For all those wanting to buy a handgun as your first gun

Don't. If you're wanting to concealed carry and looking for a gun for that and HD alone that is the single most defensible reason to buy a handgun first. Otherwise just buy a rifle. They're so much easier to shoot well and deliver so much more in terms of terminal ballistics and range that they are almost a cheat code for home defense when properly equipped. Like seriously, yes a PSA AR-15 is $400, but a good handgun is $300 and you will spend $100 in ammo just to achieve near the skill level that you can with an out of the box rifle. Yes you still need to learn how to use the gun and take at least 1 range trip per year but a rifle is so much easier to shoot than a handgun it shouldn't even be a debate. Oh but maneuverability, no your best bet for survival is getting your kids and/or partner into 1 room and holding the door while awaiting police for 90% of people. Even in the case where room clearing is justifiable, don't you want the most precision possible if you do have to execute a shot within your own home. And as for noise concerns, well I don't think you'll be getting home invaders more than once a year so I think you'll be fine.

But rifles overpenetra... No they fucking don't. Rifles actually under penetrate when you actually hit what you're aiming at (which again, is much easier with a rifle). .223 and 300 blk hollow points both commonly meet FBI specs for over penetration and sometimes fail minimum penetration standards, 9mm out of a 16 inch rifle faces similar problems. Spend the extra $100, buy a Ruger PCC or PSA AR-15, your family will hopefully never have to thank you for your choice but if they do they will be alive to do so.