I've been liking my new/old SxS 16 for doves. Haven't tried it on quail; it has tight chokes for our quail, which are way different from the bobwhite I've shot -- but those were all farm-raised, for dog training. Maybe the wild bobwhites are as quick and skittish as our Valley Quail are.
The 20 O/U I have handles a lot like a SxS. The SKB also has a wide receiver top, and mind has a wider rib than most field guns. The comment I get when someone tries it is, "This thing feels like a side-by-side." That's probably why I like it.
Now if we could get some of the auto manufacturers to put the safety in a place that makes sense, I'd like them better, too. Maybe a trigger guard safety works fine in a duck blind, but it's responsible for a whole lot of missed upland shots.
If I buy a NIB auto in 12, I'm going to seriously look at the semiauto Mossbergs (930 and 935). I've liked the few I've seen and handled. They balance well and feel good. By modern standards, they're downright cheap to buy. They have a tang safety. I can't think of anything not to like -- except for the !@#$ ported barrel on the 930.
