I think the first thing you have to come to grips with is your tendency to base your judgement on a few bad reviews while ignoring the plethora of positive reviews.

Every gun ever made has had bad reviews. I' m sure that even shotguns as revered as the Browning A5 and the Winchester Model 12 had some bad reviews. Some people might not like the gun for whatever reason, or maybe they got a bad specimen that had problems. The problem with negative reviews is that first; people with bad feelings are far more likely to write a nasty review than the many who have had great experiences are to write a positive review. Second, people take far more notice to bad reviews than good ones. Third, people tend to ignore the reviews that don' t suit their predisposition. You site the negative reviews of Remington, Browning, and Benelli, but seen to completely disregard the fact that there are at least as many negative reviews out there about Mossbergs.

You say that you' ve read bad reviews about the BPS, but I can personally vouch for the quality and functionality of mine. Sure, it' s a little heavier than most other pump guns, but otherwise it excels. I do have a love hate relationship with the bottom eject, perticularly on the trap range, but that doesn' t make it bad for everybody (like the guy to your right in the duck blind). There are bad 870' s out there too. I have personally owned an 870 Express that I didn' t really like, not because it didn' t work right but because I like my shotguns to have nice walnut stocks and deep bluing. Personal preference. I used to own a Winchester 1300 pump, but I didn' t care for it because it just didn' t fit me well, so I traded for the above mentioned 870 Express.

I' d suggest that you go down to your gun shop and take a personal look at all the pump guns they have side by side and see which one you like best. Pump them, point them, take them apart and see which one meets your requirements. If it' s the Mossberg, then buy the Mossberg. It' s your money to do with as you please, after all. I just hope that you CAN find a shotgun to meet your specs. You might just consider sticking with the A5. Shotguns don' t get much better than the A5. I wish I had one myself.

Good luck,

Mike