[Urbane Guerrilla]

Tactically, a home defense shotgun works best from across the room. At contact range, the length of a long arm may be used as a lever to wrest the arm away, though it's a helluva dangerous game to play for the invader if the defender has her finger inside the triggerguard. Pistols are much harder to seize and grapple, or even to see, even at close quarters -- a smaller target and far less relative leverage.

Where a H.D. shotgun shines, instead, is in the "citadel defense" portion of the house, often the master bedroom. All inhabitants of the house retreat to the citadel and are stashed behind the furniture, like the bed, on the side away from the door, which is also where the shotgunner is holed up. If the invader comes through the door, they collect a chestful of goose shot from across the room. At this range it's not a pattern, but one ragged hole. Ain't many bandits stay functional after a hit like that.