[Pistolenschutze]

Instructor, the 20 gauge scattergun you describe is not a bad choice at all, at least for close range, in home, self-defense use, particularly for someone who is not overly familiar with weapons. Personally, I prefer the 12 gauge over the 20, but then, I've been shooting 12s since I was a kid at everything from cottontails to black bear. Loaded with low-brass and #7 birdshot, the 12 doesn't really recoil much harder than the 20 you describe, but I grant you the 20 is a bit handier and certainly lighter. Neither of these weapons is overly penetrative, which is a major plus in a home-defense situation. There is nothing quite so intimidating to a bad guy as a shotgun bore pointed at his midsection, be it 20 or 12 gauge! The only downside to the shotgun, as I see it, is that it is more difficult to have close at hand if the donnybrook starts in the middle of the night.

--Pistolenschutze