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For home protection in the house a shotgun with #4 shot works very well. A.223 slug will go through walls and could kill a family member, or a neighbor.

John, there are loads in 5.56 and .223 that are suitable for home defense as well. I recommend Diamondback DB-15 as an excellent cost to performance ratio best buy. Unfortunately Buds is out of stock of all AR's in your price range. https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/100664/diamondback+firearms+db15+556+nato+16%22+black+w%2f12%22+m-lok+rail+30%2b1

I love my S&W sport II https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/4997/smith+%26+wesson+m%26p+15+sport+ii+223+rem%2f556+nato+16%22

A shotgun or pistol would probably be your best bet for home defence

Best model I know for home defense is named Bertha, 300 pound biker chick.

For home protection, consider a Glock magazine compatible 9mm AR Pistol. There are several manufacturers out there now. With the 9mm AR, you still get your magazine capacity. You can get Glock 33 round magazines. You get the advantage of the use of red dot sites and, couple that with frangible type rounds, you won't have to worry about shooting through walls. Freedom, DIamondback and Brigade all offer 9mm options. It is well worth looking at.

As a new user - For home defense - you want a gun that is Reliable and Has a good warranty. The S&W M&P15 (AR15) would be a good choice for you. Lifetime warranty. Very Reliable. They are very reliable, in your cost range, and have a lifetime warranty(best in business). I have 3 S&WM&P15's and can attest to their reliability and shootability. I also shoot Rifle Competitons every week with mine and about 500rds/month in practice. You "DO" need some training and practice on how to operate it efficiently - they are not as easy to use/run as say a simple shotgun. Most AR15's are somewhat shorter than a shotgun and thus easier to maneuver inside a house. Many feel it is a better choice than a shotgun - a shotgun with buckshot will shoot thru as many walls as a 9mm pistol. 223 AR bullets start tumbling when shot thru sheetrock walls and can go thru fewer walls than Buckshot. An AR15 has significantly less recoil than a shotgun - your wife/kids etc can shoot an AR15 easy - but maybe not a sh

If your set on a 223/5.56 for Home defense... I'd buy a Ruger with a 10.5" barrel. Not sure they Sell AR Pistols though? AR9 would b better... Shotgun better than all with 18"-20" barrel!

Ruger