A comment on my last post on this brought up shotguns, which for some reason I neglected to mention. Happily, others did not forget this(American Drumslinger here).
Big oversight. Two of the reasons a shotgun is recommended as a self-defense weapon are a: it's easier to hit accurately with a longarm than a handgun and b: NO handgun ever made can equal the close-range stopping power of a shotgun. Period.
Another reason often mentioned is sound effect. Just about anyone who might enter your home or business with ill intent will know what it means when they hear the sound of a pump or semi-auto shotgun being charged, and it often makes bad guys decide to leave very quickly.
I think I passed over them before mainly because I had in mind the reports from NO about idiots potting shots at people from rooftops and windows. Generally speaking, a rifle is a better weapon as the range stretches out, allowing accurate fire at greater distances. I say generally because a shotgun(especially with a rifled barrel) and slugs that agree with it can be amazingly accurate to 100-150 yards. If I could choose only one arm to have in case of a disaster like this, good chance it'd be a shotgun. With a mix of buckshot and slugs available, you can take on literally anything out to the aforementioned range- including, if you live in a place where they are, bears and moose if you're stuck in the boonies or they come into town.
There are two problems with a shotgun; recoil and weight. A 12 guage with buckshot or slugs has what some people have described as 'brutal' recoil, and in a lightweight arm it can be nasty. It makes practice more difficult for some folks. You can reduce this by using a 20 guage instead of 12. At home-defense ranges the bad guy won't know the difference, and recoil is significantly less, making it more comfortable to shoot(making practice in good times and accurate repeat shots in bad times easier). Weight is more of a problem. Not in the weapon, in the ammo. No way around it, if you're carrying sufficient ammo for the possibility of having to fight off a gang of looters, shotgun shells are heavy and take up more space than rifle/handgun ammo.
Price is a good factor with them. You can pick up a good quality pump for less than $200 in some cases, and if the barrel is too long it's easy to have cut down; a gunsmith or a gunny friend who knows the procedure can take care of it. And some/I think I've seen Mossberg put out this out/ can be had with a short slug barrel and a longer bird barrel as a set, fast and easy to change.
Overall, the shotgun has a definate place in this. If the comments about recoil above scare you, I apologize, that's not the aim. Recoil sensitivity varies a lot with people(I know grown men who don't like .45's for that reason, and small women who aren't bothered by it), so try it out; it may not bother you at all. If it does a bit, there are options, like adding a high-quality recoil pad or, as I mentioned before with the Benelli Nova, a recoil absorber that fits in the butt.
So don't forget the shotgun as you weigh your options.
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