With a long gun I would not have been able to keep it aimed where I had chosen to with the handgun. The other thing with a long gun that I don't like is corners. You must expose to much for my comfort in order to aim properly.
Yep. And two other very useful tools at such times, a flashlight and a cellphone, are also much easier to use in conjunction with a handgun rather than a shotgun.
There are combinations of the various devices, of course, and there are one-hand-usable rifles and shotguns, but in general, the handgun is a better pick if your other hand is going to be occupied carrying something else useful. Like the light, cellphone- or shotgun.
-archy-/-