dave,

here's my take, as i have been travelling the same road as you as our dogs have come into our lives:
O/U's are nice, but they're heavy, expensive and give you 2 shots, not 3 (i've seen you shoot.. ;))
28ga. sounds good on paper, but shells are something like 2x the price for a lot less lead than a 12ga. 20ga. is certainly adequate for quail, good on pheasants. i did a lot of research on guns this past spring; figuring weight, cost, reliability, warranties, customer service, aesthetics (it kind of matters-other than the Glock crowd, nobody wants to shoot an ugly gun!). another issue i have is i'm left handed. If i was going to pay a lot of money for a gun, it was going to be in the proper configuration. i looked at all these factors, and ended up with a 12ga benelli montefeltro. it weighs in at under 7#, has adjustable shims to adjust cast and drop, swings like a dream, and shoots beautifully. i looked at a 20ga montefeltro and i think that it ran in the 6.5# (or less) range. (just checked-the 20ga weighs 5.5#, not 6.5) the other auto i was considering was the beretta xplor light. very light weight gas gun-very pretty. but beretta has a horrible reputation for customer service, and i've read some less than stellar reviews on this line of shotguns. not to say they don't make a nice gun. take a look at some of the stuff from this site:
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/index.php

you may have to register

this guy has a bit to say as well:

http://randywakeman.com/shotgun.htm

i saw a really nice 20ga montefeltro at dj's in bothell a few months ago. still had the sticker on the stock. i think they wanted about $800 for it. i got mine at keith's in gresham, or. best price and saved on the taxes.


hope this helps
bill