[from occupied ga]

Are you considering buying a firearm for the first time? Primarily for defense? Not sure what your goal is from your post, but keep in mind several things.

1. The most single critical factor in a defensive firearm is reliability. It should fire every time the trigger is pulled and conversely it should never fire unless the trigger is pulled no matter what. Some guns will fire when they're dropped just right.
2. A close second is usability. It should not be too complicated with multiple safeties, selectors, etc. Going along with this it should not be so powerful that the recoil causes you to flinch or hurts your shoulder or causes you to take a long time getting your second shot.
3. Cost is a factor, but consider what you're buying may save your life (or not if it fails either due to inherent flaws or the fact that you forgot to work the proper lever at the right time) you should not make this a major factor.

My personal preference for people puying a defensive gun for the first time is a revolver. They have the advantage of simplicity of operation. I like the Taurus titanium .357. It's light, very corrosion resistant, and you can fire .357 or if the recoil is too much .38. It's also relatively inexpensive. I have one for my carry gun. I am somewhat of a gun entheusiast, and my home defense weapon is currently an Uzi. It cost $2800 plus another $200 for the federal transfer tax, but I feel that it is just about right for home defense. Not too powerful, not too big, but plenty of firepower and not complicated at all to work. Even my wife doesn't flinch when she fires it.

[condi2008]

We have hunting firearms, but we are indeed considering buying a home defense weapon for the first time.

[Crowcreek]

Beautiful -- There is great value in the simplicity of a wheelgun, and a good reason they remain popular after so many years.

I'm a firm believer that a person's first firearm should be a good revolver and a shotgun. (oh- that's two, isn't it?)

If you scored high in spatial reasoning and mechanical aptititude, get that fancy autoloader you've been drooling over in the magazines -- just be sure you get to know it real good before you learn to depend on it.

[Centurion2000]

The most single critical factor in a defensive firearm is reliability. It should fire every time the trigger is pulled and conversely it should never fire unless the trigger is pulled no matter what

Then their first gun should be a ruger double action revolver. Works like a champ :)

[Cicero5]

Uzi is cool and I respect your opinion. Here's the problem...the government knows you have it because of the Class III BATF. A shotgun they don't know about. I'd love to have some of the Class III weapons but my distrust of Hillary and her ilk someday getting a list of gun owners prevents me from doing so.

for me its a 12 gauge full size and I have a .410 with a short barrel and a pistol grip. It's handy and it fits in a bug-out bag along with the MREs and first aid kit.

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

"I am somewhat of a gun entheusiast, and my home defense weapon is currently an Uzi."

God, I love FR.