What constitutes a "nice gun" is obviously very much dependent on personal opinion. I have an 870 that I got in 1978. After hundreds of trips and thousands of rounds it fits me like a glove, and most importantly goes "boom" every time. To me it is a very nice gun. I have several other shotguns, but almost never use them.
My son has a newer 870 express that works well for him. As stated above the finish on the gun is not as good as the older ones. With a little looking you might be able to find an older 870 "Wingmaster" that probably is a higher quality gun than the new ones.
I'm amazed at the number of low priced pumps on the market these days. Go to a gun shop and look at several models and see what feels best. Some of them, Mossbergs for example, seem pretty sloppy in the action compared to the 870. But to each his own!
_________________________
"It's NOT that much farther than the Cowlitz!"

"I fish, therefore someone else must tend the cooler!"