doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com The Hoenig Rotary Round Action

I was reading through an old copy (May/June 2004) of "Shooting Sportsman" magazine when I came across an article (by Clair Kofoed)
about the Hoenig Rotary Round action.
The gun seems to be an extremely new and well designed gun.
Does anyone have one or seen one? What happened to it? Not that I would ever be able to buy one, it seemed to be priced at $25,000.00.

https://www.facebook.com/GriffinAndHowe/videos/587370514777276/?v=587370514777276

Pete

A dear friend has a 9.3x74r double rifle. To me it is an answer to a question that was never asked. If I decide on a RA it will be a Dickson or a McNaughton.

Steve

Hoenig is a brilliant gunsmith. The question he asked is why is there so much unreliable junk in gunmaking. The rotary round action was his idea to eliminate the things that go wrong in guns. No ejectors,no single triggers, no hinge pin. Exceedingly high quality work.
I'd suggest he accomplished what he was after. Don't own one, but, wouldn't mind it.

Best,
Ted

No question as to Mr. Hoenings skills but to me those guns are just way too odd to operate. At that price point a shrewd shopper has a bunch of better options in my mind.
Steve

You could argue cheaper options, that will spend more time with a gunsmith someday.
But that is not the same as better. Hoenig guns are exceedingly nice handling guns, BTW.
Years ago, you could find interviews that people had done with Mr. Hoenig. Wherever he is, he is the smartest guy in the room. I own a few guns, based on his opinion of them.

Best,
Ted

Have you worked the action on one Ted?

Nicely made but not ergonomic at all was my impression.
I liked the looks from afar but
I just could not warm to one once I held one.

You can buy one hell of a gun for less money and put thousands in an investment account to cover gunsmithing in the future.

Not the same but more to my way of thinking.

Having never seen one in person, are they so expensive because they are so difficult and time consuming to make? Or because they are so exclusively different?

Of course, I�ve worked a Hoenig. I regret I didn�t get to hunt it. Seemed ergonomic enough to me, but, I�m not a driven bird shooter. Nicely made is an understatement.

As to expense, same reason anything else costs more. And, built in USA.

Best,
Ted

Seems pretty ergonomic to me.


Best,
Ted

https://youtu.be/Ncj3bux7c5o

Yes but you shoot Darnes. The only odd ball opening systems I find enjoyable to use are side levers and push forward snap action underlever actions. I find the twist motion down right strange. Just my take but I would not want to own one.

I am sure there are safeguards against it but it would seem easy to have that action just partially rotated, which would seem a liability. And the connection between barrel and receiver looks sort of fragile, but I imagine it is just fine. It certainly is interesting. I still don't see why it is so expensive, however. What's the going price on a CSMC?

Sorta depends on which CSMC gun you are talking about.

I didn�t get to fire the gun. Getting it unlocked is a two handed affair, and it is perfectly obvious if it is out of battery.

Best,
Ted

I suppose it does.

Anyway, it is cool. I would definitely shoot it. I would even hunt with it, but I would not want to pay for it.

Brent's comment about a fragile barrel to receiver joint (when open) has always been my feeling. However, I haven't spent much time with them either. I assume it is very strong, open or closed. I want one, especially the Vierling version.

I have not handled a Hoenig, but Ivano Tanfoglio who makes the Ferlib best quality shotguns handled one, and he told me it is a superb gun. I believe him.

Here is a video of the 28 gauge

https://www.facebook.com/GriffinAndHowe/videos/587370514777276/

That 28 looks about as big as one can go without making it a very wide action. Is there a 12 gauge version and what does it look like?

https://www.poulinauctions.com/george-hoenig-magnum-shotgun-cal-20-ga/

There was a 20 gauge and several double rifles, I don't know about a 12 gauge.

The one example I handled was 20 gauge. Serial number was in the 20s, IIRC.

Best,
Ted

The 20 doesn't look so svelte, but still manageable. Interesting guns for certain.

Wondering how easy it is to rotate the action. Seems to me in the natural course of hunting and handling the gun it is quite possible to slightly rotate it and take it out of battery unknowingly.

Not that easy. It is hard to explain, but, when the gun is out of battery you can tell immediately.
Would be interesting to see one that had seen very heavy use, 150 years from now.
Keep in mind the gun is built of hardened S7 tool steel. That is tough stuff.

Best,
Ted

28x28 with 7mm rimmed and 17 Hornet would be nice!

I met Mr. Hoenig on several occasions in Las Vegas and these guns are truly works of art and very fine quality. I considered purchasing one on several occasions over the years. Both were lightly used 28 bore guns with 29 and 30 inch barrels with solid ribs. They were exquisite and handled great. I hesitated long enough that someone else purchased them and saved me from myself. You know how that goes!

I've seen and handled a rifle and it was surprisingly ergonomic, quick to handle and operate and quite accurate and superbly made... but the design leaves me cold.

The Hoenig action is still being built Hoenig. I looked at a 20 gauge O/U at a gunshow about 5 years ago. It was different but well built.

Ken

Ron Spomer has a youtube demonstrating and detailing Hoenig's round gun. Interviewing George Hoenig he says he is retired and there will be no more. Spomer does a wonderful job showing, shooting and explaining the gun. Look it up~~