Well, of course you will always just use what you've got but after lots of research and deciding what scenarios and likely space I'd be dealing with in a home defense situation, I opted to go for the 500 Tactical Cruiser model. With the 18.5" bbl, 5 round mag tube and pistol grip, the overall length of the gun is right around 30". Keeping that in mind, I've found it to be ultra portable in any situation and very easy to maneuver, especially around corners or from behind cover. Since you never really know where the point of entry in a break in can occur, I felt that it would be best if I had the ability to move the gun quickly and easily with out impeding my own movement or concealment. The Cruiser models get labeled as some kind of huge uncontrollable recoil monster which is completely exaggerated. The small amount of extra recoil is easily worth the greater mobility of the gun especially in combination with low recoil ammunition. I had a large group of gang members arrive at my house during a party one night and before you knew it I was being held at gun point (ironically a Mossberg 590) while they took turns punching and kicking me to the ground. Soon afterward I bought my Cruiser realizing how lucky I was to survive such an attack and promised myself to be more prepared in such a situation. I'll never forget that night, and at times I'm glad I was unarmed instead of engaging into a gun fight with local gang members, but you can't take the risk that they will stop beating you or that the police will show up in time again. Not to mention what might have happened if they had finished me off and proceeded into my home where I hid many of my friends, especially the women. Experience with a gun of any kind will make that gun your better choice but in a situation where time and speed can mean you beating themto the punch, maybe a smaller more compact Cruiser model is right for you.