When deciding on a weapon, and in particular, a shotgun for home defense there are several things to consider. One major consideration of course is the ability to secure the weapon, while still maintaining accessibility. The balancing act can be a fine one when you must decide on how accessible the weapon will be yet still keeps it out of inexperienced hands.
Keep in mind there is a distinction between shotguns for home defense and hunting. There are laws that prohibit the number of shells one can load in a pump shotgun when hunting waterfowl. Shotguns will have a plug that prevents you from loading more than three shells in most cases. The number can however, vary by what type of migratory birds you are hunting.