First shotgun

[Connor1young]

I am getting my first shotgun very soon. I am looking at the benelli nova or supernova. Is the supernova worth the extra 100 bucks. AlsoI want it to be an all purpose shotgun so should I get a 24, 26, or 28 inch barrel.

Thanks, Connor

[BLACK]

I am not very familiar with the Novas, but I've always felt that:

 

If an individual wants an autoloader, get a Benelli M4.

 

If an individual wants a pump, get a Mossberg. Cheap, dead nuts reliable and parts are cheap and plentiful. You can get the Mossberg and two sets of barrels, stocks, etc for less than that Benelli.

 

Now to be perfectly honest my M4 will eat & eject shells more reliably than my 590A1. And for all these years I thought autoloaders were finicky

[truckcop]

Supernova worth the xtra $$? That would be your call after comparing the two. What do you mean by "all purpose shotgun"? That covers an awful lot of ground. You talking wing shooting, i.e., quail/pheasants/turkey/geese/ducks/etc? Deer/other furry creatures? Games, i.e., skeet/trap/sporting clays/three-gun/other? Add in home defense? If you end up getting an all purpose gun, it may not meet your needs for many of those things. I would narrow down your uses or determine its primary use first, then narrow down the gun choices. If you take out home defense, any of those barrel lengths would work since you can easily change chokes to suit the intended target/target distance. Contrary to what a lot of folks think, barrel length is more a function of weapon handling over other considerations. Some like the longer barrels for the extra sight radius. Others like shorter barrels for quicker handling. A super long barrel might not be appropriate in a close-quarters duck blind but might be just the thing for an open-field goose hunt. Lots of considerations there.

Edited August 6, 2013 by truckcop

[Hellraiser]

You have a noble quest, my friend... but I am not sure you can find an all-purpose shotgun. My Super Black Eagle shoots turkeys... magnificently. My Benelli M4 is my carry gun. The two are diametrically opposed with intended results. I have about 14 shotguns... 1 Rem 12 ga. 870; 4 Win. 12 ga. 1897's; 1 Win. 12 ga. 1887; 1 Stevens .410 (my first when I was 7 years old); 1 Savage 20 ga. pump; 2 Browning 20 ga. Belgium made Auto-5's; 1 Beretta 12 ga. 591; 1 Benelli Montefeltro; and the two mentioned first in my post. When it comes to Benelli shotguns, get the most expensive that you can afford for the greatest intended purpose for the purchase. Then later-on... buy another to fit the second greatest intended purpose.

[bennyS]

I got the same advice from a friend who is well versed and owns many shotguns. Buy the Benelli you can afford. I ended up with a black Vinci and am extremely happy with it. This is my first shotgun purchase.