ORIGINAL: Smokem Joe
for a "one gun" shotgun, a 12 ga 3" pump gun is hard to beat, be it a winchester 1300, a mossberg 500, nova, or a remington 870.
The 3 1/2" option just allows for more possibilities if you can handle the recoil.
I have been warned about recoild a lot. Right now I am thinking the worse for how it could be. But most guys say since I am 6'2" and about 195lbs that I should be able to handle it no problem.
The 3 1/2" I can only use on the smoth barrel the riffel barrel I can only use 3".