Over at The Art of Manliness, they have A Primer on the Shotgun.

It’s a nice introductory piece, done with the help of Mike Seeklander… so there’s no b.s. and just good solid advice.

There’s a lot more to shotgunning than what the article can present, but that’s the limits of the medium. But it is a nice starting point for those that have no idea about shotguns and are looking into them, especially for personal defense.

I’d also suggest you take a look at the shotgun ammo trials I did a little while back.

Once you’ve read the article, if you do buy a shotgun, consider getting some shotgun-specific training. Rangemaster’s Defensive Shotgun is a good start.

And then finally, consider that a few modifications to your shotgun can be useful and make the gun more shootable and more suitable to your needs.