[aa1911]

awwww yeah, the 870 wins again! ha!

autos are cool but the pump is king IMO, super simple and easy not to mention reliable.

I couldn't relate as my wife doesn't want any gun really that bad but if she did, I suppose I'd try to steer her towards a lower end model. I don't even spend $1800 on much of any gun!

guess it depends on how deep your pockets are, me, not so deep...

but I learned early on that priorities make a big difference; during my smallbore target rifle days, I shot with some folks who looked like they couldn't afford to fill their gas tank (at 80 cents a gallon) but pulled out a $2500 target rifle.

overall, function over beauty is what I prefer but we all know the womens like some 'shnaz' and can be quite particular!!!

sounds like you did well though and that 870 will treat you right for longer than you'll ever need.