i remember having a pistol grip on my HD shotty....i thought it was pretty cool. Then one day got to thinkin and decided to measure the longest distance(straight line view) that i might need to shoot my shotty to protect me and momma in my house.Small house on the beach,that distance was 21'. Went to my shooting area with the shotty,some potential HD loads(buckshot) and a buttstock with tools to change it out maybe. Measured my distance.set up paper target,try loads. My barrel is 18 1/2" improved cyl. Patterns ranged from 6" to about 10" depending on the load at that distance. Given the size of the patterns i found that it would be fairly easy to MISS with a pistol grip gun at that distance, particularly under stress. Added the buttstock, a proper mount and cheek the stock and it's just about impossible to miss at that distance......so my HD guns get a buttstock w/13"LOP....no pistol grip. Lots of folks have seen too many "movie shotguns".....the kind where you pull the trigger and it obliterates everything in front of you and everything in your peripheral vision, when a bad guy gets hit in the torso and flies about ten feet from the impact. Take your loads out and try em....Mike