you guys are going to chew me out for this, but

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Piedmont Plinker

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Is it heresy to want a Benelli Nova pump over an 870 Express? Honestly I don't have an 870 and I want a pump shotgun. I prefer wood stocks but the 870's Express' wood stock and finish are'nt spectacular and the polymer of the Supernova would probably be more durable. Also I like the idea that this shotgun can shoot 3.5' maggies-so it can kill anything short of a rhino.
Is this the worse for of heresy, and should I be hanged, drawn, quatered, and burned?
How do these two shotguns compare, esp in terms of price MSRP are similar.
I have a Berreta Urika for breaking clays and upland shooting.
Benelli's are obviously good shotguns- the US military would'nt adopt them if they weren't.
 
I have a Benelli Nova, and I've had an 870 in the past. My only complaint about the Nova is that the foregrip doesn't fit well; it rattles side to side a bit. I've heard this is fixable but it hasn't bothered me enough to look in to. It's been perfectly reliable, and there's a button on the bottom of the foregrip that, when held in, allows you to eject the spent shell and close the action without loading a new round.
 
If it fits and you like it, who cares what we think? The only reason I don't own a Nova is because I can't stand the triggers. If that doesn't bother you, it's a decent gun.

Heck, I'd get a Nova before I would buy a Mossberg, but there are folks here who would take great exception to that. That's why it's great that there are so many choices.
 
Not hanging, just a couple strokes of the Bastinado....

Seriously, the Nova is a decent shotgun with a few drawbacks.

Either the one piece stock.receiver fits you or it doesn't. No adjustments possible.,

The triggers on the ones I've shot have been uniformly terrible.

The forearms rattle like a 49 Willys.

Other than that, it's OK.....
 
I bought a NOVA for my Son's first goose gun . . . my reasoning was that it was "kidproof" - relatively impervious to damage. He still shoots it & loves it. I do believe you could use one as a paddle to get to your hunting spot & shoot all day. Fit is as Dave stated . . . one size doesn't necessarily fit all best.
 
Considered yourself chewed on. All kidding aside, buy what you like/want and don't worry too much about other opinions:p
 
I've got both. I bought the Nova first. I like it just fine. I just like my 870 a lot better, and I paid about the same for both of them. 870 advantages include after market part support, easy to customize to the shooter, mine is more reliable than my nova, which occasionally does weird things with its shell lifter, and its an 870. The only advantage my Nova has is it has a 3 and 1/2 inch chamber, and I occasionally like to dare some of my partners to fire a 5 rd box of the 3.5 inch magnum 00 buck loads. So far, no one has offered to repeat the experience...

But it really is a perfectly fine shotgun, and my wife has decided it is "her" shotgun, so I can never sell it. Fortunately, I got an extended magazine for it before they vanished from the face of the earth.
 
I have a Nova 20 ga. Other than the rattling forearm, I have had no problems. Actually, the forearm is no real problem as I have had Mossbergs that rattled more. The polymer material that Benelli uses is as strong as any alloy I have seen. Take a look at the current law enforcement handguns. Most are now polymers. I will never wear this gun out. It is super tough. Another thing is you don't have to be careful with it. It ain't pretty to start with and it is weatherproof. It is possible to scratch it I suppose but I haven't kid gloved mine and it looks as well as it did the day I bought it. I heard of one guy that lost his outboard on a hunting trip and used his Nova for a paddle and hunted with it the rest of the hunt. There ain't much about it to rust. The barrel is coated and the bore is chrome. Use it! Then give it a decent cleaning. It will do it's business and beg for more. In fact, if you ever needed to change the firing pin, it is a 1 minute job. When you field strip it the firing pin falls out and you slip it back in when reassembling. This beats havibg to wrestle with pins and screws on the other popular pumps. I will be keeping mine for all my 20 ga hunting.
 
I have more than a couple shotguns and one of them is a 12 gauge Nova. It shoots fine and, after installing a mag extention and the obligatory "Side-Saddle", it's employed as my home defense shotty. I'm, however, no fan of the "Buck Rogers", high-tech look...
 
Did you like the way the nova felt more than the 870? I don't prefer the feel of them, the pump on my friends rattles and it just doesn't have that solid feel like an 870. I will say though that the pump has a button on the bottom that you can press and when you rack the slide it will eject the shell and not chamber the next one. Just a little feature I thought was neat. But it just has a cheap feel in my opinion.
 
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Everyone here likes most high quality Shotguns. Just don't be sedced by the siren song of a 3.5" chamber, You will probably never use it, and i you do, you will only use it very ocassionally.
 
I was surprised this past week when touring the Capital Building in D.C. All of the security guards had Benelli's for shotguns or M4's for rifles. Kinda hurt my feelings that they would not be using American made shotguns to guard the capital of the nation. Then it occured to me....my Baretta 9MM pistol IS american made. Are any Benelli shotguns made stateside? One of the gaurds told me the Benelli has proven very durable for daily carry for him.
 
Have you seen the new laminated stocks on the 870 Express? Pretty attractive. Much better than the old wood stocks.

Scott
 
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