Actually Beamish I don't buy that. Why you ask? Because my mom has arthritis in her wrists. She can fire a gun, a shotgun no problem, but a pump gives her issues. She can't rack the slide more than once before she hurts to bad to do it again. Hence this is a valid choice (she made a different one, spent 500 for a semi auto CD 12). But it would have been an ok choice for her.
I have a friend who only has 1 hand, can't pump a pump shotgun but with a coach gun he could rest the forearm on his stump and still be well protected. He may have to figure something else out for the light but... And no I'm not joking.
There are reasons why a coach gun may be a better choice. Is it for everyone no. But it's a valid choice. As has been mentioned a hundred times, they've been killing people for a long time. What makes them antiquate now? 2 shots? as everyone who says carry a revolver instead remind us most instances of self defense are 1 or 2 on one. Even though yes that is changing.
I am going to have to disagree with Harm. I too have a cousin with a non-operational hand. However, he can use a pump just fine thanks to a loop he put on the pump itself. Same thing as resting the forearm on the stump, people who are missing limbs get creative.
I just don't see the market of 'can't operate a pump' as being of any appreciable size.
There are, however, 4 decent reasons to choose a double barrel for home defense gun
1. One already owned.
2. Absolute simplicity
3. Looks better than an evil black extended mag tube
4. Want the fastest, smoothest handling 'whippit gun' without going SBS, and the 18" barrel model overall length about 3-4" shorter than pump 18" barrel model.
#1 = no reason to buy a 2nd one.
#2 = you quickly start to deviate away from absolute simplicity once you start mounting attachments. Flashlight? Okay, that's fine, even though it does increase the complexity. Beyond that, it seems to me you are really deviating from one of the saving graces of the old side-by-side.
#3 = you start hanging a red dot, flash light, vertical foregrip, etc on a black shotgun, you start eroding the whole 'It's just like the shotgun Grandpa used to own' effect that the jury might be inclined to go with.
#4 = double barreled shotguns are pretty light and smooth and fast handling until you start hanging extra stuff on them.
This SXS is getting away from everythign that is useful about a minimal length SXS.
You want to make a 'tactical' SxS? Okay, here's what you do.
Standard hammerless SXS. Increase the size and ease of use of the latch that operates the hinge action. Increase the size of the safety on top, make sure FIRE and SAFE are clearly marked. Get rid of the rails. Fiberoptic bead is okay. Include a forearm with a hole in it that can accept a standard 1" diameter light and a screw in plug in case that is not desired/available. (or some other nonintrusive light system, taking care to maintain the quick and easy handling of the shotgun, like maybe just a ring that you mount belown and between the two barrels) Include a cuff for the stock to hold extra shells.
Don't put rails, that just increases the likelyhood people are going to hang extra stuff on it, and that is going to do more harm than good.
In the end, it's like keeping an SKS simple. Oh, you can fit it with a 30 round fixed mag, a pistol-gripish 'dragnov' stock, etc etc but in that case you'd be better off buying an AK. Same here, you want to go mounting red-dots and lights, might as well spend the money and get a black extended mag pump, or a semiauto.
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