My point exactly, especially that last part.

An 18" barrel shotgun is a highly effective home defense weapon, no doubt, however, for a REFLEX WEAPON, it is a very poor choice. Hearing a bump in the night and waking up to an intruder "standing in your living room" is VERY different than waking up to an intruder "standing at the foot of your bed". In a split second reflex "fight for your life", a long barreled weapon is a poor choice. If you have the luxury of time, then by all means, grab the shotgun, and go investigate. However, when there's only a split second before the attacker can close the distance to your bed and make contact, the shotgun is worthless.

It's the difference between CQB and "short range fighting". A shotgun is an EXCELLENT short range weapon. But within arms reach, a handgun is far superior.

Even with a short barrel and a pistol grip, a shotgun is 28-30" long. VERY easy to deflect. A shotgun takes 2 hands to control, and USUALLY 2 hands to operate (pump actions). If an intruder grabs your gun by the barrel, unless you have TRAINED for it, you're not likely going to have a chance to get the muzzle back on target.

Try this sometime... Take $50 down to walmart and buy an airsoft pistol grip shotgun, an airsoft pistol, and an electronic kitchen timer. Lay in bed with the shotgun staged as you typically would, loaded and ready, then close your eyes. Have a partner then stand SOMEWHERE in the room around the bed, at the same distance as the bedroom door. (This incorporates an element of surprise into the drill. You'll have to process the attackers position. In a "real world attack", the attacker would likely be at the door, but you'll still have to process "is this an attack or just my wife coming back from getting a drink".) Lay down and close your eyes, and set the kitchen timer. When the timer goes off, you both spring into action. You go for the gun, and he either goes for YOU, or goes for the gun himself.

Now try it again with the pistol.

My fiancee and I do these drills about once a month. We started a few years ago when my nephew was getting rid of his airsoft guns. She's only 125lbs, so I outweigh her by 70lbs, but even still, with the pistol gripped shotgun, she can close the distance to the bed and grab the muzzle and prevent me from landing a shot before she makes contact. Of course, because of my size and strength advantage, I can "fight her off" and eventually make a shot, but it's still a struggle for control of the weapon. When we switch roles and I play the attacker, my size advantage lets me deflect the muzzle, then take control of the weapon. We've done this drill MANY times with the shotgun, and she NEVER wins. I tried it once with my brother in law, and basically, whoever wins the struggle for control of the weapon is who wins.

With the airsoft pistol, we almost always get ONE or two shots off before contact is made. And even AFTER contact is made, one hand is used to maintain separation with the attacker, while the other hand makes kill shots with the pistol. Despite my size advantage, she is still ALWAYS

Honestly, my fiancee stands a better chance WITHOUT A WEAPON, than she does with the shotgun. She's an experienced kickboxer and brazilian jiu jitsu fighter, so when she doesn't have to worry about maintaining control of the long shotgun, she has more chance of defending herself. WE HAVE TESTED AND PROVEN THIS FACT. As an unarmed fighter, she SOMETIMES can get the best of me. With the shotgun, SHE NEVER WINS.

Like I said, your shotgun is FINE, if not IDEAL for investigating a strange sound in the night, but for a REFLEX WEAPON, I'll take a handgun every time.

Personally, I keep a 12ga Benelli M4 Tactical loaded at the ready, standing inside our closet, and I keep a Glock 19 on my nightstand. The glock is my REFLEX WEAPON, and the 12ga is the "I heard a noise downstairs weapon". But I have the luxury of having both. If I only had ONE weapon at the ready, it would be a reflex weapon, NOT an "I have the luxury of time" weapon.