IMO, the best all around home defense firearm is a .38 Special / .357 Mag double action revolver with a 4 inch barrel. Become very proficient with it and plan to practice with it at least 4 times a year - the more the better. Use the most powerful round that you can handle well. (A .38 +P SJHP would be a good all around round for HD.) After shooting several hundred rounds through it, consider getting a trigger / action job on it performed by an experienced gunsmith. A laser sight would be a nice touch as well.