That description sounds more like the frangible rounds than hollow points. :-)
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Hope your dog's injuries weren't too serious and has a quick recovery! :-)

Seriously, if anybody broke into my house and hurt my dogs I'd kick their ass not because they stole my stuff, but hurt my dogs. That's just low :-)
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Wow, that is absolutely crazy. Here in Ohio we have the Castle Doctrine :-) If someone breaks into your house, they are fair game. I would hope that a burglar would think twice about breaking in, but meth heads don't think clearly.
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Remington 870 or Mossberg 500, 12-guage pump action shotgun. Short barrel if desired, but I wouldn't get a pistol grip. Should be $300-350 max. I wouldn't go with 00 buck for penetration reasons. Most any game load will be suffficient for stopping a bad guy without the overpenetration concerns. They are cheaper too, about $7 for a box of 25.

When you're not home, get an alarm with cellphone capabilities. At times burglers will cut old landlines to disable alarms ability to notify authorities. If you really want to get your geek on, buy a cheap desktop PC UPS (uninterupptible power supply) aka battery backup that can keep the alarm running for a 20-30 minutes after a power outage. Just in case they cut the power.

Timed lights are also a good idea for deterrent, although so are some cheap ADT/Brinks window stickers or lawn signs.
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I think shotguns are good home defense weapons. AR15 is overkill and you absolutely cannot use normal .223 rounds without fear of killing the kid next door. The ones that were mentioned that shattered sound like they could be safe, but do your due diligence. The biggest advantage would be the magazine capacity. Personally, my experience with AR15 is that they are not reliable enough, but I have also had very limited experience with them. I owned a RRA m4 and had several jamming issues. They seem to be finicky with certain types of ammo, or at least mine was. 30 rounds will do you no good if you have to clear a jam in close quarters. I'm sure I'll get some flak for saying that, but in my experience, an AR15 wouldn't be a good choice for someone new to firearms.

870's have almost no issues and they are much safer in populated areas.

On another note, for those recommending home alarm systems -- Do you need the monitoring service too, or is the alarm alone sufficient?
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If you are going with just the one gun I recommend something like www.shotlock.com Great for inside a closet or even a bed frame.

Another way to go is one of these behind the door or again in the closet. Easy to install. Sized to fit in between standard studs. There are other makers that are similar. Just cut into the drywall for the right height and screws are installed inside the safe into the studs.

There is very little advantage to a pistol grip if any and a lot of disadvantages.
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I love my guns but my kid more, so I am very careful.

My pistol sits in a gun safe on my nightstand that can be opened with a couple pushes.

I have a homemade shotgun rack behind my entertainment center in my bedroom, a two way alarm system, and a barking dog who knows if anyone is near my house.

I've had a long talk with my daughter about guns and she knows what their purpose and dangers are.

I agree on shotguns for hd, and keep mine loaded with turkey shot as my house is a split plan, and overpenetration and having no neighbors to brag to about the bad guy I shot concerns me. (thus my reluctance to use 00 buck)

I've heard the story a million times about bird shot being for the birds, but after shooting drywall and filled milk jugs up close with birdshot, I am quite confident.

As far as alarms, where I live, the cops won't respond immediately to an alarm, but with 2 way monitoring, they guarantee a 45 second response time and someone is on the speaker in your living room asking for a password and is able to dispatch police quickly.

My wife is a little paranoid that they can listen in on us, but I'm not. ( I think...)
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This.

Better to be tried by twelve than to be carried by six.
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Just hire Tom to sit at your house for a few day. When they see that D-Bag sitting there they may think twice!!!!
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Sounds like you've covered all the basics, but I can offer a few more for you. Don't just go with a perimeter alarm. Make sure your system supports motion detector coverage, and use it on the portion of the house that's not occupied at night.

Get some big floodlights installed on the major corners or covered areas of your house, and equip them with motion detectors for nighttime. There's a lot to say about deterrence when the whole area is lit like daytime.

Guns are fine, but take a moment to sit down with your GF and discuss the plan of action for if and when. Know what you both will do the instant you discover intruders in your home. Personally, while I have Castle Doctrine backing me in LA, I would rather not try to take on an armed intruder unless I absolutely had an advantage. Know what your immediate escape routes and planned meeting points are to get you away in case the intruder(s) have guns themselves. To twist Tom's words around a bit, I'd rather run from a few guns than be buried by many friends.

Also, contact an electrician, you can see about getting your major interior lights wired to a master switch in the bedroom (or to the alarm itself in some cases). Immediate lighting in the house is another good deterrent for intruders. Most don't want to be seen clearly. A good home DVR never hurts, and it doesn't take an expensive one to provide a good picture of what happens in the event of a break-in (and what things are taken).
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I have all sorts of guns, but prefer a handgun for personal defense, I just find it more convinient. If you're worried about penetration you can get Glasers or other frangible rounds. I also have a very large and solid safe for when I'm not home. Any determined thief could probably break into it with a plasma torch, but it would take awhile and create a racket. I also have an alarm system, but the main reason I went for that was the attached fire alarm.

One other thing is to know your neighbors. Have an agreement to keep an eye on each other's houses for odd things. I will check on the neighbors if I see anything unusual and they'll do the same for me. They always know if I'm out of town and at least one has a key to the house. Of course this only works if you have trustworthy neighbors. :-)
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Agreed !!!

Not I gotta get more cigars :-)

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i think you should send one of those Thompsons on to me. :-)

This is on it's way to me now:
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Get an ED209.
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Get a Mini Gun, that'll keep the rif-raf away :-)
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Shotguns are great all around guns. Great for defense too. But try to keep on mind what you are going to do or might have to do with it. What I mean is are you going to stay holed up in a safe room or house clearing? If you're planning on clearing the home, I suggest that you try doing so with a same length stick or broom just to see what it's like. Slicing the pie, not exposing your barrel to takeaways, heck even just walking around the house with the stick already shouldered. It can be a real pain in the ass compared to a plane ol hand gun.

Just my $0.02 and another opinion.
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Dang nice set up you have there Brad! Looks like you have some mini gun barrels laying against the wall. :-)
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I do not agree that the sound of racking a shot gun is a defense plan. If you plan on using a gun then a round should be chambered and the one and only thing that is heard is BANG. I personally think of shotguns as an offensive weapon for clearing rooms and handguns to be more stealth, easier to gain access to if an intruder is in your bedroom while you are sleeping, quicker to wield, and a shot can still be taken if a loved one is in the proximity of the assailant.

If a person comes to take my stuff then they can have it, that is why I have insurance. If they came to do harm then it will be the last thing they do. I know it is not good for your ears but to fire your weapon with out ear protection in an indoor range a few times will get you prepared for how loud it will be, it can make the difference for being able to get a second shot off if needed.
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Agreed, TV nonsense. Nothing more.
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I agree with Rob that if you get out your gun, you should be prepared to use it.

That being said, before my department entered the 21st century and began carrying AR15s, we had Mossberg 12 gauge shotguns. Department policy prohibited us from carring a round in the chamber until we deployed the weapon.

Over the years, more than one suspect who wasn't taking commands to hit the ground seriously, got serious when they heard that racking noise. :-)
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