[mykeal]

I like the bigger bore guns and I want it to bark every time I pull the trigger. Anything to stay away from here?

That suggests you will shoot max loads. If that's the case, stay away from brass frames and be prepared for diminished accuracy. Steel frame revolvers can handle full chamber loads of black powder with no damage even over the long term. However, in my experience a full chamber load is never the most accurate load.

As I said in a home defense thread I posted, I need a weapon for the garage. Would a reasonable man count on one of these things for this duty?

Well, yes, I suppose. Given that you will practice with it and maintain it like you would any tool necessary for your safety and protection there's no reason it won't serve for that purpose. However, there aren't any small frame big bore bp revolvers (small frame like in S&W J, for instance). So home defense means just that, not concealed carry.

Reload every so may days, weeks?

No need to reload; bp is time stable. However, this depends to some extent on how you choose to answer the next question:

Seal the chambers?

Mildly controversial issue here. Theoretically a well fitting ball will suffice to seal the chamber. You should get a small ring of lead when you seat the ball, and if you do many people feel that's sufficient to prevent some chain fires (the other half of the world says the nipple end is the real problem; I believe both the nipple end and the chamber mouth need attention). Anyway, part of the world says you need to put grease in the chamber mouth after loading to be sure it's sealed; this will also help lube the barrel and reduce fouling contamination. Another group (me among them) use a lubed felt overpowder wad to accomplish the same thing, the advantage (theoretically) being the wad is less messy. There are those that believe the lubed overpowder wad and/or it's cousin, the lube pill, will eventually contaminate the powder if left in contact with it for a significant time frame (that being a few minutes to several days depending on who is talking). The wads I use are Bridger's Best and are dry to the touch; I do not believe they contaminate the powder over time, but I could be wrong. I rarely leave a bp weapon loaded for more than a day so I can't really say about the long term effects.

So, seal the chambers? Yes for solid chainfire protection but with the risk of powder contamination, meaning you should reload after a bit (how often is too hard a question - depends on the method of sealing and the amount of lube). No if you feel the ball fits tightly and seals the chamber well, meaning you don't have to reload periodically. As they say: your mileage may vary.