Scafool and MedB make very good points about being judicious in choosing to use a weapon and at whom to point it. My personal credo is to kill only what is necessary and when it's necessary. I don't hunt or fish for sport, and harmless bugs get put outside. So I am very mindful of the words of wisdom offered here. However, like everyone who regularly reads this site, I have a strong biological imperative to live, therefore I take steps to ensure my continued existence.

I live with only one other person and no (known) critters. The current plan when something goes bump in the night is to yell for the other person to run into my bedroom, close the door, turn on the lights, grab the phone and call the police. I will prep the weapon, and once she’s safely behind me and out of harm's way, will take a firing position. Hopefully, any intruder entering the room will have a momentary adjustment to the light, delaying him (or her, I shouldn't be sexist here) in pinpointing my position. That hesitation should allow me to identify a law enforcement uniform. No uniform, I fire. I have no intention of sweeping for the intruder(s), so I don’t think a mounted flashlight will be necessary.

I welcome comments and criticisms of the plan.

I've used the Knox products before and they do help with recoil - but they came on guns that I bought and I don't think I would buy them to add to any guns I have.

Is the recoil for the shotgun too much for you? If it is, I'd urge you to try a recoil reducer, porting the barrels, or perhaps consider stepping down to a 20 gauge. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable enough shooting the gun that you will actually go out and practice with it at least several times a year. Ideally, I would want a 12 instead of a 20 , but it won't do you any good to have a very powerful gun sitting in your closet that you never practice with because it's too painful.

If you are just starting out, you can buy light loads to practice with at the range, but, of course, you should ultimately practice with what you will have it loaded with so that the additional recoil isn't a surprise.

If you can, see if you can fire a gun with one of the pistol grip stocks - some people really think that helps with control.

If you are worried about overpenetration, you can get #2 or #4 shot and it will certainly dissuade anyone from advancing towards you at the ranges you are likely to encounter in a house. But, again, practice is key here so that you can feel comfortable hitting center of mass every time at indoor ranges.

Finally, the Mossberg is a very decent, reliable gun. I really like the safety on top feature so you can flick it with your thumb. I've used one for duck hunting and it held up to very serious abuse without failing.