I have a Nova and an 870. Mine has seen its share of muddy cold nasty days and always works great. Easy to tear down in the field if you dump into the mud or something. Very very fast pump action for those times when you have lots to shoot at!

Only downside I can think of is the weight... I grab my 870 for pheasants. The Nova is just too much to carry for long walks, IMHO.

My .02