First of all, if I ever met that "instructor", I would tell him to his face to stuff a sock in his yapper before he gets someone killed. OC spray first, then the firearms. Shotgun should be loaded with either #4 buck or 00 buck. It is a deadly weapon and should be used only when a situation escalates to the point where deadly force is justified. If you live in MA and own property, you can obtain $500,000 worth of homestead protection by paying a $35 fee and filing a declaration of homestead with the registry of deeds. If you are a geezer like me and your wife is 62 or older, the protected amount rises to $1,000,000.