Question about HK shotguns?

[SWOH]

Why does HK seem so fickle or otherwise have bad luck with shotgun sales and production? I had never heard of the HK512 before I saw it posted here, but at 1500 ever made and even more temperamental than a Benelli regarding ammo, it seemed an evolutionary dead end valued more for rarity than capability. Then HK got lucky and associated itself with Benelli until HK supposedly dumped them (and not vice versa) in '98. HK then went to an Italian pump gun from a brand no one heard of over here, Fabarm. I seem to recall on some other HK site reading an employee of HK not being that kind to these, but they are selling for a grand or more on GoneBroker. Now, for the past 15 years or so, no shotguns.

 

[AGG]

I suppose that HK GmbH does not see a big market in shotguns.

Tony

 

[SWOH]

I suppose that HK GmbH does not see a big market in shotguns.

Tony

If you can build a great one, people will buy it. However, making it out of mostly plastic that causes it to work badly when it gets too hot and slapping your trademark on the side and charging double what anyone else does for something similar probably won't get you there, if that is your most recent business strategy.

 

[AGG]

If you can build a great one, people will buy it. However, making it out of mostly plastic that causes it to work badly when it gets too hot and slapping your trademark on the side and charging double what anyone else does for something similar probably won't get you there, if that is your most recent business strategy.

Totally agree--- though the HK 512 (Franchi) is nice.

Tony

 

[dirtyharriett]

I think they came to the realistic conclusion that nobody is beating Benelli's M series in the tactical arena.

 

[Lamont]

Why does HK seem so fickle or otherwise have bad luck with shotgun sales and production? I had never heard of the HK512 before I saw it posted here, but at 1500 ever made and even more temperamental than a Benelli regarding ammo, it seemed an evolutionary dead end valued more for rarity than capability. Then HK got lucky and associated itself with Benelli until HK supposedly dumped them (and not vice versa) in '98. HK then went to an Italian pump gun from a brand no one heard of over here, Fabarm. I seem to recall on some other HK site reading an employee of HK not being that kind to these, but they are selling for a grand or more on GoneBroker. Now, for the past 15 years or so, no shotguns.

Well, it WAS an evolutionary dead end, it was just a sporting shotgun pressed into harder service, but so what. This was the late 70's early 80's and the "Combat Shotgun" as we think of it now didn't really exist. 90% of the shotguns in a squad car were 870's. ALL of the shotguns anyone had were those of sporting heritage.

Ask me how much fun it is looking for various pins in a foot of snow on the range in Germany, because the Winchester 1200 sheds parts when you pull the trigger.......those were left in a locker most of the time, no one still in the unit had ever seen them actually taken to the range and fired, someone had a visit from the good idea fairy and the "unit memory" was refreshed as to why that was, and why the MP's who formed what passed for a Protective Detail in West Berlin all carried 870's with factory folding stocks. Saw them on the range one time, they were not unfolding the stocks to use the weapon when they brought it out of concealment......you might be excused for not wishing them to protect YOU.....but at least the 870 was a much more reliable weapon.

No one has done a 12 gauge Mini-Gun yet.......

 

[Hkpsp]

Have two HK Benelli shotguns myself. A Montefeltro Super 90 and a 123 SL80.

 

[AGG]

Have two HK Benelli shotguns myself. A Montefeltro Super 90 and a 123 SL80.

Sweet scatterguns--- I believe that the Benelli M-Series shotguns are some of the smoothest operating around.

Tony