I recently got the Beretta 390. I paid $529 on sale, so i'd take it for $499 right away. It's my first shotgun so I'm not an expert. But the obvious is:
*It shoots everything I've tried so far, no malfunctions.
*The reciever and barrel seam very nice.
*It comes with 3 chokes.
*The stock and forearm are somewhat cheap, but can be upgraded down the road with the newer/nicer stocks.
*It comes with a plastic buttplate. A perfect fitting Limbsaver buttpad for ~$34 fixed that.
*It comes with a gold or silver bead sight. I changed it right away for a fiber optic for cheap.
The majority of my shooting isn't with a shotgun. I bought it as a tool. I think the 390 is going to fill this role nicely.