*happened next door some years ago...*
Yeah, home invasions are statistically rare in Canada. But the current Stats Can numbers on home robberies involving violence against the residents, with or without a weapon (about 18% are committed using a firearm) indicate it's a bit more than 20 per 100,000 population. For comparison the odds of being killed in a motor vehicle accident are about 7 per 100,000. So the risk of a violent home invasion (sorry for a bit of false equivalence - I'm not trying to equate death by vehicle with a home invasion where most victims survive, just a point of comparison) is almost 3 times as high as the risk of death by automobile. One can safely assume that the number injured each year in motor vehicle 'accidents' is considerably higher than the rate of home invasions including violence.
*I would suggest a Glock 20 or 21 in a finger print activated bedside vault also containing a loaded mag. Two seconds to open. Insert mag, rack, point and shoot.*
Sure. A PCC in 9mm is similarly quick to access and load, but with the advantage of being non-restricted, so that storage requirements are slightly less stringent here.
*In such a stressful situation, where the adrenaline is full bore, these are non issues*
HUH? I mean, WTF? Have you ever watched people trying to perform even relatively simple tasks under high stress and utterly failing to execute? Happens all the time. There are technical terms to describe this basic phenomenon, but basically it comes down to most people having hands like those of a mannequin wearing thick fur gloves while trying to play a tune on the guitar. The odd person will not suffer this, but for many it's the sad reality of their brain/hormonal interface. They just fall apart. Many won't even get so far as to display such failure, they'll just do the deer-in-the-headlights thing and stand there frozen. I've seen it too often with even modest stress to pretend it doesn't happen. Everyone's a hero until adrenaline fills the mind and that's when one finds out how their particular operating system either continues to function or goes blue screen with a confusing error message. Of course regular, properly configured training can help a lot here... but how many of us do that?
*Really.....?? Ahem....7 yards....12 gauge ya it would remove an arm or leg or leave a can size hole in your perp...*
No argument here.
*No kids in house*
Well that's honest. Many don't have kids. Many do. I'm thinking of my 14-year-old in such a scenario, and the fact that his bedroom is not all that far from ours... hence my choice of wax filled shot with #7.5 in a low recoil 2-3/4" shell. Seems to cover the bases. Puts a neat 3/4" hole in whatever it hits first, then instantly melts and spreads, losing velocity fast as it comes out of that target and hits the second barrier. If it makes it that far. Typically creates a conical wound channel of relatively short length compared to a slug, while not suffering the quick spread of a plain shot shell from a short barrel.
*Or don't. That is the first thing your perp will see and react to...and shoot at,, so you better get off the first shot...*
Good point if your having picked up the gun results in the light automatically turning on. But with a light being mounted and optional, it's a very handy thing to have if/when you might need to see what's in front of you and your hands are full of gun, making grabbing a flashlight somewhat tricky. Same for hitting a light switch. A properly set up gun light provides another tool in the kit. It isn't mandatory to use, but having it available is basic. If worried about painting yourself as a target against an assailant in an unknown position, simply hold the gun off to one side of you while turning on the flashlight, reducing your odds of a shot in the direction of the light resulting in injury.