Bud brings up some good points that need a little further exploration IMHO. Lighting is your friend in a home defense situation and should be incorporated into your HD plans as a major component. While I agree with Louis Awerbuck that a white light source is a necessity on a defensive shotgun, there are other lighting sources to consider as well.
I am a firm believer in the tactics taught for many years as basic home defense- set up a saferoom with the following:
= consolidation (all family members in the household present or accounted for, and safely behind cover)
= cover (not just concealment but something that can stop any incoming fire)
= communications (landlines can be cut by would be intruders, or disabled by taking a phone extension off the hook elsewhere in the house- use a cell phone for emergency comms)
= control of lighting (dark where you are, lighted everywhere else. Depend on 'power failure' or battery powered type lighting, as intruders have been known to pull the power on target houses as well as cutting phone lines)
There are remote control lighting systens available using X-10 type modules that just plug into existing outlets. These allow you to turn on lamps anywhere in the house where outlets share the same fusebox, are inexpensive and easy to install.
But don't rely on those alone. Consider using 'power failure' type night lights or installing power failure type emergency lights in critical places in your house. These may be useful in your family fire escape plans as well.
Nowadays there are battery powered motion detector LED lights that can be used indoors or out. Take a look at
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=338047 for some ideas in that regard.
Lighting can be a decisive advantage for you- IF you use it.
lpl/nc
