My only advise is pull that trigger hard.
I've always been an 870 guy too, and I picked up a Nova back in 03. First 2 clays went unshot. Kept thinking I had the safety on. Realized I really had to pull that trigger compared to what I was accustomed to. Couple weeks later traded it off and stuck with my 870s. They used to be pretty cranky too, but I held one the other day that was much better. Hope it works well for you.
