Bought my first gun tonight - a home defense gun. Getting married made me feel even more responsible for my "family's" (wife's) safety, and seeing news about apartment breakins, rapes and murders didn't make me any more comfortable. My wife is very petite, so I wanted something that she A) could handle, and B) could shoot and stop with the first shot. We settled on a Remington 870 Express compact with a 21" barrel and 12" length of pull - only 6 lbs and manageable with her short arms. We'll take it out to a range this Saturday so she can get used to it.
for me.