Home Security 12 Gauge or hangun?

So basically all of my posts to date have been about fishing, however lately with all of my friends that are spending their free time out in the woods hunting, I've suffered serious shotgun envy.   While we do have a security system in our home, I often shutter at what could happen if someone broke in an our security system failed us.  Or if they broke in and someone got to us before the police got here.   Although my wife often complains about my gas, I don't think it would be enough to stop an intruder in our home.

A little background on me, I grew up in scouts and was taught how to handle BB guns and a .22 rifle, but I am not ashamed to say I am totally gun illiterate.  My Dad was a marksman in the military, but wasn't a hunter, so we didn't grow up with guns in the house and frankly, I am not too comfortable around them.  I've been out shooting with friends a couple of times and went out deer hunting a couple of times, but have never actually carried a rifle and hunted.  I briefly owned a S&W .38 snub nose revolver but got rid of it when I got married, it didn't have a safety that I could recall and I didn't want it in the house with a young family.

I often lay awake at night trying to develop a strategy of home defense and I keep coming back to the idea that I need to protect our family with a shot gun or hand gun.  (Not to mention that I am pretty sure I am the only 35 yr old male I know that doesn't own at least one gun in North Idaho.)  Even if I had a shotgun or handgun, would I feel comfortable enough to handle it safely in the event of a home invasion?  Where would I store a handgun or shotgun?  Would I keep the ammo in a different room then the gun?  Is there a good caliber handgun that my wife could also handle fairly easily?  What about the "man stopper" bullets?  Are they a good idea for home security?

So, for those of you gun-toting Americans, what would you recommend as a good first firearm?  I have three goals:

1. Protect my family in case of a home invasion
   
2. Hunting - I would like to take hunter's safety and deer and bird hunt next year
3. Bad Boys 2 - I have 3 daughters that I am pretty sure will be teenagers some day and I want to be able to scare the heck out of their dates
   

This not to say we live in the slums, we live in a nice neighborhood, but as the neighborhood continues to grow, it is harder to know all of your neighbors. 

I welcome any feedback you may have. 


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