I was interested in what a good semi-auto 12g shotgun is for around $500?

GOOD and $500 usually don't appear in the same sentence.

About your only options for that price would be a Stoeger or Yildiz. Neither of which I would consider as "good". Serviceable, possibly.

Save a little longer and buy a Benelli. You won't regret it!

Are you looking for new or used?

A friend has a Weatherby SA-08 and I think it's a good value for that price. Take a look at them if you haven't.

Buy a used 1100

x2, mine is early 80's and keeps on going with a little TLC.

I bought a Beretta A390 awhile back and it just didn't fit right or feel natural at all when putting it on my shoulder. I have $650 in it, but I think I can easily sell it for $750-ish.

While I was looking through the classified ads trying to decide if I wanted to keep the 390, I found a Beretta AL-2 which is the predecessor to the 390. It was a really beautiful gun in pristine condition and the guy selling it was right down the road from my house. I checked it out last night and bought it for $350. Heard lots of good things about them. I had to sacrifice interchangeable chokes and a variable gas relief valve to allow the gun to cycle any load at all. But I'm going to have $400 in my pocket and a gun that fits and handles much, much more naturally to me.

Long story short - look for an older gun. The old Rem 1100s and pre-390 Berettas are great guns and can be had cheaply. What are you wanting to do with it? If interchangeable chokes are a necessity, you're probably going to be limited to a used Weatherby SA-08 or Remington 1100. From all my research, these are two great, cost-effective options that seem to fit a lot of people well. But don't count out an older Beretta if you can find it and choke-swapping isn't a requirement. They're beautiful guns and very reliable if you don't mind being somewhat limited to what loads you can put in it, or you don't mind sending it to a gunsmith to get the gas ports drilled out to cycle anything.

Good luck! I was in your situation a few months ago and I'm really happy with what I ended up at. You don't need a $1000 Benelli to have a good, fun, reliable shotgun. There are plenty of options in the $400-$600 range. I would start with the 1100 and go from there.

yep

I have an SA-08 and really, really like it.

Before you buy on the $ being right, go out and handle a bunch and see which one fits the best. I bought my SA-08 after looking at about 15 different auto-loaders primarily because it fit me the best of any of them.

Lot of truth here.

The Beretta Outlander fit me the best and it's not to expensive.

The Mossberg 835 is a great shotgun too.

Mossberg 930 or Stoger m3000

Try to find a nice used Remington 11-87. They have changeable chokes and are reasonably reliable. A nice example can usually be had for under $500 and under $400 is not out of the question.

The SA-08 is a good option, zero complaints with mine

SA-08 or Mossberg 930.

I have heard great reviews of these over and over. Most importantly, select a gun that fits you.

My daughter has a SA-08 Youth(one of the earlier ones with a wood stock). I have a SA-08 Upland 20 gauge, a SA-08 Waterfowler and a SA-459 Turkey 20 gauge. I obviously am a fan. If I were shooting a steady diet of 3" shells I'd use a 930. They are a good bit heavier than a SA-08 and so the felt recoil is less, for its weight the SA-08 is a light kicker though.

I have the SA 08 as well and it's been an excellent gun. Very light weight, light recoiling, and has ran flawlessly so far.

I have a Stoeger M2000 that has had several thousand shells through it it has been an excellent gun. My father-in-law shoots a Mossberg 930 That he is very happy with . I prefer gas guns over inertia guns they are softer shooting ,much less recoil impulse . I recently picked up a Beretta a 300 camo for 599 at Dick's. I love the way it points and it has been 100% reliable and very soft shooting much like a Remington 1100 .