I have Benelli Super Sport models in both 12ga ( 30" barrel )and 20ga ( 28" barrel ).....and they are both solid guns / I've had the 12ga for at least 10 yrs --- bought it when they were pretty new to the market / 20ga is at least 8 yrs old....
I use them as training guns for grandkids...and the 12ga as a Travel gun / where I don't want to take expensive O/U's ...and I want to travel with just one gun / that will do most everything pretty well. Its also a good foul weather gun ...rain, snow, etc.....and even with the bright receiver ..and polished barrels...I've camo taped it temporarily and used it for waterfowl too.
I keep both of them clean and well lubed... I use Rig spray oil #2 on the trigger and bolt mechanism when I fully strip the gun ....and Break Free oil on the rails where the bolt mechanism travels in the receiver. My guns will run even 7/8 oz loads in the 12ga / and 3/4 oz loads in the 20ga ( I reload ) ...but they have to be at 1200 fps or faster...neither of my guns will run a shell, even if its 1 1/8 oz at 1150 fps.../ so they need a little velocity to run reliably / but as long as they run 100% on shells at 1200 fps...I have no qualms about shooting one of them in a tournament.
I find the Crio barrels...and the Benelli chokes ...a little tighter than most other chokes ( so I shoot a Cyclinder choke for Skeet / and Imp Cyc for Trap from 16 - 20 yard lines / Mod or Imp Cyc most of the time for Sporting Clays....
They're not the best looking guns out there...although the grandkids like the black synthetic and the carbon fibre looking finish on them ...( but kids from 8 to 21 think anything looks cool in black synthetic ...)...
If I thought the Performance model was a significantly better gun ...I'd buy one / an acquaintance did have one at the gun club...and we stripped it down, and I couldn't see any significant difference in the internals...but back boring and lengthened forcing cones are good things ! But the standard models I have ...pattern just fine ...and recoil is soft ( although at 6'5" and 290 lbs...most any shotgun is relatively soft shooting to me )....but the 20ga in particular, is a gun I use to train the younger grandkids in the family ...and some of the granddaughters are pretty petite still...12 - 19 / and they all really like that 20ga at 6.2 lbs gross weight / and they like it even with full 7/8 oz loads in it....
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If you didn't want to spend that much on a semi-auto .....I'd look at the Browning Silver series...gas operated semi-autos, alloy receivers...and I think they're pretty good guns in the $ 1,200 range or so ...and they have a lot of models to choose from...
I have a Silver series - Hunter model that I gave as a gift to one of the older grandkids...and its served him well.../ but they have at least 15 versions of them now....