Gandalf/TG: As much as I hate to disagree with either of you fine gents, you are wrong concerning the Glock not having a safety. It does. It’s in the trigger of the weapon (I own a pair of Glocks).
TG is right on the money regarding shotguns. If you’re looking for something for home defense, there is simply nothing better. I carried a shotgun (Remington 870P in 12ga) while in the Army and used it in some pretty extreme circumstances and it never let me down. Not once. Something I couldn’t say for the M-16 (“If it’s Mattel, it’s swell!”). The 12ga is a hugely intimidating weapon and just racking the slide will cause most evil doers (little nod to Dubya for you, there, gandalf) to wet themselves. If the 12ga is too much, you can also get pump shotguns in 16ga (smaller round). Remington (Model 870 Police) and Mossberg (Models 500 and 590) both make excellent pump shotguns.
The main question you need to ask is what are you purchasing the weapon for? Second question would concern you personally and include gender, age, size and how much time you’re going to put into becoming proficient with the weapon. The “best” handgun or long arm in the world is absolutely useless if you lack confidence and experience with it. You also run the danger of having it taken away and used against you in that instance (research the statistics on gun violence in the home and for both intentional and accidental situations).
I own several guns but don’t keep or use any for home defense. This is largely because I have two young kids, but also because, statistically speaking, the odds/percentages are actually against you in something like a burglary scenario. If you’re worried about civil unrest or mass social chaos that’s a different story. Then your best bet is the fine Maremont Industries M-60 machine gun in 7.62mm NATO. Belt fed and highly reliable (as long as you keep the gas tube clean).
Kidding aside, revolvers are a better bet if you’re new to guns, as they’re more reliable and won’t jam/stovepipe like a semi-automatic pistol will. If you do purchase a semi-auto, don’t be dissuaded by the anti-.45ACP crowd here. Excellent round. Accurate, controllable and capable of a high percentage of “one shot stops” using good, old, off-the-shelf 230gr full metal jackets (available at any Wal-Mart. The only way to match this type of stopping power in a 9mm or .40S&W is to use hollow point rounds and these can be very problematical in certain types of weapons.
