Inside the home, a tactical pump shotgun loaded with 00-Buck... Huge stopping power, and won't over-penetrate into other rooms or the neighbor's house... and if something goes wrong, you can still use it to club them over the head.
For a handgun to C&C, then the biggest thing is to get comfortable with it, which takes firing a lot of rounds through it... A gun you're afraid to shoot doesn't do you any good. I'm really liking the Springfield XD models, although I haven't made a purchase yet. I'm leaning toward the 9mm due to ammo cost, and recoil compared to 40 S&W and 45ACP.