a quality 9mm Glock, SIG 226, S&W M&P or 3rd gen auto (or even a cheap SD) for a pistol is an easy recommendation because it's widely available, generally inexpensive, easy to find parts or accessories for when needed, and if you get a .40 S&W instead of 9mm you can use caliber conversion shoot either one and 9mm and .40, while usually hit by panic buyers imho, are still available to buy and trade for even if the price gets bad.
if you want a rifle, the AR-15 or AKM variations are the options for the same reasons above, although they are often targeted by politicians and political actors. the AR-15 is much more popular than the AKM in the US and has a larger aftermarket. at the same time if you are not super into firearms stick with complete rifles instead of piecing one together. Colt, BCM, Windham, used Bushmaster, LMT, Rock River Arms, Stag Arms, Ruger AR-556, SIG M400, S&W M&P 15, et c. while many other quality brands exist, those i mentioned are the "big names" and tend to have a large enough market to be compatible with most things and fewest quality control headaches.
easy shotgun recommendations are pre-2005 Remington 870's or police surplus 870s, Mossberg 500, Maverick 88, and Ithaca 37 Defender. Winchester/FN/Browning et c are all good, but their aftermarket is much smaller than the mentioned. the 590 is a "beefed up" variation of the 500 for military use and is unlikely to be worth the expense or weight for a home-gamer. Maverick 88 is made mostly in Mexico and is a cost-reduced 500 (with very few interchangeable parts) but it's difficult to beat a sub $200 pump shotgun with 8 shell capacity that's actually fairly robust and very reliable.
a word on the 870 vs 500/590 from my perspective: a broken-in 870 is a very smooth and reliable shotgun with a large aftermarket and a proven, very tough design. it can be expensive and annoying to repair. the 500 uses more aluminum than steel and are usually a bit lighter than the 870, and while it rattles and shakes, and might not be as tough as the 870, it's is drop dead reliable, although some people find the controls more comfortable to use on the mossberg vs the remington. additionally if something breaks on the 500, it's typically easier to repair/replace without special tools or hunting around for weird parts or expertise (i've worked with or on both shotguns for decades and the 870 is a pain in the ass to fix when it's genuinely broken; here's a challenge: look up how to take apart and service the trigger assembly on an 870 - most advice is "don't do it and take to a smith"). the 590 is a beefed up 500 designed for military use for door kicking duty. it's heavy and can mount a bayonet, et c. it's very tough but probably very overkill/overpriced for most people (even police). for 590-money you may as well look into used SXP, BPS, or Benelli shotguns...
put hands on a firearm before buying to ensure you can reach and understand the controls and principles of operation and there aren't anything that prevents you personally from using the firearm effectively. could be handedness, could be you have an old injury, could be you like to have the pinky positioned a certain way, et c. if possible rent and shoot the same make model somewhere and get a feel for it. maybe you don't like the recoil or sights, maybe there's a must-have feature that you want to have or accessory you want to use. make sure you have an understanding of the mechanics of the firearm enough to clean and do basic maintenance on it. you may need a special tool or something, or maybe all the "gun stuff" has to fit in a certain space and you can't have things scattered around. consider the cost of maintenance and ammunition, as well as the area in which you're going to use it. a very long firearm might be bad for small areas. consider attending a training class focused on home defense.
for officers and friends that i sell guns to for a "home defense kit" i generally offer a deal on an S&W M&P Sport II rifle (with a little bolt-on rail section for the handguard), a choice of Glock 19, Glock 22, used SIG P226 in 9mm or .40, and if they don't want the rifle i'll offer a trade-in Remington 870 or a new Mossberg 500 Home Security. the biggest factor for these buyers in ease of use, ammunition availability, and price. if they buy two guns and some ammo, i'll give them hefty discount on a trade-in weapon light (typically a fenix, surefire, or streamlight) and a 1" ring mount they can attach to a rail section on the rifle. if it's a pistol light, i'll give them an offset mount to use it on the rifle - looks goofy but works fine. if the pistol being traded in has no rail section i'll usually use a GG&G adapter for it or rivet a rail section to the dust cover, old school Beretta style.
a light is an excellent tool to use when you point a weapon at someone because it offers positive identification of the target, what might be beyond them, and can often given pause or stun the target into compliance. however remember that the light is attached to the weapon itself so when you mean to point a light at someone you are ALSO pointing a weapon at them. lights use batteries. if you have a lot of AA batteries on hand then maybe an flashlight that uses AA batteries is for you. if you don't typically keep more than a few batteries around, then go with the rechargeable 16650 or 18650 cells or CR123A batteries for short duration, high intensity (greater than 150 lumens at 5 meters, prefer closer to 200-300 for "in house/building" scenarios).
lastly, a flashlight works in both directions. you can see the target but the target also knows where you are. typically a home owners knows their home's layout and furniture placement better than a stranger so use that to your advantage when you can. prioritize avoiding direct contact and surviving, and if that's unavoidable, prioritize winning the fight as quickly and decisively as possible.
familiarization is key for these people, so if a guy is more familiar with a 1911 and knows the controls and has confidence in the pistol and himself, then i'll sell him that. better a pistol he doesn't hesitate with than an unknown one.
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