By a newbie, do you mean a kid? Although I'm a big Benelli fan (I LOVE my M1 Super 90!), I don't think I would recommend the Nova for a child, unless it was perhaps a 20 gauge. My girlfriend bought a 12 gauge Nova last year, and the frame on it was just too big and cumbersome for her to handle comfortably. As for Mossberg, I've got nothing good to say about them. Junk, in my opinion. I don't know how many of my acquaintences over the years have used the 870, but it has been a BUNCH! Although I've never owned one, I admire it greatly. It is a quality, workhorse of a hunting machine. I don't think you could go wrong with it.