I use a Benelli M1 Tactical for competition. I've never used a shotgun for home defense but it a personal choice and not that it wouldn't be suitable. With the extended mag tube, my M1 holds 8 (9 if you slip one under the bolt). FYI, I carried both a Remington 870 and a Benelli when in LE.
Many folks use something on the Remington 1100/11-87 platform. They work great too. They are a little softer shooting due to their gas system than the Benelli and it's recoil system. There are lots of accessories for both but especially the Remington guns.
Remingtons will shoot very light loads while a Benelli prefers a heavier charge. The Benelli will speed up with use and wear. Keep it oiled up more so than other guns.
I liked the Benelli since you can compete right out of the box with it. The Remingtons will require some accessories to make them competative.
I know there are exceptions, but you will be hard pressed to be very competative with a pump gun. Not that you can't hang in there, but semis will usually always lead the pack. I used to use a Mossberg 500 in matches (until the constant pounding broke the trigger group assembly). I also used my Rem 870 for a while. I was rather quick with a pump gun and usually finished at the top against other pump guns. But I almost always was getting beat by the semis in the end. I switched to a Benelli back in the early 90's and stayed with them.
For home defense, there is something about the sound of a pump action shotgun being racked that will send shivers down the spine of an intruder. I would go with the shorter barrel and load it with birdshot, not buck or slugs. The reason is at the close range a confrontation would occur, birdshot works as well and doesn't penentrate other walls in the home as much.
As for grips, I have the pistol grip on my Benelli. It's easier for me to hang on to it in my shooting hand when loading more rounds into the mag while on the run. More competition shooters probably use the straight grip and roll the gun over to load. Plus you can use the speedloaders with a straight grip and load 4 at once. That again is a personal preference.
Overall though, a Benelli would be an excellent choice for a double duty shotgun. With it's 19" barrel, choke tubes, rifle or ghost rings(with Tritium if you want) 5-9 rd capacity, it is light and short enough for the house duties, while maintaining the capacity and durability for competition. If you get the rifle sight model, you can get a second barrel with vent rib and use it for hunting too. The rear Ghost Ring would be in the way on the receiver where the rear rifle sight is on the barrel.
I would suggest you go to a competative shotgun match, like the ones at IPSC or 3-Gun Matches. You will see a wide range of guns, accessories to match shooting styles. Ask a shooter with a shotgun that interests you if you can look at it or handle it. Most will probably let you and be glad to tell you about what they may have done to it. They might even let you pop a few rounds through it. That would be the best way to find the right shotgun for you.
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