Don't get me wrong, I'm by no means pushing .410 Revolvers as the pinnacle of defensive firearms. If someone wants to make a reasonable statement such as that there are (subjectively) better options for Home, Vehicle, and Wilderness Defense, then you'll get no argument from me. Obviously there are more powerful firearms/ammunition out there that will outperform a .410 Revolver in just about every conceivable category, (power, accuracy, capacity, you name it) the .410 Revolver is a sort of jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none firearm that gives you a lot of versatility at the cost of specializing in any specific category.
However, when folks start making absurdly ignorant comments about it being an extremely ineffective novelty gun or especially a toy, that's when I lose my patience.
Can a .410 Revolver match a 12 Gauge Shotgun? Absolutely not, a 12 Gauge Shotgun generally holds more ammo, fires at least 3 more projectiles per shell, and will cause significantly more damage.
Can a .410 Revolver still be an effective defensive firearm? Absolutely so, it's smaller/lighter than any 12 Gauge Shotgun, thus making it much easier to store nearby as well as maneuver around in the dark with, plus it still packs a heck of a punch when using specialty ammo like Federal .410 Handgun 000, which launches 4 (5 in 3" shells) non-expanding .36 caliber (9mm) projectiles per trigger pull, travelling at about 850FPS. These projectiles typically get somewhere between 12-17" of penetration in FBI calibrated Ballistics Gel, and typically generate around 115Ft-lbs of energy each, thus making it the rough equivalent of being shot 4 (5 with 3" shells) times at once with a .32 ACP. Granted that the .32 ACP is generally considered to be below the bare minimum of self-defense cartridges, it has still stopped plenty of attackers with a 2 shot average, and a single Federal .410 Handgun 000 gives you at least double that amount of shots. That may not be outstanding, but is most certainly isn't something that anyone should consider a toy, and if they do, they they probably shouldn't own a firearm, or children for that matter.
In all honesty, a .410 Handgun wasn't my first choice for Home Defense, I simply choice it later down the line because it was the best option for me in my current living situation. My first choice was the tried and true 12 Gauge Pump-Action Shotgun, but as time went by I realized that it wasn't the best choice for me because I lacked the necessary accommodations to safely store even a Mossberg 590 Shockwave nearby in an easily accessible location, much less maneuver around in the dark, cramped hallway/stairwell in my home at night, so I ultimately chose the Taurus Judge Magnum because I could safely store it right at my bedside where it could be grabbed at a moment's notice, not to mention easily maneuvered around inside my home, yet offered a much higher percentage of a one-shot-stop (or at least more wound cavities per shot) than any other handgun.
