I have a benelli nova and my brother has an 870 (3in), and I used to have a 870 20ga youth (traded it & money for my nova). The thing I like about the nova is I can take my nova all apart to clean it without tools. And it's all like big pieces so I took it apart and put it together without looking at a book. If you just wanted to shoot 2 3/4 shells you might get the wingmaster, I held my friends today and it was real light and swung well. But if you want to be able to shoot like geese and stuff too you could get a nova or an 870 that shoots 3 1/2's. The nova doesn't kick too hard. Shot some 3 1/2 today and I'm not hurting. But I was wearing 3 shirts. The nova will cost you a few more bills but I think my nova was like 50 to 100 bucks or so more than the 870 express mag(shoots 3 1/2's). But I think the nova was camo but the 870 was black. Both are very good guns but if you wanted to save some cash you could get the winmaster