Winchester 1300 has a safety in front of trigger, 870 has a safety behind the trigger and mossberg 500 and browning bps have top tang safeties. All are quality guns. I grew up with a mossberg, always wanted the bps. I like a safety on top. The 1300 has a great sight picture for me. Go find them all and shoulder them. Dont buy on just recommendation, buy on what fits and feels the best.

Ithaca 37.

The 870 has a Magiul stock I would use that again my son put a Magul on his 500C 20ga and it works well.
And gives a lot of adjustment.

Another vote for the Mossberg 500 here…….

This does not fit your request for a more delux gun. But in 1957 I wanted a Ithaca went to the gun store (Rays in NJ) and the man said try it, he said it does not fit you. went through all the guns there and the cheapest one a Savage 77E fit the best. He then said he can make it fit better by grinding some wood off the stock. I looked at my Dad and we agreed, he did. I still have that gun today and the only change is to open the extraction port to eject 3 inch shells. It just works fine and FITS me well after all those years......jk

My old Ithacas that were made near me (Ithaca N.Y.) are great guns.Havent held any of the new ones made I think in Ohio.

I have a 37 in 16 gauge. Was my dads. Shot ducks geese rabbits and squirrels with it when I was a kid. Are they still made?

that does bring up perhaps the most important part of a shotgun FIT

FIT is huge , a gun that doesn't fit you will have greater felt recoil , smack you in the face and you won't hit what you want.

YOUR EYE IS THE REAR SIGHT. ALSO shoot to your dominant eye , forget what hand you write with. it can feel awkward for a few hours of training or the rest of your life you can be a squinter giving up 50% of your vision while shooting.

so if you can't get it your face in the right spot you won't hit what your sighting on consistently.

I think smacked in the shoulder and face should be self explanatory , if it isn't run a hundred rounds on clay and the bruises will show you whats wrong

standing in a store take sight on one of the features near the ceiling about 50 feet away ,while in your stance close your eyes, up to the cheek , into the shoulder , open your eyes , are you looking down the barrel or rib with a good sight picture.

you can go looking for a factory gun to fit or you can make most of the guns with aftermarket parts and accessories fit with things like a new stock or butt pad.

this is why I run the Morgan pad on the 500 and the Magpul stock on the 870 , to get the fit right

I also pattern shotguns you don't know what they actually shoot till you pattern a few of each shell

fixed chokes are not bad , but screw in chokes of a common thread pattern make a gun so much more versatile , you spend the money to make your gun fit you it makes sense to get all you can out if it by having chokes.

mossberg 500!!!!!!!!!

the 500c and bantams make great kids guns because the controls are ambidextrous and 20 and 12ga 500s use the same stock mounting pattern

the 12ga stocks will be wider and go out past the edges of the receiver about 1/8 inch but they will work and not hurt a thing so it can grow as you do

Mossberg 500 a well priced reliable gun easy to take apart and clean and all the parts interchange with each gun except for the safety button been shooting them for 50 years still rate in the list of best shotguns, have 5 of then a working mans gun,have never has probs with them.

870 is my choice also. Win Mod 12 is sweet.

870 or bps