Next to my bed is a Mossberg 500 12ga pump with full stock and 18 1/2" barrel. With the 26" it's quick enough for pheasants, and with the 18.5" it's even quicker. More importantly, I've had it since I was 12 years old, and can use it without thinking about it. Magazine filled with alternating 1oz slugs and 3" magnum buckshot, although most household emergencies can be resolved with the load of buckshot that's in the chamber.