Absolutely every hunter knows that Turkish pneumatics are considered one of the best, most reliable and high-quality. The company was founded a long time ago, back in 1976 in the city of Izmir. Gradually the scale of the company grew, and in 2000 best turkish air rifles hatsan saw the whole world. Today, this hunting weapon is very popular in Russia, almost everyone knows how good Hatsan rifles are, they are practically the best in power. Let's move on to the rating.
Hatsan 125
The most popular Turkish pneumatic Hatsan is the 125 model, which absolutely every man has heard of. What people could love about it is its power, which is even more than necessary, and also for its firing range, beautiful design and much more. Conventional spring-piston design, single-shot type. The rifle has a rifled steel barrel, reaching 50 centimeters in length. The main caliber chosen is 4.5 mm, but manufacturers are ready to provide larger options.
The mechanical spring is responsible for the energy in the weapon; two of them are issued in the kit at once, one is more powerful, they are installed in certain cases. A standard spring is enough to produce up to 7.5 Joules of power and also achieve a speed of 380 m/s. But it’s best to install a gas spring right away, because the standard one shrinks too quickly. The Turkish Hatsan 125 air rifle is equipped with an automatic safety, which, after cocking, automatically activates the safety mode, so it will be impossible to fire a shot.
The stock is made of high-strength plastic in several color options for customers to choose from. It will be more difficult to choose a scope for a weapon; it must be reliable, because due to the power of the rifle, they simply break and do not live out their service life. Turkish pneumatics of this brand are even on the list of leaders in the overall ranking.
- Caliber: 4.5 mm
- Type: single shot
- Power: 7.5 J
- Bullet speed: 380 m/s
- Length: 1.2 m.
- Barrel length: 50 cm.
- Weight 3.65 kg.
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Testing semi-automatic machines until the first failure: MP-155, Hatsan Escort and Kral Arms M 155
Photo by the author.
The conditions were, one might say, extreme; shooting was carried out with magnum cartridges almost without interruption, which, naturally, left its mark on the survivability of the guns.
Test firing took place over two days. The first time, in the presence of journalists, all the guns were shot for accuracy and accuracy. For this purpose, ordinary shot and bullet cartridges were used.
On the second day we shot for survival, and only magnum cartridges were used. Shooting with such cartridges cannot be called standard.
It must be admitted that, although the weapon has an elongated chamber and the locking of the guns is designed for reinforced charges, only extreme sportsmen can shoot constantly with magnum cartridges, especially without interruption.
As practice has shown, the survivability of weapons when fired only with magnum cartridges is low, which, however, does not provide an assessment of survivability when fired with conventional cartridges.
It is impossible to directly interpolate how many shots a weapon would withstand if fired with standard cartridges, although a comparative assessment of the strength and reliability of a weapon is quite correct.
So, in the morning everyone gathered in Biserovo to see with their own eyes which gun would be stronger. Let me remind you that three hunting rifles took part in the test: the Russian MP-155 and two Turkish analogues, Hatsan Escort and Kral Arms M 155.
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The main criterion for choosing competitors is close price. In stores these guns are sold for 25 thousand rubles. In other words, this price does not include a single foreign branded gun, which is why they did not participate in the test.
| Photo by the author. |
After assembly, the weapon could be examined closely. What is the impression? “Turks” look neater, the polishing is much cleaner, and the shutter moves more smoothly.
It is interesting that the design of the Hatsan Escort and the Kral Arms M 155 are so similar that the thought creeps in about the interchangeability of parts, but, as the experiment has shown, there are minor differences. The locking system for all guns is the same - “on a wedge”, but the gas venting mechanism has a number of features.
On the MP-155 it is adjustable and can be adjusted to the ammunition used. This is a clear plus, especially if the shooting is carried out with magnum cartridges. It should be noted that if the weapon is reloaded using light loads, then when firing magnum cartridges the amount of exhaust gases will be clearly excessive.
In the MP-155, this can be compensated for by tuning the gas engine, thereby adapting the operation of the weapon. The Turks do not have such a mechanism and the shutter recoil speed may be excessive, which, of course, will affect the operation of the weapon.
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There are automatic settings in which the excess gas is simply dumped, but this increases the amount of carbon deposits in the engine itself. However, we will talk about this a little later.
Initially, the test organizers decided to shoot the weapon for accuracy and accuracy. There were no surprises; all guns with the same cartridge showed approximately the same results.
Even the accuracy of shot fire was approximately the same, although in this parameter our weapons usually outperform the Turkish ones. Those interested could try shooting and evaluate the performance of the weapon in comparison.
The recoil of the MP-155 is clearly easier to handle, perhaps due to the fact that it is a little heavier than its competitors. In other characteristics, the guns are approximately the same. The opinions of the shooters were divided: some thought the MP-155 was more useful, while others thought the Kral Arms M 155 was more useful.
The latter has an unpleasant feature when charging: the edges of the box below are very sharp. Of course, this can be easily treated with a file, but after such modification there will be two white stripes that will not be easy to paint over.
| Photo by the author. |
Having moved from the shooting range to the open air, we continued the test. Now we were faced with the task of simply shooting and collecting information about the abnormal operation of the guns. Before the start of the main test, we optionally shot cartridges with ultra-light shot loads - 24 g.
Read the material “Experience in using rifle bullets in hunting”
It should be noted that the designers of the MP-155 did not guarantee operation with such loads; the minimum load for it is 28 g, but since such cartridges are on sale, it was interesting to try.
Both “Turks” fired without problems or delays, but the MP-155 refused to reload even after adjustment. For three test shots there was only one reload, and it was rather sluggish; the cartridge case simply fell out of the box window.
In other cases, the shutter opened slightly and closed back. Starting with a sample of 28 g, things started to get more fun. All guns “ate” any cartridges without problems, plastic and folder cartridges worked accurately and without delays. The MP-155, as many noted, had noticeably less recoil.
Perhaps the regulator played a role, which can be adjusted to the cartridge and thereby optimize the shutter speed. On the first day, none of the test participants left the race.
The organizers assembled a special machine for zeroing weapons, with the help of which they were going to carry out the main shooting for survival.
On the second day we fired only magnum cartridges. The goal is to bring the weapon to the first serious failure. Of course, periodically the weapon was disassembled, its wear and integrity of parts were monitored, and cleaning was carried out.
There were two problems, with all guns. The first is a lack of delivery, usually associated with the fact that it’s time to clean the weapon. The second is an empty chamber, that is, the next cartridge did not enter the feeder and was not sent into the barrel.
This happened several times and was treated simply by reloading again (shutter jerking).
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The reason for this, most likely, was that when a gun is fired without resting the butt on the shoulder (and this was practiced in the test), due to the strong throwing of the weapon back, the cartridges in the magazine move forward by inertia or do not have time to jump out onto the tray , or the sleeve welt clings to the second interceptor in the magazine and the cartridge misses its turn.
| Photo by the author. |
If this happens during normal shooting, you should pay attention to the serviceability of the weapon, but in our case this happened with all the guns, and therefore it was decided not to pay attention. To illustrate, I will give some numbers. The Hatsan Escort had two cartridge misses, the MP-155 had six, and the Kral Arms M 155 had four.
But I note that the number of passes correlates well with the total number of shots.
The first problems began with the Hatsan Escort: after the 271st shot with a magnum cartridge, it began to limp, reload every once in a while and stopped firing cartridges. After disassembly and cleaning, severe carbon deposits were revealed in the area of the gas engine, which could not be removed even with a steel brush.
After the shooting continued, the delays were not eliminated, and the weapon had to be “written off.” It can be assumed that heavy carbon deposits are caused by the operation of a gas engine, which bleeds off excess gases and thereby increases pollution.
Perhaps, with the use of conventional cartridges, this effect would not have manifested itself, or appeared, but much later. However, what happened was what happened. The gun has turned into a weapon with manual reloading, and quite heavy, and we are testing semi-automatic weapons.
The Kral Arms M 155 lasted much longer, but its collapse was even more pronounced. On the 800th shot, the magazine body suddenly moved forward and play appeared in the forend. Disassembly showed that the magazine tube had broken off right next to the box.
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Maybe it was a defect in this particular tube (for example, a deep or asymmetrical and crooked thread), or maybe it was used too roughly. As I wrote above, a significant part of the shots were made handheld, without pressing the butt to the shoulder.
When firing in this way, the weapon experiences unusual loads, strong toss occurs, and if there is play between the barrel and the frame, this can lead to the magazine tube becoming loose. One way or another, all the guns were in the same conditions, and the magazine tube broke off only on the Kral Arms M 155.
There are no problems in replacing the magazine tube, the question is - where to get it? With spare parts for "Turks" everything is not so simple. And now you can’t shoot from it even in single mode, since the magazine in the design of semi-automatic devices is the element that holds the barrel. In general, the Kral Arms M 155 retired from the range at the 800th shot.
| Photo by the author. |
The winner of the test was MP-155. But how long can he endure shooting with magnum cartridges? Still, it would be a shame to gather at the shooting range, spend two days there and not bring the matter to its logical conclusion.
Therefore, the organizers decided to shoot further, and to save time they decided not to wait for the gun to cool down, but to cool it with water, adding a little more extremeness.
The gun withstood 1242 shots, after which it stopped firing (the trigger was not pulled). Disassembly showed that the sear, a small steel part in the trigger, had broken. Replacing it takes several minutes, and such an operation can be done by the owner of the weapon himself, but since there is nowhere to get a sear while hunting, the test organizers considered the failure fatal and ended the test.
The test made it possible to look at how a weapon works under extreme loads, to understand where the weak link is in certain guns. One can argue for a long time what would have happened if the cartridges were not “magnum”, but with a conventional mounting, if the weapon was statically fixed all the time...
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The fact remains: our gun, despite the rough finish, turned out to be more durable under conditions of harsh use, showed better survivability, and the failure of the sear was not yet a failure of the gun itself.
| Photo by the author. |
Based on the results of the described test, the Kalashnikov Concern put up a series of videos that can be found on the Internet in order to formulate your own opinion about the test. I will just note that this was our first experience of this kind, and it, of course, should have aroused great interest and a lot of heated debate. And he called!
SHOOTING DATA
Hatsan Escort : 4 cartridge failures, 1 misfire, 1 cartridge failure, 3 cartridge failures. The piston moved along the frame with great difficulty. We tried to clean it but failed. They also shot with delays up to 290, after which the gun no longer fired. The result is 290 shots.
Kral Arms M 155 : 1 misfire, 4 cartridge misfires, 4 cartridge misses, on the 800th shot the magazine tube broke and separated. The result is 800 shots.
MP-155 : 2 misfires, 4 cartridge misfires, 6 cartridge misses, sear failure on the 1241st shot. The result is 1241 shots.
When taking into account the number of delays, the total number of shots fired from the gun must be taken into account.
CONTROL OF RESULTS
At the beginning of the test, no one expected that the weapon would fail or literally break, so they wanted to use special false cartridges with extreme tolerances to assess the wear of parts.
At the enterprise they are used to identify too much clearance between the chamber and the bolt. One false cartridge had a normal tolerance, the other had a non-passable tolerance. If the gun begins to lock and “shoot” with a false cartridge that does not go through, it means that it is faulty. So they wanted to reveal the wear of the weapon.
But it turned out that due to the design features it is impossible to do this with the “Turks”. The MP-155 has a disconnector that prevents the trigger from being pulled if the bolt is not closed.
In the "Turks" the trigger is released even when the bolt is not closed; the impossibility of firing is realized in a different way - by intercepting the firing pin.
Sergey Smolnin November 19, 2022 at 10:40
Hatsan Striker Edge
If you are interested in budget Turkish pneumatics, then you should take a closer look at this specimen, which can be considered unique, the main thing is to distinguish it from a fake. Firing accuracy is one of the best achievements of the Turkish company. This particular model has practically no competitors, its cost is no more than 9,000 rubles, and the quality meets higher requirements, both in terms of characteristics and assembly. The optics are mounted on an 11-milliliter type rail and have an automatic fuse. Turkish hunting pneumatics can become after tuning, how to do it is easy to find out.
- Caliber: 4.5 mm
- Type: single shot
- Power: 7.5 J
- Bullet speed: 305 m/s
- Length: 1.1 m.
- Barrel length: 45 cm.
- Weight 2.9 kg.
Modifications
Shotguns of the Hatsan Escort MarineGuard model differ from the basic model only in the external finishing of metal surfaces with increased corrosion resistance.
Hatsan Escort Aimguard shotguns are produced in two gauges - 12 and 20. However, the characteristics of the guns differ only in one thing - a 20 gauge shotgun is 400 grams lighter, 2.5 versus 2.9 kg for the version with 12 gauge.
Among the modifications of the Escort AimGuard, there is the Escort AimGuard-Top Folding Stock with a folding metal stock and a pistol grip or only with a pistol grip and without a stock.
In addition, Hatsan Escort Aimguard has a “sophisticated” version – Hatsan Escort MPS. This is still the same Aimguard, but it has a different shaped forend and a Picatinny rail, a thermal protective casing is installed on the barrel, and there is a mount for two cartridges in the butt. This version costs $150 more.
Aimguard can also be equipped with various stocks: telescopic, rotating up or sideways. Some time ago we banned the sale of stock that folds up, but you can find similar offers on the Internet.
| AimGuard | AimGuard 20 | AimGuard Pistol Grip | Escort AimGuard-Top Folding Stock | |
| Caliber, mm | 12 | 20 | 12 | |
| Length, mm | 960, 1000 | 960, 1000 | 710, 760 | 710/970, 760/1020 |
| Barrel length, mm | 460, 510 | |||
| Weight without cartridges, kg | 2,9 | 2,5 | 2,5 | 3,35 |
| Magazine capacity, no. cartridges | 5, 7 | |||
| Chamber, mm | 76 | |||
In conclusion, it is worth noting that the Hatsan Escort Aimguard shotgun turned out to be quite good, and its main advantage is that the price-quality ratio can be decisive when choosing. At the same time, it is not intended for hunting, and not many people buy it for sport shooting.
Hatsan Striker 1000S
This is a modernized version of Eje, but costs quite a bit more. Almost identical technologies and the same material used, they are related in all directions. But there are still differences, otherwise the rifles would not be called by different names. It is noticeable that they have different shapes of butts, for example, the Turkish pneumatic Hatsan Striker 1000S has a classic hunting type of butt, while it is assembled as a skeleton type. They also have a third option, hatsan striker alpha , which also has only slight similarities.
- Caliber: 4.5 mm
- Type: single shot
- Power: 7.5 J
- Bullet speed: 305 m/s
- Length: 1.1 m.
- Barrel length: 45 cm.
- Weight 2.9 kg.
How Hatsan Escort AimGuard works
The Hatsan Escort AimGuard smoothbore shotgun uses a so-called pump-action reloading scheme with a fore-end moving back and forth. The barrel is locked by a swinging combat cylinder located in the upper part of the bolt, the locking stop of which engages with the barrel shank. The movable forend is connected to the bolt group by two symmetrical rods.
The receiver is made of aluminum alloy. The barrel has a cylinder drill. The barrels are made of an alloy of steel with nickel, chromium and molybdenum with an additional surface coating of chromium and are pressure tested at 1200 kg/cm².
The stock of the weapon is plastic, with a semi-pistol neck and a rubber shock-absorbing butt plate.
The gun's magazine is tubular, available in versions with a capacity of 5 or 7 rounds; another cartridge can be loaded directly into the barrel when the bolt is open, through the window for ejecting cartridges.
The sights of the Hatsan Escort AimGuard are simple and include a front sight with a red insert on the barrel. Aiming is not very convenient, but at short distances it is quite enough. If desired, you can install a sight on the gun; for this purpose, there are special dovetail sockets on the aluminum alloy receiver.
Hatsan 135 Quiet Energy
Appearing in 2015, it immediately became one of the best Turkish Hatsan air rifles and will remain there for a very long time. Amateurs and professionals were amazed by the power; it beat any pneumatic in this category, because it showed 33 Joules. The manufacturers managed to achieve this by installing a larger compressor. Even externally, the weapon evokes delight; the elegant wooden butt gives it a truly serious look. For the Russian market, the Turkish Hatsan 135 pneumatic gun comes only in 4.5 mm caliber. Of course, the downside may be the heavy weight, but for a man 4 kilograms should not be a problem.
First of all, Turkish pneumatics are used for hunting due to their performance, so they have such serious power that practically no scope can withstand and simply breaks. You shouldn’t try to install expensive ones, no matter how much money you give, this rifle will break them sooner or later. Reliable weapon steel has never let anyone down.
- Caliber: 4.5 mm
- Type: single shot
- Power: 33 J
- Bullet speed: 360 m/s
- Length: 1.19 m .
- Barrel length: 45 cm.
- Weight 4.2 kg.
Hatsan Escort Magnum disassembly
Any gun owner should be able to completely disassemble it in order to carry out repairs or cleaning. However, in order not to break anything in the process, it is important to be guided by a certain algorithm of action. Here are instructions for beginner gunsmiths:
- Unload the gun and pull the trigger.
- Using an allen key, unscrew the three bolts on the body.
- Remove the barrel along with the spring.
- Unscrew the bolts of the pump mechanism.
- We remove the pump mechanism.
- Using a screwdriver, unscrew the bolts on the firing mechanism.
- We remove the trigger along with the shutter.
- We take out the gas cylinder.
After this, you can service the gun. Assembly is carried out in reverse order. It is very important to handle small parts carefully so as not to damage them (it is better to think for a few minutes than to try to forcefully insert some mechanism).
Hatsan Torpedo 105X
Many more advanced hunters are well aware of this Turkish Hatsan air rifle , with quite powerful characteristics. The first reason why people buy this weapon is the possibility of good tuning to hunting performance. For example, by installing the required spring and additional equipment, you can increase the Hatsan Torpedo 105X to 30 Joules. Naturally, with a single-shot weapon you cannot go after a bird or other animal; after all, this is not the best option. Much more important is that there is almost no recoil, the rail accepts any sights, in general, like any Turkish pneumatic 2022.
- Caliber: 4.5 mm
- Type: single shot
- Power: 7.5 J
- Bullet speed: 305 m/s
- Length: 1.2 m .
- Barrel length: 43 cm.
- Weight 3.9 kg .
Design "Hatsan Escort Magnum"
Any weapon with a semi-automatic gas system has a large number of removable parts. However, the design of the “Hatsana Escort” can only be called complex with a stretch. The gun consists of the following elements:
- plastic butt and receiver;
- tray for placing cartridges (magazine);
- the cylinder in which the cartridge is located;
- impact mechanism with trigger;
- gas cylinder (powers the PA);
- automatic and manual fuses;
- open sight (front and rear sight).
But the main pride of the gunsmith is the barrels it produces. They are made by cold forging, thanks to which they boast high quality and the ability to withstand heavy loads. “Hatsan Escort Magnum” in this regard is far from an exception, but rather a vivid example of how to make powerful guns. The barrel of the weapon can withstand a power of 1500 J and practically does not overheat from rapid fire.
It is also worth mentioning the classic mechanism for feeding cartridges into the receiver. The gun has a special pump-action lever, when used, the cylinder with the used cartridge opens and the ejection mechanism is activated. When the hunter returns it to its original position, new ammunition is simultaneously sent into the barrel. If you try to reload the weapon before firing, you will not be able to do this until the special safety is removed.
Hatsan 155
Another example that is included in the best Turkish Hatsan air rifles today. Among all other models, the 155 has a high bullet ejection speed, reaching 380 m/s. Again, although its characteristics are suitable for hunting small game, but due to the fact that it is only single-shot, it is hardly suitable. It can also be useful as a professional rifle, and even with the ability to buy a Hatsan 155 without a license.
- Caliber: 4.5 mm
- Type: single shot
- Power: 7.5 J
- Bullet speed: 380 m/s
- Length: 1.21 m.
- Barrel length: 72 cm.
- Weight 4.8 kg.
Hatsan Dominator 200S
Modern Turkish pneumatics with an affordable price tag. Like all other Hatsan models, this one has a Quattro Trigger trigger system. It increases the accuracy and accuracy of weapon fire. The telescopic stock will also please owners, because it is comfortable even for left-handed people. The assembly is of high quality and it is worth noting that Dominator has many modern systems that are individually adjusted to each individual. In the standard configuration, the power cannot be higher than 7.5 J, but for 15 thousand you already want something cooler.
- Caliber: 4.5 mm
- Type: single shot
- Power: 7.5 J
- Bullet speed: 305 m/s
- Length: 1.15 m.
- Barrel length: 45 cm.
- Weight 4.5 kg.
Materials and technologies
All Escort guns are distinguished by high reliability, combined with unpretentiousness and functionality. Achieving these characteristics was made possible thanks to the company's use of advanced technologies and modern materials. All metal parts have increased anti-corrosion resistance. The receiver is made of light and strong aluminum alloy.
The gun barrel is also the result of an alloy of chromium, nickel and molybdenum steel. The bore and chamber are also chrome plated. The stock and butt of different models are either wooden or plastic. The main thing is that in any version the level of quality remains extremely high. The rubber butt pad absorbs and significantly neutralizes the recoil of shots, allowing you to conduct aimed fire at a fast pace. Tubular magazines are used for cartridges. The guns have open-type sighting devices, but there are also mounts for optical means of aiming at the target. Also, special flashlights can be installed on guns for illumination in poor visibility conditions. The Escort configuration also includes interchangeable chokes for shooting lead and steel shot.
