well. Statistically, she's the one who's most at risk.