this argument gets way to much tech talk in my opinion.
yes a pump is more reliable than an auto.
a revolver is also more reliable than a semi auto pistol.
but most of us don't rock out a revolver now do we?
the reason being is because both systems are extremely reliable now days.
I would not hesitate to get an autoloader for self defense
autoloaders generally have less felt recoil, making follow up shots get on target fast, theres less to go wrong in a high stress situation, that shells going in there and just keep pulling that trigger.
another myth I wish would die is this whole racking the gun will scare people.
yeah, your right, its going to scare someone, someone that doesnt have a weapon or is just as likely to run if you say dont come in I have a weapon, its also going to give away your position to anyone else that doesnt care if you have a weapon and is intent on harming you, I'd rather not let them know im coming or where I'm at until I choose for them to know.
its personal preference.
If I had to put thousands of rounds in a short interval threw a shotgun I'd buy a pump, its not going to break as frequently or be as much of an issue to repair.
as a duck hunter I cant tell you how many times I've had failures to cycle another round vs failures to feed shells in a pump, but what I can tell you is that neither one has caused me more issues than another, and even with many years behind shooting a pump I still cant cycle it as fast as my autoloader can, especially not if I just got jarred out of my sleep, and I get a heck of a lot more ducks shooting my autoloader for the plain and simple fact that when they come threw in groups I'm alot more likely to get the ones I would have had fly past me.
(believe me im no speed slouch) but we all know, sometimes, split seconds count.
you can pick up some nice brand new autoloaders for 450ish-750ish used will vary, alot of decent deals on slightly used shotguns or overstocks around this time of year tho.