My first shotgun was a Savage 220A in 20 gauge. I bought it with my paper route earnings, and still have it. It was a great little gun that I shot a lot, and it never gave a lick of problems. With it's hammerless design, it had a much nicer appearance than most other domestic single shots. The cyanide case hardening colors held up remarkably well too.
I agree with Gil that finding one in 28 ga. at a decent price might be very difficult, and I sure wouldn't pass up a good deal on one in 20 ga. if it was intended for a kid. I was not a beefy kid by any stretch, so that little 5 lb. gun had some noticeable recoil, especially with heavier loads. A round of 25 or 50 shots at clay targets would bruise my teenage shoulder. And we all thought more was better when it came to shot charge and velocity when choosing hunting loads. My Dad assured me I would never feel the "kick" when shooting at game though, and he was right.
My 20 gauge 220A was choked exceptionally tight, and would do a lot of damage to game shot inside of 25-30 yards if centered well. I was still in high school when I made my longest ever kill on a big ringneck pheasant. I took a Hail Mary shot with a big lead at a fast flying bird that was at least 30 yards further than what I'd consider an ethical shot today. I was at the left end of a line of five hunters when the bird crossed in front of us from right to left, and was boosted by a stiff November tailwind. The other guys all emptied their pumps and semi-autos, and missed clean. My buddies were as amazed as I was when I shot, and the bird folded and fell into the cut cornfield. I had to wring his neck to finish him, but one broken leg and one broken wing kept him from going anywhere. It was one of those shots you just never forget.
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