I have to agree with MarkCo. The two best values on the market right now are the Versamax Sportsman and the Stoeger M3000/3500. The Versamax will cost a little more, but will shoot a wider variety of shells. Stoeger is now owned by Benelli, which is owned by Beretta, which is owned by... I can't remember. 3gun competition sort of separates the good from the bad. We are really tough on our equipment and anything that won't hold up for the long haul gets sold. Pretty much the hot ticket in competition these days are... Versamax, M3000, M2, SBE2 and lately there has been some increasing interest in the new Browning A5. If you are a buy once, cry once kind of person, then just get one of the Benelli models. If you want something a little more versatile and are willing to give up a little fit and finish quality then the Versamax is the way to go. If you are on a teacher's budget, then grab a 26" stoeger, do a little polishing of the internals, break it in and go have fun.