When I was in the market for a semi-auto, I set out to buy anything but a Benelli just because everybody else had one. One day at Cabelas I was checking out a beretta extrema when the guy behind the counter had me try a SBEII.... I walked out with the SBEII and have never looked back. The feel is amazing and yes they are worth the hype!!! We hunt salt water on the coast and I have never had a single problem with it, plus they break down super easy so that you can clean it inside and out.