I'm someone who never saw the utility of a semi automatic shotgun for hunting. For target shooting it makes sense as a method for limiting recoil, and in a tactical situation it may be preferable for its speed of fast fire. However, I doubt that the average citizen will need to deploy that kind of firepower--seems like a limited niche for a type of SWAT team or special forces role, but as I recall most American SWAT teams actually use Remington 870s. Practice and you will be able to work the pump gun as quickly as you're likely to ever need to. Semis can also jam, which is the main reason I do not favor them. Of course, someone will say that the shooter can short-stroke a pump, but that is something that you have to practice to avoid, and with a little muzzle time, should not be an issue, even under stress, once the muscle memory sinks in. Really, you just throw it back and forth as hard and fast as you can, not changing direction until you meet the resistance of the receiver.
For target shooting, I currently use a pump gun, and have done quite well with it. To be fair, this is only because I cannot afford a passable over-under, which is next on my to-buy list. This brings me to my point. If you have a moderate to good budge of 600-1000 dollars, I would recommend an o/u. However, to really get a good shotgun, you have to think about several components of the o/u platform to make the ideal choice. Trigger selection is one aspect I didn't think would be so hard. I've been looking up and down for an o/u with a double trigger--or one for each barrel--instead of a selective or inertia trigger. Then there are things like barrel length/interchangeable barrels and choke tubes that you might also look at, as different models in different conditions will come with a variety of these accessories that you may want to have. Then there's the price. Every time I see one that has the stuff I want, the price is over $1000, although if I were less lazy/trusted the internet more, I would just buy one from gunbroker. C/Z makes one that I'd like to try out, as does Stoeger, but the Stoeger does not have the double trigger to my knowledge.
So I'll throw in support for an o/u, because I think the pump and semi platform are essentially the same in terms of what you can and cannot do efficiently with. As the pump/semi debate goes, I also forgot to mention earlier that pump guns are easier for me to switch slugs into than semis are, and I've never had my pump gun jam, whereas my friend's Rem 1100 has jammed on me twice on the trap field, and I needed both hands to correct the malfunction. To be fair to the gun, we use the Walmart target ammo, but the experience was still disheartening, as I've never had Walmart ammo jam my pump, even after 600+ rounds through it in a day. Once in a while with that cheap stuff you get a failure to fire sue to primer setting errors, but chamber the same shell again and it will go off.
As for the o/u platform, it shoots two shells faster than a semi. Of course you have to reload after every two shots, but this is not really a serious sd gun we're talking about here--although it would definitely be handy in a pinch, no doubt about that. If you do use it for HD/SD, you'll have to be careful if you store it with rounds chambered, on my pump I just have the slide locked with the safety off on an empty chamber. slidelock release and pump and it's ready without having to remember to use the safety. My biggest regretted misses have come from forgetting to disengage the safety and I'd hate to have that problem at 2AM in my own apartment. Of course, when you're hunting, the safety should always be on, but for SD, I prefer not to have to worry about it just in case I forget to take it off.
So yea, get the o/u, or don't. It's your money.
