MHBushmaster: Relax brother, this was just a poll asking for opinions, that is mine and I'm sticking to it.
I didn't think my post was whiney in any way, just what I think. From a technical standpoint, I believe the cylinder choke shotgun is a superior short range weapon. Sure it needs to be aimed, like any gun, but the amount of energy it dumps into said bad guy is far more substantial than any .223. Mine holds 7+1 and that's plenty for home defense. It's not a gun I'd tote into a lasting gunfight, but then again if I'm outgunned with 8rnds of 00 buck *in my house* then I'm already in over my head.
I think it has been mentioned already by Chuck R., but you can't seriously compare tactical room clearing scenarios in war-torn Iraq to a home invasion. Without going into every possible scenario that could happen, the swiss army knife of weapons, in my mind the shotgun, is what I want in my hands when someone is coming through a window, back door, etc. If, God forbid, I actually have to fire at an intruder, it *will* put him down; that boom will not only wake up all of my neighbors, but if he has a partner he will think twice about following his now dead or dying friend as he realizes this is not the soft target they thought it was.
I have a .308, I also have a .45ACP. My wife is comfortable with both. What do I do if something goes bump in the night? First off it just woke me up, so I continue to listen intently. Then I let my German Shepherd loose, while she's investigating I grab the loaded shotgun and chamber a round, hand my wife the phone and my .45, then go investigate. If the dog didn't scare off or maim the bad guy, he gets one loud verbal warning and then a chest-full of buck. I would have a solid defense case even here in the People's Republik of California.
I listed the handgun as my second for the reasons mentioned by Tokugawa and as a backup for the shotgun. Also, I know an attorney can play down the AW image, but when someone is holding up an AR15 to a jury, it sure will look a lot more menacing than a Remington 870 Home Defense shotgun purchased at the local Big 5 Sporting Goods. Because when they see the image below, the prosecutor won't have to do much to make his case.