Mossberg and remington both have vent rib barrels at 20-21" that are threaded for tubes. Switching barrels takes about 4 seconds but it is kinda convenient.
You're stuck with an incredibly long LOP.
I haven't seen many of them in class. The ones that have shown up have run just fine, but the people using them struggled mightily because of the ridiculously long LOP.
If Benelli would ship a rifle-sighted/ghost-ring 18.5" barreled gun with a stock that starts at ~ 12-12.5" LOP that you could increase with spacers it would be YUUUGE.
Alas, I don't think they will.
The polymer-over-steel design also makes them feel chunkier in the hand than something like an 870.
3/15/2016
Back then the Express model guns were made the same way as the Wingmasters, just without the extra polishing that was necessary for the high gloss blued finish. The Express as originally manufactured just had a matte blue finish and wood without the glossy polyurethane finish. The bores and chambers were still properly polished, the receivers were still vibra-honed, and they used the same trigger groups.
The Express model was relentlessly "economized" starting in the late 90's. They did away with the polishing, started using MIM parts, etc.
The 870 Police model was born from police departments insisting on a better gun...essentially what the original 870 Express guns were.
So if you have an early Express gun, it's every bit as good a gun as a Wingmaster in terms of suitability for defensive use.
3/15/2016
@TCinVA, I'm not opposed to NFA. I had an NFA Benelli already. I liked the size, I dumped it because the factory sights (mine was rifle, not ghost) hit 8-10" high at 25yds...unusable. So what about picking up one of the 14" 870 P's on Gunbroker for $300ish?
Food Court Apprentice
Semper Paratus certified AR15 armorer
At the moment an outfit called RatWorx has a bunch of 870 Police model guns listed on Gunbroker:
https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search...Sellers=558830
A while back they had a bunch of former Illinois State Police tradein Wingmasters for a ridiculously low price. I bought 4. (Don't judge me. I bet you have fetishes, too.)
I'd say that if someone was in the market for a police trade-in 870 at this very moment, they'd be doing themselves a huge favor by getting in contact with the folks at RatWorx. Because they likely have more guns available than what is listed on Gunbroker at the moment.
If you want an SBS and you can snag a PD trade-in gun for $300, that ain't bad neither.
NOTE: I have no affiliation with that company. I'm just a dude who bought guns from them a while ago and ended up with truly excellent shotguns in a trouble-free transaction. Although the local FFL couldn't comprehend why anyone would order four of the exact same shotgun.
3/15/2016
There are some good shotguns on that page you linked to.
For a time, I had a 20" rifle sight 870 like this one in my overhead rack for my Outside Shotgun for car stops and whatnot, and a 14" bead sight 870 with a shortened stock and forend light in my trunk as an Inside Shotgun.
I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.