Depends which set of compromises you want to deal with.
In general, the Beretta 391 is very close to a general purpose shotgun. I've no experience with the 400 series guns, so I can't comment but the 391 is an excellent platform and 'bent carrier syndrome' can be dealt with by swapping out the carrier assembly with the 390 version from Cole's. I've done that with two of them, and they both run 100% now.
I have a 20 gauge Cordoba and just to stir the pot I can't see what the gun looks like from my vantage point when shooting it. It's the softest 20ga I've ever used, has a decent trigger, and I'd buy another if this one went missing.
The current Remington products are simply not competitive. I have a few of the old 70's and 80's 1100's that see limited use, but that is such an old and dated design I can hardly recommend it in the world of modern Italian automatics. The current 1100 .410 does not last 50 shells before it breaks the part on the action bar where the bolt rides. Sintered parts have replaced the old 'more expensive' stuff that actually worked. Remington cannot fix those guns.
The 'Optima' 391s by the way, if a wood stock, are all bored with a hole to accept a 7 oz recoil reducer in the stock. There are many different weights available for the magazine cap too. You can add weight to this lightweight aluminum frame gun if you so wish and make it as heavy and dead handling as a K-80. They don't recoil much when the weight gets north of 9 pounds!
Good luck. Autos are fun. Just a different aspect of the hobby.
