Kick is definitely a relative term. Recoil certainly fits the bill as well. If it's going right or left, that sounds more like inconsistencies in the user's grip. You certainly get more with the shorter frame models.
I'd love to have a short-barreled, semi-auto, tactical for the home. I've seen some really nice Saiga 12 conversions that may come home with me in the near future. But after just dropping almost $1500 on my Remington Versa Max a couple of weeks ago, my wife might shit the bed if I spent double that on another shotgun.