There's no single best home-defense shotgun — there's the best one for your budget, your body and your state. Here's every model we cover, grouped by maker list price, with what each one does well.
Fit (a stock you can mount fast — see length of pull), a weapon light, the right buckshot (guide), and practice. A $300 pump you've run a lot beats a $2,000 semi-auto that lives in a closet.
All of these use barrels of 18 inches or more, the federal line for a standard shotgun.[1]
Under $450
Maverick 88 Security
Mossberg's budget Maverick line in a home-defense trim — the lowest list price of any shotgun on this list.
- Budget pick: about $290 list price from the maker.
- Pump-action: cycles almost any 12-gauge load you feed it, as long as you work the pump fully every time.
- High capacity for its type: 7+1 (tube).
Winchester SXP Defender
Winchester's pump in a Defender trim with an 18-inch barrel — an affordable alternative to the Mossberg and Remington pumps.
- Budget pick: about $390 list price from the maker.
- Pump-action: cycles almost any 12-gauge load you feed it, as long as you work the pump fully every time.
- Adjustable stock length — easier to fit shorter shooters, longer arms, or body armor and winter coats.
$450 – $1,000
Mossberg 590
A straightforward 590 pump with a 6+1 tube and bead sight — simple, affordable and easy to set up for home defense.
- Mid-priced: about $592 list price from the maker.
- Pump-action: cycles almost any 12-gauge load you feed it, as long as you work the pump fully every time.
- Light at 6.3 lb — easy to handle, but lighter shotguns send more recoil back to you.
Stoeger M3000 Tactical
Stoeger's lower-priced tactical semi-auto — an affordable way into a semi-auto, with a smaller 4+1 tube.
- Mid-priced: about $749 list price from the maker.
- Semi-auto: the action loads the next shell for you, so there's no pump stroke to fumble under stress. Pick ammo it's known to cycle reliably.
- Adjustable stock length — easier to fit shorter shooters, longer arms, or body armor and winter coats.
Mossberg 500
Mossberg's long-running pump, here in a tactical trim with an adjustable stock that fits short and tall shooters.
- Mid-priced: about $773 list price from the maker.
- Pump-action: cycles almost any 12-gauge load you feed it, as long as you work the pump fully every time.
- Adjustable stock length — easier to fit shorter shooters, longer arms, or body armor and winter coats.
KelTec KSG
A bullpup pump with two magazine tubes. The action sits behind the grip, so it's short for its capacity — but it handles differently from a standard pump.
- Mid-priced: about $900 list price from the maker.
- Pump-action: cycles almost any 12-gauge load you feed it, as long as you work the pump fully every time.
- High capacity for its type: 7+7 with 2-3/4" shells (dual magazine tubes, switched by a manual selector); page text also says 6+6+1 or 7+7+1 depending on shell length.
Mossberg 590A1
The 590 family's heavy-duty option: longer 8+1 tube and ghost-ring sights for faster aiming.
- Premium: about $910 list price from the maker.
- Pump-action: cycles almost any 12-gauge load you feed it, as long as you work the pump fully every time.
- High capacity for its type: 8+1 (tube).
$1,000 and up
Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical
Mossberg's gas semi-auto built for speed: adjustable stock, ghost-ring sights, optic-ready receiver and a 7+1 tube.
- Premium: about $1,190 list price from the maker.
- Semi-auto: the action loads the next shell for you, so there's no pump stroke to fumble under stress. Pick ammo it's known to cycle reliably.
- Adjustable stock length — easier to fit shorter shooters, longer arms, or body armor and winter coats.
Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol
A lower-priced Beretta gas semi-auto set up for patrol and home use, with a 19.1-inch barrel.
- Premium: about $1,199 list price from the maker.
- Semi-auto: the action loads the next shell for you, so there's no pump stroke to fumble under stress. Pick ammo it's known to cycle reliably.
- High capacity for its type: 7+1 (extended tube).
Beretta 1301 Tactical C
Beretta's gas-operated tactical semi-auto in a compact 18.5-inch package with a 7+1 tube.
- Premium: about $1,849 list price from the maker.
- Semi-auto: the action loads the next shell for you, so there's no pump stroke to fumble under stress. Pick ammo it's known to cycle reliably.
- High capacity for its type: 7+1 (tube).
Benelli M2-G1 Tactical
Benelli's inertia-driven tactical semi-auto with an extended 7+1 tube and an adjustable stock.
- Premium: about $2,049 list price from the maker.
- Semi-auto: the action loads the next shell for you, so there's no pump stroke to fumble under stress. Pick ammo it's known to cycle reliably.
- Adjustable stock length — easier to fit shorter shooters, longer arms, or body armor and winter coats.
Benelli M4 Tactical
Benelli's gas-operated tactical semi-auto — one of the most expensive shotguns on this list.
- Premium: about $2,299 list price from the maker.
- Semi-auto: the action loads the next shell for you, so there's no pump stroke to fumble under stress. Pick ammo it's known to cycle reliably.
- Adjustable stock length — easier to fit shorter shooters, longer arms, or body armor and winter coats.
What about the 14-inch Shockwave and TAC-14?
The Mossberg 590 Shockwave (12 ga), Remington 870 TAC-14 (12 ga) are compact and federally aren't shotguns at all, because they're not designed to be fired from the shoulder.[2] They're handy in tight spaces but much harder to shoot accurately without a stock, and some states restrict them — check yours. For most people, a standard 18.5-inch shotgun is the better first home-defense gun.
Before you buy
- Check your state's rules in the state-law checker.
- Federal law lets dealers sell shotguns to buyers 18 and up.[3]
- Buying while traveling? A dealer can sell you a shotgun out of state if the sale is legal in both states and you buy in person.[3]
Sources
- 18 U.S.C. 921 (Cornell LII)
- Texas Attorney General opinion request RQ-0161-KP (secondary)
- 18 U.S.C. 922 (Cornell LII)
Last checked October 18, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Send a correction.