the debate of sword vs gun was decided in the middle ages, and military's of the world have never looked back. i've got a small collection of reproduction swords (NOT dulled)/axes/etc...but for home defense my trusty ak47 clone is the go to guy.
Lord Teapot, trust me, I know not to bring a knife to a gunfight. However, when one is not comfortable with the thought of a loaded gun under their bed, an alternate solution must be found. I got very proficient at loading a shotgun in pitch dark, but then my parents put an end to that by saying they had to hang on to the gun in their room (I know, even when you in your mid twenties and living with your parents, you still have to play by their rules). I have a baseball bat & a pellet rifle, but neither I think to be quite effective for HD.
Then I got my replica of Anduril for Christmas one year. I didn't find the sword to be sharp at all, until I easily ran it through the drywall without paying attention. My sister and Uncle were both involved in theater heavily and they knew the basics of sword fighting and taught me them. I can easily do the 4 standard blocks, a few blows, and some work with the pommel. The thing that surprised me was how effective even a dull sword is on human analogs (melons in my case) with very little force.
Should I ever go through a home invasion, its readily accessible off the wall mount at the end of my bed and completely silent. If the burglar isn't expecting resistance, even a good whack from the pommel to the head gives me an edge if I exploit stealth & surprise. However, I'm not so attached to my sword that I'd bet my life on it. When I do move out & get a paying job, you can be that a good 9mm will be the bedside order of the night. Been eyeing the Browning Hi-Power for that job.
On a historic note, there was a robbery in San Diego several years ago (I heard of it on the radio and can't find the article) where a man with a Uzi tried to rob a sword collectors house and the owner held the robber at sword point with a fake sword for 4hrs until police arrived. In googleing for that story, I came across several more stories along that line of people wielding a sword in defense of their home or store successfully. Just goes to show that even in this day & age where the sword is a collectors item, that it still makes robber's cringe with fear. Not many people that I can think of who'd want to pick a fight with a guy wielding a 5' piece of steel.
However, I secede that the sword is inferior and given a better option, I agree and would recommend a pistol or shotgun for HD.