Except for the sawed off barrel, there's no good reason you can't get yourself a nice personal defense pump with an 18" barrel. They're not that expensive.
My daughter owns a couple of handguns (38 & a 9mm), but she also owns a Remington 1100 semi auto. That's the one I'm really glad she has when I think about the scenario of SHTF where she lives. She's been professionally trained with a shotgun and is apparently pretty good with one. Makes a dad feel all warm and fuzzy.
As a home defense weapon I prefer the shortened barrel for storage and maneuverability. ( I know the legal issues)