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Caleb,
How are you at sporting clays/skeet with a carbine? 8^)
stylez,
Try several shotguns before you buy. Lots of clubs rent shotguns for people shooting skeet/trap. Or talk to friends and see if they will let you shoot their guns. It's a lot better to make up your mind after you've had some experience.
Go ahead with a 12 ga. as long as you have no physical problems that would limit your ability to handle the gun. Make sure the gun fits you properly- generally stock length is the biggest problem. Also determine your master eye if you haven't done so already. (Circle forefinger and thumb, stretch your arm out as far as you can, look through the circle at a small distant object with both eyes open, bring the circle toward your face while concentrating on the object. The eye your hand comes to is your master eye.)
If you haven't ever shot a shotgun before, think about taking lessons at a nearby club. A lot of them have instruction, either formal or informal. Learning proper stance and mount right off the bat will help a lot down the road.
Start with light loads at first, and use a heavier gun if you have a choice (don't let some so-called friend talk you into shooting a 5-pound single shot with a 3" magnum goose load in it). There are 12 ga. loads with one ounce of shot widely available, even lighter ones in some cases. Look for something like that to start.
As a rule a good semiauto will cost more than a good pump. A good gas operated semiauto will offer a bit less felt recoil than a pumpgun. Reliability is about par given good maintenance and a first line manufacturer's product. But if I were getting the gun primarily for HD, it would be a pump. And not just any pump but a Remington 870 if I had my druthers. That's just me, YMMV.
Fuhgeddabout pistol grips and other bling right now, worry about getting good with whatever you choose to shoot first.
Stay safe,
lpl/nc
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