So I'm looking at buying a shotgun but was wondering how do you guys know what gauge you want and barrel length?

That all depends on what your intended purpose is. 12 gauge is most common for all around use. For home defense look at something in the 18-20" barrel length, for hunting/skeet 28-32" will work. If you plan to do any long range shooting with it like duck or goose hunting than a 32-36" barrel is your best bet.

It all depends on intended purpose and recoil tolerance and most importantly fit.

 

For example, for home defense you would want something with a shorter barrel, say in the 18 to 20 inch range, in either 12 or 20 gauge. For sporting purposes, like clays, or hunting, you'd want to go with a 12 ga with a 28 inch barrel. If you are recoil sensitive, a good semi in 20 ga with a 26 inch barrel would be a good all around gun. My best advise is to go to a shop with a lot of different shotguns and feel every one. Mount it and see which fits you best.

Thanks for replies. I'm not recoil sensitive, and the shotgun will be used as a home defense but also something to go out and shoot with just for fun. So I'm thinking a 12 gauge, do you think the HD size barrel would be done even with just shooting around with it at times?

If it is going to be your HD gun then I would highly recommend shooting it as often as possible, just like any other HD gun. You could still shoot it, even hunt with it if ya wanted to. Nothing says you have to have a certain barrel length for a certain purpose, those are just suggestions for what works best for certain applications.

Go get your self the Mossberg 500 field and security package. it comes with a longer barrel for hunting/clays and a shorter barrel for HD. it takes about 1 minute to swap barrels

Oh yea I will shoot it alot, probably everytime I go to range that will tag along.

 

I've been looking at pumps; 500/590a1, and I believe the Remington 800, still not sure which one.