WildChild,
The bottom line is- only you can tell what fits you by actually trying a variety of bone stock shotguns.
Too many folks have attended Quality Defensive Shotgun Classes, and the Shotguns used by these instructors, and recommended for student's and THEIR applications are often times Simple.
The student gets with instructors, shares where they live, and concerns, and from that, the instructors can better advise.
Military and Police run toward trouble, as do Fire and EMTs
Civilians do quite well with Simple Firearms, Fire Extinguishers and First Aid kits, most do not run out and buy Tanks, Fire Trucks and Ambulances.
Awerbuck uses a Double Barrel Shotgun for instance.
If one focuses on a thing, they impede the ability to learn and in essence learn on a crutch.
Thing can be the shotgun itself, the action type, gauge, chamber sizes, materials and whether the wood is glossy, or satin, synthetic is black, or camo, and what kind of camo.
Thing can be did this Police Dept, or Branch of Military, Armored Car Company, TV Show, Movie, Video Game, Grandpa, Uncle, Brother, Dad, Champion Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays shooter, ....use this shotgun
Did Ex Boyfriend, Ex Huband, Ex wife, Ex-Girlfriend ...give one to current boyfriend, husband, girlfriend, wife, buy, sell, use, say something good, say something bad....
Your dead, and those around you are dead if you let Things dictate what keeps you and yours safe.
Single shot shotguns, and double barrel shotgun have defended folks forever and still do, they were proven before repeating shotguns came to be.
Just like "fighting knives" being touted by the tactical crowd.
The oldest fighting knives are proven, long before FRN, Carbon Fiber, Axis Locks and whatever else we have today.
Laguiole is most likely the original "fighting" or "tactical knife".
Or
Douk - Douk, in fact this knife was banned from being imported into some areas back in the day, and this knife is less than $20, has no locking blade, and is not designed to be opened with one hand very fast.
It was banned as the users of these knives had mindset, and terror as their intent.
The users of these two knives knew how to use the tools, it was not the tool itself that did anything.
We use that same argument with the Anti Gun and Politicians today, that it matters not what a firearm or edged tool is, it is the intent of the user as to how that tool is used.
Give me, Will Fennell, Dave, Gordon, Lee Lapin, others around here - heck even Randy Cain and Awerbuck a busted single shot shotgun that does not even fire, and I betcha, we can get a person up to speed on gun fit, correct basics, enough that when we do hand them a shotgun that fires a shell, they can, and can be effective in using that tool to shoot moving clays, stationary targets, and even defensive use.
This is exactly why have no doubt Okiecruffler can use a 311 double barrel , Will Fennel a Beretta O/U, Dave a 870, Gordon a A5, Correia a Saiga, and stay safe.
It is not the thing, instead the person.
