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The best semi-auto depends on what you intend to do with it.
If you are a waterfowler who shoots clays occasionally take a Benelli. They are simple, robust and reliable providing you are using ammo of sufficient power. They don't get clogged up like the gas guns and the mechanism is very easy to maintain. The price you pay is added recoil and poor functioning with light loads. I've spent far too much time waiting on Benelli shooters to reshoot targets because they didn't bring ammo that was strong enough to reliably work the action. On one outing I even traded my 3 dram 1-1/8 ounce ammo with a Benelli shooter whose 1 ounce light loads were just not getting the job done.
If you are primarily a clay shooter but shoot some waterfowl then the Beretta 391 is state of the art. It is soft shooting, reliable with even the lighest shells, works with the 3" magnums and comes in variety of formats for clay target shooting. Due to the gas system maintenance can be a little trickier but not impossible.
I admire the Benelli for its many qualities but I wouldn't trade one for my Beretta 391.
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