Agreed about the 870's. You can throw a synthetic one in a closet, and leave it for years and all it'll need to run smooth is a little oil. A good friend loaned me his Mossy 500 in 20ga and I just wasn't impressed with anything about it at all. It shot just fine, but... fit and finish were "meh" to say the least.
Josh, for me shooting is relaxing. There's nothing like starting a week with a few rounds of trap. Shooting clays is so much more enjoyable for me than a piece of paper (but I can do both). I can understand someone not enjoying it, it's not for everyone.
Very nice, David! Looks like you'll be having some fun.
I just bought this yesterday:
Just a base model, anything more will get me in trouble.