Shotguns are funny that way it is hard to miss your target! All I can say to the would be robber that was shot is Good bye!
That is why I have a Mossberg 500 with pistol grips and an 18 1/2 inch barell
I respectfully disagree. The normal spread from my Mossberg 500 is between 2 and 3 inches at 15 feet. Not enough to make a real difference in most situations.
A shotgun will NOT save you from bad marksmanship.
People planning to use a shotgun for personal defense need to put in range time, just like handgunners, in order to be competent. I use mine at an indoor range and while I've had people complain about the noise, I've never known anyone to experience any bladder or bowel control problems upon hearing me rack a round into the barrel. Racking a shotgun will not intimidate a determined intruder into submission. Be prepared to shoot
Shotguns are not miracle weapons. If you hit someone with a 00 load you are not going to blow anybody to pieces. Be prepared for a follow up shot. This means learning to master recoil (through practice, at the range) and racking the gun while it's still on your shoulder.
Two things a shotgun does give you versus a handgun are a longer sight radius, which improves accuracy, and a whole lot of stopping power.