I swear by the Ithaca's and cut my teath on an M37. If your looking to go auto, I have a Winchester Super X2 that I recently purchased. The price is cheaper than the Benelli's, and I have been extremely happy with it.

Browning BPS is a reliable, throw it in the mud and it works, kind of gun and can be had at the local WalMart for around $200. I have three, just in case, and I have yet to destroy one...yes I'm hard on equipment! Only drawback is it's a pump, however I prefer a pump.

Sadly I've never gotten to fire anything that large. I would however love to if I got the chance. It would be interesting trying to shoot a clay pigeon with a .50 cal. I don't think it'd work all to well. However with an M-249 (which is my favorite weapon) it may be possible with a fire rate of 900 rounds per minute.

I own an 870 and enjoyed it. However, it has become a spare since I got an over/under. I personally became much more accurate when I switched to an over/under with an offset stock. The semi auto's are nice too. I would also reccomend a fiber optic pin instead of the bead. You can pick one up pretty cheap at the gun shop.

I bought the cheap 28" sythetic Rem 870 and have never had a problem. I pack this thing deer hunting, it rides in the boat, in the truck and jeep, used to get packed on the three wheeler (till I met a tree and swore those foolish things off for life) anyway, I beat the living snot out of that gun and it has never let me down. It hasn't rusted, hasn't broken, hasn't jammed, and it holds 5 shells. I know its not the most accurate gun around, but dollar for dollar, that 870 has been one of the more "efficient" guns I have purchased (And I have *LOTS* of guns)

Anyway, I have some more high dollar shotguns too, but that 870 is like my jeep, not the best looking, best shooting shot around, but it flat out WORKS.

Doh, that "deer" shoulda been "duck" I guess you shoot deer with it too, but I never tried that....

I'll add in my 0.02 worth.

If it were me and I was starting all over I'd still go with a pump action or an auto depending on cash flow. I've shot most of the Mossberg, Winchester, Browning, and Benelli pumps and autos and all of them have preformed well. I like the 870 a lot but I have one and have shot it a lot. One of my shooting buddy's has a Browning BPS and really like it as well. The hardest part for me it to remember now is to pump a pump action after I've been shooting an Over/Under or Auto gun.

While you are looking for your gun try and find one that has both the front bead and a center or middle bead, it will make "aiming" it easier and faster. In time when you bring your gun up you will see the middle bead fall right behind the front and your target right on top of that without having to making a whole lot of adjustments.

I do most of my Skeet shooting with a Remington 3200 it's been tubed, ported and backbored I've also had the stock bent to fit me. The down side is its heavy and I wouldn't want to carry it all day hunting. For trap, sporting clays and hunting I use either my Berretta 686 or my Remington 11/87 both having screw-in chokes. The gun I learned shot gunning with is my 870, and I'm sad to say that I haven't had it out in years. I can't remember how many rounds I've put though it now but its got to be close to 30,000 or so. The bluing is worn to bare metal in most of the normal wear areas, its never failed to chamber a round and never missfired. I'm sure that I could pull it out of the safe and put another 30K in it and it would still be ready for more.

Once you have mastered Trap and Skeet and want something with a little more of a challenge, find yourself a Sporting Clays range and shoot a round. It's like golf for shotguns and it will sharpen your hunting skills. Just be ready for a lesson in humility, I know I got mine. The first time I went I was shooting AA-AAA in Skeet and A in Trap had almost made All Army and thought I knew what I was doing. I went out and missed over half the targets that first time, but god was it fun!

I'll start with I love my 870.(field combo) But I use it for a hunting gun. 99%
The real question is how much you want to spend and do you want an auto. (the 870 is a pump)
Auto's are a step up the $$ ladder.
The lower ones that I like are the Remington 1100 series. Kinda like an auto 870. Always felt good to me.
But if you want to "kill the clays" or do alot of field bird work (W/ an auto) you might look at the Beretta and Benelli's. Both make very nice auto comp guns. But be prepared for the price.
It still boils down to......
.Pump or auto
.Price
.What feels good to you.

Fritz,

Yeah... I've had a little 'trigger time'. Started shooting early (7 or 8?) and have been at it ever since. Been on a number of teams and have attended some pretty high-speed shooting schools as well. (If you - or any of the rest of you reading this - get the opportunity, take a Gunsite course from Jeff Cooper ASAP; they're fantastic!)

Though I am thoroughly biased towards my Ithaca 37, I must agree w/ many of the other contributors to this thread regarding the Remington 870; it really is the 'Jeep' of the shotgun world. I have one, and really like it. Solid, reliable, decently priced. (I have been warned to stay away from the WalMart/KMart/large chain store 870 Wingmasters as being an inferior product though. No personal, first-hand experience, but thought I'd pass it along.) Very wide variety of extra barrels (easily interchanged) - both Remington and aftermarket. Also, more aftermarket accessories than you can shake a stick at. Chances are, if you see a shotgun sitting in a police cruiser, you're looking at an 870 - that says quite a bit about their popularity (for good reason) right there.

I'd also add that if I were grabbing a shotgun for 'social work', it would not be my 16ga. Ithaca - more likely the Rem. 870 pump or Benelli Super 90 semi-auto. (I prefer the reliability of the pump, as well as the sobering sound it's action makes as you chamber a 00 Buck round - no sound quite like it, especially in the quiet of a dark night.)

You indicated you wanted to keep the price down: my advice is to wait a while, saving your money as you do, and buy quality from the git-go. Just like buying Jeep stuff - buy cheap, get junk, only to replace later at ultimately a higher end cost than going quality from the start.

If you do want a gun now and are willing to spend a little now only to upgrade later, buy a Mossberg 500. They are a relatively decent gun and have a multitude of barrel and accessory options.

I also second the advice to go fiber optic sights - they allow for rapid sight acquisition, especially in low light conditions. I'm also partial to function over form, and therefore prefer low glare and rust-resistent finishes like parkerizing, and other similar coatings. While I like the look and feel of wood over synthetics, the durability and function of the latter must be considered.

Now I'm going to get preachy:

If not real familiar w/ firearms, do all of us a favor and take an NRA firearms safety course - something we ALL need to be refreshed in from time to time.

While most gun safety 'To Do/Not To Do' lists are painfully long and almost impossible to remember, there are four basic rules, if always followed, will prevent tragedy from occurring:

1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
4. Be sure of your target (and what is behind it).

There are NO accidental discharges/shootings; only negligent ones!

IMHO: If you have enough money to buy a gun - any kind: shotgun, rifle or pistol - you have enough money to join the National Rifle Association. Do your part to support the folks who are fighting the frontline battle(s) to protect your right to buy, keep and use that 'smokepole'. You do not have to agree w/ everything they say/do; I don't, but I do recognize (and support) the good they do for all gun owners and our nation at-large.

Okay, off my soapbox now. Thank you for bearing w/ me through my 'Civics by Rupert' speech. (Did you hear the Star Spangled Banner playing in the background? [img]images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img])

By the way, my youngest son's middle name is Remington... as a tip o' the hat to my Mdl 700 rifle! You might say I'm a little biased there too! [img]images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Take care and 'Keep yer powder dry'!

I have the 870 and the Ithica model 37, both are pretty rugged shotguns. For an all purpose gun the Rem 870 is hard to beat for aftermarket upgrades .
I like the Ithica for lightweight and for a loaner/trainer to lefties 'cause it's a bottom dumper.
Whatever you get make sure you get the 3.5" chamber for ducks and geese if you intend on hunting waterfowl.
A pistol grip on an 870 with a laser sight makes a scary home defense gun on the off season, easy to swing in tight areas. That pump action makes a real distinct sound the bad guys don't like.
Mossberg is great for aftermarket stuff and home defense as well and they originated the 3.5 chambering.