First Gun advice

[Widewing]

That's another thing, MickyD, IMO you should add a shotgun to your home defense plans, due to the very low cost to high performance payoff.  In a crisis event on your property, you'll be better served with a shoulder supported weapon every time over a handgun - the lethality is much higher, and the accuracy and controllability, particularly when under stress conditions, is far better as well.  A shotgun/rifle is an offensive tool, a handgun mostly a defensive weapon.  Don't take a pistol to a fight for your life, unless it's a secondary/transition weapon, or your only option.  Don't make it your only or best option, that's what a $300 ish Moosberg, Remington/etc pump shotgun is great for.  This is of course if you don't plan on getting a magazine fed 556 or 762 rifle of some kind, which has even better effects and qualities than a shotgun does in this sort of fight, overall at least.

This Mossberg Maverick 88 cost under $250 as configured... Outstanding home defense shotgun on a budget.



About $275 for this H&R 870 clone... Excellent shotgun. Hogue furniture is terrific. Soft shooting.



At left is a Mossberg 500 Tactical (8 shot), about $400 as shown. I added the side saddle and the sling, otherwise it is as made by Mossberg.

[Gman]

Any of those would suffice as a great first - and lifetime - shotgun.  While I have Winchester and Remington 20" and shorter shotguns, I've preferred Mossberg as well for a long time.  I run 14" 590s primarily, give up capacity but gain a bit in the ability to move through structures especially in low light - I realize 14" shoulder supported weapons are a bit of a PITA in the USA, and it's really not a major difference going to a longer one for me.  Having the Mossy speed stock and a side saddle = 15 rounds on the gun, which isn't terrible for a 14 inch shotgun.  The safety position on the 88 is a button on the trigger guard compared to the tang mounted slider on the 590s, that's the only pref I have and in the grand scheme doesn't make a lot of difference overall.

I wasn't impressed with the 590 at first due to the extra time it takes to break down and reassemble over the other options, but I got used to it, and they've been great, I've run my first 14" now for over 16 years.  I've had an 88 6 shooter since 2005, you can't beat them for the money. 

[saggs]

Elon Musk's solution 
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/01/elon-musk-is-selling-a-boring-company-flamethrower-because-why-not/

(Image removed from quote.)

Quite a stretch to call that a flame thrower, In fact it's pretty much a blatant lie.  That's just a $29.99 (retail, I bet Boring Co. gets them much cheaper) propane weed burner stuck in a molded plastic frame... and with that little tank the burn time is gonna be very, very short.  Myself and everyone I know always used them with 20lb tanks.

https://www.harborfreight.com/propane-torch-with-push-button-igniter-91037.html

Gotta hand it to Musk, he good at marketing, for $500 the profit margin is gonna be HUGE!  I bet it cost them less then $50 to make those.

[Shuffler]

I keep a Mossberg 500 18 1/2 inch with pistol grip in my truck. Backup for my 45 in my truck.

[Reschke]

MickDono....I don't know if you found something but depending on where you are in Alabama and what you want to shoot in the hunting rifle category I have several and would be glad to meet up at a range one weekend to help you make a decision. Can bring the FNX-9 with me as well since it is a 17+1 double stack and I love it. Feel free to shoot me a message about it anytime.