Benelli's are pretty pricey last I checked around...get a decent pump 12ga for around $200....a Mossberg-500 is good, there are better, but price of poker goes up. I own a Moss-500 and it's gone through a gazzilion rounds and gets the job done...for home defense it's hard to beat a 12ga shotgun...devestating within 100 feet and they unload their energy real fast...with a rifle if you throw an errant shot?...you could kill someone VERY far away...that won't happen with a shotgun. Also a very versatile firearm that can put meat on the table with slug rounds...or with shot rounds...many a deer taken with a 12ga slug and in some states...that is all you are allowed to hunt deer with.

For a handgun get the most knockdown you feel you can handle....a 9mm is ok...but a .45 is better IMO...stick with the more common ammos and practice as much as you can and become efficient with your firearm of choice...you'll get 10,000 people with 10,000 different opinions and a lot are just going to be idiotic...Yeah if you don't have .454 Casul for carry...yer an idiot!...

Safety first and always...if you have kids around...then I suggest an auto for a handgun and not keeping a round chambered...same for a shotgun...so get proficient with racking the actions and getting that rnd up until it's second nature automatic.

Just like any tool there are many firearms that do better at certain tasks than others...but for all around versatility if you do not own a lot of tools than a 12ga shotgun and strong reliable pistol will probably serve you best...and become a good shooter...a disciplined shooter with .22 can be more effective than a retard with a $5,000 heavy hitting show piece....