I agree Ernst. Where I live, it may take a while to get police on the property. And even if it didn't, that's still time that is important if they are 2 blocks away.
There are so many legal and moral questions that one has to ask themselves and get passed in order to even consider getting a gun for personal protection. I don't believe hardly anyone wants to have to shoot someone. I know that I certainly don't.
But, as I have mentioned, I take the protection of my family and their safety very seriously. And I do believe that it is my responsibility to do so if I must. I have asked myself a lot of inter-personal questions. Many being religious questions, but always come back to the same conclusion.
"At all costs".
I respect anyone that has given this subject more than a fleeing thought, and even more respect for those, like the OP, who has taken a step to buy the gun and learn about it and do just that because it's certainly not a game and there are a lot of considerations (like over penetration) to think about.
I have heard a lot of folks new to guns say they'll buy a gun to protect their home and family and they'll buy a box of shells and put the gun in a closet somewhere and that's the end of it. No real training. No knowledge of ballistics or penetration or anything else. And if it comes down to it, they probably wouldn't be able to shoot their way out of a paper bag.
Many think that just because they have a gun that everything is going to be alright. But reality says it still may not. So many times I am seeing lately all the first time gun owners thinking they'll just shuck the pump and that suddenly makes a bunch of bad guys evacuate ass out of the proximity.
But the bad guys may be deaf, or they may be so high that reality doesn't even register in their dope cooked brains, or a host of other things.
So, for orangecountygreg to be taking the right steps to not only be able to protect his self, but watching out for his neighbors is very commendable. I believe that he's going to do this the right way.