plainly put, you can't go wrong with an 870.

If it moves, people have probably shot it with an 870.

Reliable, tough, etc.

I bet if you took a poll of shotgunners around the US there would be 3 main groups (as far as favorite shotguns that have been produced for ~40-50 years).

a) the model 12 winchester (spawned many-a replica and equally good as an 870)
b) the Browning A-5 humpback
c) the remington 870.