I shoot a lot at the range and in the field. About six years ago I had to upgrade my goose gun from 1968 Wingmaster Magnum to a semi because of retina detachments. I chose an old A5 Magnum for a couple of reasons. First it is heavy. Lightweight waterfowl guns are almost silly. Most of us just sit with it when hunting and get to the spot in a vehicle or boat. Also, a light gun doesn't swing as well as a heavy one. And of course a heavy gun has less felt recoil which is very important. Finally, I had a fixed modified A5 Light Twelve pheasant gun since 1972 and was familiar with it. But of course I doubt you will be considering buying a classic old relic that's been out of production since 1998 (too expensive to manufacture and be market competitive). The point is twofold: 1) You do not need 3.5" shells. I regularly shoot triples on geese with 3" BB @ 1550 fps. Monday I knocked down four honkers pass shooting with just five shots all at 50+ yards. 2) Look for a heavier gun ... if you can find one. My old gun is a bit over the top in that category but I still prefer to carry it pheasant hunting for six weeks in Montana every year (for whatever reason the Light Twelve shoots higher).
Finally, there is recoil to think about. Obviously, for health reasons that is a big consideration for me, maybe not so much for you. But unless you shoot a lot and get acclimated to it, harsh recoil will take a toll on your performance, if not your physical wellbeing. A few weeks back at sporting clays a primer exploded backwards (weird!) and pieces jammed up my A5. We were at the last rabbit station and one of the fellas loaned me his Benelli inertia auto to finish up. I never missed a target with a strange gun. He said I should retire the antique and invest in one of those. No thanks! Of course the first thing I noticed when I pulled it off the rack was the light weight. Then the recoil! Boy, did that gun thump me (1 1/8 oz @ 1250 fps). I simply can't imagine shooting goose loads through it. I have shot a borrowed Beretta auto at the range a couple of rounds and they certainly are smooth, quick, and soft. Very popular at the club but I have seen some issues and Stoeger provides very poor product support for Beretta.
I have heard good things about both Remington and Wichester new autos. No one at the club shoots Remington but two guys have Winchester autos and they love them. ATA, the Turkish outfit that makes Weatherby's autos, has one of the better reputations for that country's gun makers. And most of the historically shabbier manufacturers over there have cleaned up their act a lot.
Curious about what "all around" use you will be putting this gun through?
