To each their own. Keep what you feel is best but at least try to run a course with it to see if it's practical. You might change your mind. Maybe not
MOST houses (regardless of square footage) won't even offer line of sight to anything past 20 yards or so
Likely true. especially so in cities.
I have 20+ yard open line of sight on 2 of the 3 floors. I still prefer a handgun. I could over penetrate every wall in my home with a 50 bmg and still couldn't hit a neighbor's house in any direction except maybe up with a perfect arch....i still prefer a handgun. In an apartment/ duplex/ condo etc I think a 5.56 would be terrible. If I end up in one of those my life has went terribly wrong but some people live that way.
Room clearing and opening doors by oneself is difficult to do with a long gun without getting shot. You don't have the remainder of a 4 or 5 man tactical team covering a door as you open it or your arse while your searching, in the event of a home intruder, or at least I don't until 2 of my kids get older smarter and better trained. Lol.
Ive trained with well trained individuals. I doubt any could open a door with one hand and get their rifle on me, identify me from anyone in their own family and fire before I could shoot them dead first. The armed criminal in your home likely doesn't care to shoot someone they didn't intend to so they may not wait for identification or even for the door to open. You likely do care.
I have a 6920 in my gun rack beside the door for shooting varmints outside or if my proximity alarms go off (assuming it's not a flipping deer or dog) and a 12 guage for flying varmints (admittedly it's a new to me lever action 12 guage and quite possibly the worst/ least tactical shotgun for defense ever made. When it jams.... it jams right, and unless ran hard, does so often. I'll get my benelli or mossberg back in there when the new wears off. Lol). But for a noise in my house I would never grab either unless I thought the noise was a bear. In which case I'd just be confused because all you guys have disagreed on the right handgun/ shotgun/ mortar/ rifle for bear.
I keep my glock 22 beside my bed in its safe. It has a light mounted but I'm honestly not sure how necessary it is. There is also an innova t4 in its charger on the stand. I go back and forth on the mounted light idea. Obviously I could just not turn it on so it can't really do harm. But honestly if an intruder, especially with a shotgun, shot toward our light we would be screwed. He is an armed intruder why wouldn't he? He isn't there to do me any favors.
Plus I know my house better than them so who benefits more from the light? My kids have tactical hotwheel car and barbie hair brush boobytraps that are as effective as any m18 and far less directional so maybe waiting in the shadows is my best bet anyway. Assuming the rake or hoe that is inevitably laying in front of all 5 of my entry doors doesn't get them first. See....We are prepared. Lol that's just how we roll.
But that's just my take on a very complex subject. No clear right answer. I've heard different opinions from different experts. And I'm no expert