Here are some of my thoughts in no particular order.

The shotgun market where I am in Ohio is terrible right now. Everyone bought up everything and I feel like manufacturers are rushing to get product out. I could not find a new Mossberg 500 12 ga. field gun for a coworkers son for 3 months. I also believe that you should try and find a Rem 870 used police gun. I got a Highway Patrol model with extended magazine adn side saddle last year for $299. It is marked up on the outside but like new on the inside.

Differences between Police and Express off my head from what I remember from armorers school. Express made on assembly line, police is made start to finish by 1 guy per gun. Each police is patterned and tested, they test and pattern 1 from the batch of express. Express is baked enamel like something or other and the police is parkerized. Express has MIM extractor and not designed to be kept loaded magazine spring. Police is machined extractor and extra power mag spring designed to be kept loaded. There was something else in the trigger mechanism too but I would have to look it up. I have told firends to handle an express they like and just replace the extractor and mag spring if they want to do it cheap. I would never buy a new police shotgun myself unless I could get it at dealer price or something.

Early express shotguns did not have plastic trigger guards and the magazine tube was not crimped, I have one in my safe. However they did start crimping them pretty soon but still kept metal trigger guard until a "few" years ago.

Mossberg 590A1 fixes two of the three biggest problems of the 590. They have a metal trigger guard and a metal safety. I have had plastic safety mossbergs engage while shooting buckshot in training. Never seen that happen with the metal safety. Last problem they have is spring not designed to be kept loaded in my opinion. Not sure if A1 is or not because I replaced my with a Wolf that was designed for that right away.

I use a Browning Maxus to hunt ducks and I love it. I don't think I can bring myself to trust a gas operated shotgun for defense though. The horror stories might just be stories but I have seen semi autos fail in the field.

Putting ghost ring sights on a remington 870 is not that hard. Just about any gunsmith or machinist can do it. I myself like the rifle sighted smooth bore slug barrel on my OSP shotgun almost as much as my ghost ring 590A1.

Ohh yeah, you can drill out the crimp on the Express 870 so you can put a mag extension on it, I have done it myself. You just need to sand the inside good to make sure there are no burrs.

So I got to hand a KSG the other day. Pretty cool but not worth $1980.

I got to handle a benelli nova tactical the other day. Thoughts are
I liked everything except the forend had more slop than the 870. I didn't notice this in the super mag though. If I got it I would have to add a mag tube and side saddle

The 870 express tactical felt familiar so to speak. And if I got that I already have a
Knox spec ops NRS for it. I would have to upgrade the extractor. And add a side saddle. I'm not sure how good the finish is though.

The ghost rings in the benelli are tanks. Totally awesome.
The remington one I worry about breaking because they don't have the wings protecting them.

The ghost rings on the benelli seem like they would be more accurate but the remington ghost rings are very fast to sight through.

I have tried to find info on used LEO shotguns because I can fix a rough finish and save some money that way. Can you tell me how you did it?

They had them at Vance's in Columbus. Piles of them, long gone now though. I think Vance's in Columbus and Kiesler's in Indiana buy most of them in this area, then they sometimes sell them in their stores and sometimes elsewhere. Good luck.

If you can find an older 870 express I would put on these http://xssights.com/index.php?nID=sights&cID=Sights&pID=sights&sID=shotgun

Their customer service with me recently was great.

Of course Vang Comp is pretty awesome too. https://vangcomp.com/gun_accessories.html

I had a Benelli Nova once and could not get over the fat, toy feeling reciver.

I wouldn't buy the nova. The supernova doesn't feel as cheap but it is strange

Yep one if those or trijicon. I'm going to try to hunt up a old police model before I buy a new one

The buy is still a while off unless I find an amazing deal. I just like to have my research done so when the time comes I don't have to waste time on a decision

Well I think I said something a couple months ago, but my shotgun plans fell through. I didn't get to my Mom and Dad's sale in time to get the guns I wanted to keep and they all sold! That's OK though as Patty and I came out REAL good on the sale and sale of the house.

Anyway, I saw a shotgun today I hadn't heard of. A tristar. It's a tactical pump (pistol grip, hi-viz front sight protected by "Wings" ghost ring rear and 5+1 capability). One thing I had never heard of before is that it has a forward assist on the pump. I mean there is a spring around the magazine tube that shoves the pump FORWARD after you rack the slide to the rear. And the bolt will not stay open with this feature, but you can remove the spring and it will function as a normal pump. $267.00 at a new sporting/outdoors store that opened up about 30 miles away.

AND I also stopped by a GS and they have 20ga tactical Weatherby pumps, same setup at the tristar (without the forward assist) but selling for about 300-325.

OK, question is do I NEED a 12ga? I have hunted all sorts of game (NEVER been waterfowl hunting) with a 20 and never felt under gunned. I really like the feel of the Weatherby better than the Tristar. It was lighter of course, just a bit shorter and mounted to my shoulder easier/faster and didn't get snagged on my shirt. So for a house gun and maybe even a "The Barbarians are at the gate" situation, what is your take on the 20 over the 12. Can I do OK with the 20. I am thinking that I could also carry more shells for the 20 for the same weight as the 12s would be.

If I got the 20 I would probably use slugs and #2 buckshot, or maybe #1, nothing smaller unless I was hunting with it. Oh and I think it has screw in choke tubes!

I don't know why a 20 guage wouldn't work
It might also be easier on Patty than a 12 guage if she ever needed to use it

not much help but i think a lot of those shotguns are made in turkey. i googled a bunch of models last year and reviews are all over the place. seems old companies become new companies and all sorts of stuff i couldn't keep up with. if i was to pick one it would most likely be base on a gut feeling and the warranty.

i thought i wanted a cz shotgun which is made in turkey and sold by cz. it only took me two seconds to realize it wasn't a gun I wanted. felt like a toy and the finish made it look even more like a toy. even the wood didn't seem like what I would expect for a 12 gauge semiauto shotgun. but there are a handful of decent reviews online about them. I'll stick with my gut feeling on it though.

About 2 or 3 years ago my one nephew bought himself a Dominion Arms (made by Norinco) coach gun
After the second replacement gun failed in less than ten months (not one of the three lasted more than a couple of boxes of shells)the store let him take a replacement pump action shotgun made by optima (made in Turkey)
That gun has worked real well for him however his dad bought him a Mossy 590A1 last Christmas so I doubt that the optima is seen much use since then

Auto = Benelli M1 Super 90 (made after HK stopped importing them)

Pump = 870 Police with Wilson Combat Ghost Ring Rear / XS Night Sight Front (model number 24449)

Forgot to mention...

The Remington 870 ATACs has all the features you're after: pistol grip stock, extended magazine tube, and ghost rings.

It also have removable Rem-Chokes.

http://www.remington.com/products/f...el-870-express-tactical-a-tacs-camo.aspx