I know you said you don't want a shotgun. BUT, I really think a short barreled pump is a better home protection gun than a lever action. You can shoot a slug or some kind of shot. The sound of a pump action being cycled is a good threat deterrent too.

very true, and if its rifled it will get some distance too..grant it that its just as long to reload...+/-

Not disagreeing with the choice of an 18" barreled 870 or similar weapon, but, wouldn't the sound of cycling a round into the chamber of a lever action serve the same purpose?

For starters any home defense weapon should be loaded and charged. You should not rack a round to alert the offender of your position. A well versed or military trained assailant may wait for you to pop out as most people will likely move through their home in the dark seeking out the noise.

I also think a shot gun would be best.

Recently here in Detroit a guy killed a neighbor attempting to kill a car jacker. This particular story I'm talking about was an extreme case of stupidity but still illustrates the problem.

Tom

Puma makes Lever actions in many pistol calibers, I beleive Mossberg makes a lever but i'm not sure they do in pistol calibers. Marlin also made a camp rile in 9mm, 45acp, and a few other calibers. I have read nothing but good about them. Winchester made a good lever in pistol calibers as well.
Out of all the ones I have listed I have heard good things about the Puma with the exception of the .454 Casull. I have never heard a bad word about the Winchester lever actions. Ruger's had the lever and also the semi auto versions. And of course the Marlin, Henery, and Uberti.

What I meant was, if there is a drunk or high idiot pounding on your door in the middle of the night, the sound of a pump action on the other side of the door may give them the moment of clarity they need to realize there are better doors to bang on.

There is another brand of lever actions out there, Mossberg. I've wanted to pick one up just to see how well they are made for a while, but I've never seen one in a shop. They are now making a Model called the 464, and it's very similar to a Winchester '94.

I will have a firearm in the house with cartridges in the magazine. I WILL NOT allow a firearm in the house with a live round in the chamber. I never have and never will. The same for my children.

What about the Browning BLR?

Marlin does make the best lever guns out there in the traditional lever style rifles. I own three and all three are on the spot acturate and seem to accept alot of different weights of bullet with no great accuracy change. Marlins Micro Groove barrels have surpassed anything out there for slower lever cartidges. If you were to buy a lever gun Marlin is the best. They also feed, eject and functions better than any of the old winchester 94's. I hate to be bias but having owned several over the years I'd pick just Marlin. I've had puma lever guns and winchester. Puma is pretty much trash in the larger calibers. Winchester is an okay lever gun but Marlin works so much smoother and out of the box alot more accurate using multiples of different loads. Like I said don't wanna be bias but it's like comparing an Rossi single shot to a Ruger No1. One is so much more quality.

Did anyone mention Marlin yet ??