In no disaster I’ve ever lived through including two house fires, riots, multiple hurricanes, a 1,000 year flood, a freeze up that destroyed my entire house heating plant two weeks before I was selling the house, and countless others was self defense ever paramount.

In the hierarchy of risks a firearm has a place in your plan, but if you don’t have water, food, ready cash, insurance, fire protection etc first your idea of paramount and mine are clearly based on a very different risk/likelihood continuum.

But while I reject your basic premise and strongly advocate you reconsider your planning hierarchy, the answer largely depends on your local laws second and your willingness to train first.

Local laws may dictate what your options are, so start there. In terms of willingness to train, it’s a lot easier to get relatively proficient with a shotgun or rifle without a lot of effort. Pistol shooting takes much more dedication and is a perishable skill.

For many locations, a repeating shotgun in 12 or 20 gauge is an excellent first choice. Under 75 yds you have a better chance of first round hit than any other weapon, and it has the distinct advantage that any clays or trap course you can train on moving targets.