“Listen up, you primitive screwheads. This is my BOOMSTICK.”

Volgi bait is what Puter's gun post here is. Indeed, a 12-gauge is probably the best home-defense weapon you can get from an intimidation, as well as lethality, standpoint. However, your Volgi would argue that, in fact, a sawed-off 12-gauge is actually even better against burglars, etc., inside a house for a couple reasons: one, the shorter the gun the handier in a crowded indoor environment, two, the shot disperses its energy in a wider cone, making it less likely to tear a hole through your drywall and perforate your cat in the next room. Of course, short-barreled sawed-offs are completely illegal. If they weren't, though, that'd be the ticket.

In the meantime, unless you're in Canada, let me suggest the Franchi SPAS-12 as the ultimate home-defense gun (even if it'll run you a ridiculous amount of money). Not only can you rack the first round into the chamber with that sound that should turn even the most hardened home invader's bowels to tapioca, but you can fold the stock (shorter; handier), and then, should things get ugly, you can fire it semi-automatically without pausing to rack the slide between shots (effective rate of fire is about four rounds a second).



UPDATE: The Puter mentions staggering loads. For home-defense, load your first round with rock salt, the second with magnum double-ought buckshot.