Cornfed,

You sure don't hold back do you?

I love my two 870 "2nd rate, cheap, garbage" guns. They have killed many animals just as dead as any other gun. Now if you would have referenced Mossberg, then I would have let it slip.

IMO - no other gun is as dependable as a trusty old 870, but I would still get an autoloader for a child just getting into hunting.