Ha ha. wherever the guy is and whatever he is doing now I can assure you that he is got one evil grin on his face reading this.

I asked taurus the same question when I first wanted to get my first non-military firearm. The recomendation I got from him for a first general purpose firearm was the Mossberg 500 deer/waterfoul combo for these reasons:
1.cheap
2.ultra reliable
3. easy operation and maintance
4.great for a variety of tasks from home defence, bird hunting, small game hunting, large game hunting and recreation.
5. large selection of different types of ammo to taylor to individual needs.
6. very easy to customize. and
7.which I didnt know at the time it is a very easy cartridge to reload your own ammo for.(I think he uses a lee load all 2 ? which is a shotshell reloader that retails for about 60 bucks) he loaded me 100 shells in about 1 hour ten minutes once. this is something I want to start as well when he gets home to show me how.
I took the lads advice and got a 500 combo and I love it. it aint fancy, but it damn well works when you need it to. he also talked very highly of the rem 870 as well. I can vouch for this old girl as we are issued these for urban combat. great little shotguns but more on the pricey side.

I have been to the guys house an have seen his collection. all I can say is holy crap. this guy likes guns. To name a few shotguns that I remember he had the rem 870, mossberg 500,535,835, and 935 semi auto, as well as a super black eagle 2 and a couple of double barrels. including a very old 8 ga which only God knows where he got that one from. Despite it all he will always hit the field with the same tried, tested and proven guns. the ruger 10/22, the mossberg 500 and a good old scratched up .30-06. The guy is a bigger gun nut than most guys I have met and he reloads and shoots and hunts constantly so I will take his advice a well as anyone elses. when a guy owns all those shotguns but sticks to one to take to the field it must be for a good reason. unless a rifle is needed for specific reason he will have the 500 stuck to his hand like glue. but. to each their own.

I was on msn with the dude last night and he expects to be home in a couple of months. They only sent him as a replacement until a new guy can be trained up. When he gets back give the guy a call hacksaw. I tell you he will be more than happy to take you out to the range to give some guns a test drive. I will go as well, and make a day of it. We always go to the mundare range. a membership is only 25 bucks a year and gives you acces to a private fish pond as well. a warning though. if you hang with this guy he will turn you into a gun freak in no time. the bas>>>d made me one. welcome to the world of a new addition friend.