A series of Turkish PCP Galatian rifles produced by Hatsan

Review of Hatsan Galatian air rifles

An artistic approach is clearly visible in the layout and contours of the rifles. Unlike previous angular models, all varieties of “Galatian” are a real work of a designer who paid attention not only to ease of use, but also to appearance. This pneumatic differs from combat models only in the under-barrel reservoir, which protrudes far beyond the dimensions of the forend, and is reminiscent of exquisite hunting and collectible small-caliber models.

The main purpose of PCP rifles is hunting and amateur shooting at long distances for pneumatics. High firing speed and excellent accuracy, achieved by selecting bullets, allow for successful “plinking” at distances of up to 100 m.

Advantages of the Hatsan Galatian series:

• one-piece receiver, ensuring the solidity of the prefabricated structure;
• high power;
• ergonomic layout;
• convenient and strong mechanical sight;
• an abundance of steel parts that are stronger than lightweight alloys.

Disadvantages of models:

• the safety locks only the trigger;
• the drum rotation drive is connected to the firing pin and can lead to its deformation when the valve stroke is increased or fired with the reservoir removed;
• the plastic base under the trigger mechanism reduces the strength of the assembly;
• Poor suppression of shot volume by the factory sound moderator.

Analogues and prices

Since the cost of the rifle in its simplest configuration is 56 thousand rubles, this could not but affect the number of models that can be considered analogues of the rifle. Here are just the most interesting options, not inferior to the Galatian in terms of performance characteristics:

the lineup

Each version of the rifle (I, II, III and IV) has two modifications - basic and Carbine (shortened), differing in layout and technical characteristics. The basic version is longer in size, equipped with a removable muffler and a longer compressed air tank. The shortened model has an integrated moderator that fits into smooth contours, a smaller reservoir and lacks mechanical sights.

Photos of Hatsan Galatian air rifles

The cocking mechanism in all versions of Galatian is carbine. A small reloading lever is located on the right side of the receiver and is pulled all the way to the side, allowing rotation of the drum magazine and cocking of the trigger. This scheme is common in elite magnum class rifles and has both opponents and numerous supporters.

There are swivels for attaching a belt on the fore-end and in the rear of the butt. This significantly increases the ease of use of the rifle while hunting or carrying over rough terrain. The lower belt fastening allows you not to touch the installed optics during transportation, maintaining the original zeroing accuracy.

The main pros and cons of the rifle

Despite the fact that the Hatsan Galatian rifle has a fairly high rating and a huge number of positive reviews, it would be dishonest to say that the model has a complete absence of negative aspects. But this information should be presented carefully, since all the disadvantages are completely covered by the advantages. So we have created a special block, which is recommended for anyone who wants to purchase a Galatian rifle to familiarize themselves with:

All positive and negative aspects were compiled based on reviews left on the Internet by real owners, as well as expert opinions. For some people, certain disadvantages or advantages may seem insignificant, but we could not help but mention them.

Design

All models are equipped according to the same principle and differ only in the layout of the forearm and stock. A compressed air reservoir is located under the barrel and screws tightly into the box. The forend and butt are made separately and have different attachment points.

The forend is fixed to the receiver with screws and is additionally connected to the barrel through a rubber ring. This solution makes the design more monolithic and avoids close contact of the barrel with other parts of the weapon.

The buttstock is equipped with a butt plate adjustable in height and angle. Initially, the large size of the stock may be inconvenient for a small shooter, which leads to the need to replace the original butt plate with a shorter one. The presence of adjustment mechanisms for a specific body type makes the model more sporty, although the “Galatian” is not up to the mark for bullet shooting due to its insufficiently accurate firing.

The rifle is fed by drum-type magazines that can hold 16 4.5 mm bullets. The magazine is replaced with the cocking lever open, and the spare magazine is mounted in a case at the bottom of the butt. This allows you to use up the filled cylinder when firing at full power in two quick reloads.

The rear sight and front sight on the base model are a proven design and can even be used on firearms. The all-metal design withstands any shock and retains the settings made during zeroing. The front sight has a mechanism for introducing vertical corrections, so it is used when shooting bullets of any shape and weight.

The video shows the Hatsan Galatian 3 air rifle in action:

The rifle has a mechanism for complex adjustment of trigger settings. By rotating the screws in the area of ​​the trigger guard, you can change:

• trigger force;
• trigger travel length “with warning” (free movement all the way);
• length of the combat stroke (immediately before the shot).

Differences between versions of Hatsan Galatian rifles:

• Khatsan Galatian 1 - has a wooden butt, fore-end and pistol grip (an almost right angle relative to the axis of the barrel allows for a full-fledged pistol grip);

Video review of the Hatsan Galatian I air rifle:

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• Hatsan Galatian 2 - differs from the first version by the presence of a rifle handle, smoothly turning into the butt;

Video review of the Hatsan Galatian II air rifle:

• Hatsan Galatian 3 - equipped with a plastic butt, fore-end and pistol grip;
• Hatsan Galatian 4 - differs from the third model in the rifle grip.

Modifications

In almost 10 years of existence of the Galatian model line, the armory has managed to release 3 official modifications to the market, each of which has a universal purpose, but at the same time differs in certain features. Here is a brief description of these rifles:

1. Hatsan Galatian 2 is a rifle with a lightweight wooden stock and an open Truglo sight, allowing shooting at moving targets at medium distances.
2. Hatsan Galatian 3 – the rifle body is made entirely of plastic, and its butt has even greater adjustment capabilities.
3. Hatsan Galatian 4 is a model with reduced dimensions and a collimator sight for shooting at medium and short distances.

Also, recently there have been a lot of rumors that the armory is preparing to release a new modification, which will be called Hatsan Galatian 5. What specific features the new rifle will give us remains a mystery.

Specifications

Technical characteristics of Hatsan Galatian air rifles (I, II, III, IV):

What is included

It should also be noted that the Galatian air rifle has several configurations designed to meet the needs of certain groups of potential buyers. If you wish, you can buy not only a rifle, but also additional goods for it.

Here is a brief description of these sets:

1. “Basic” (56,000 rubles). The most modest package, which, in addition to the Hatsan Galatian 1 rifle, includes a repair kit (cleaning rod, screwdriver, universal wrench), a passport with technical characteristics, instruction manual, spare butt cap, as well as a warranty card for 3 years of service or 3000 shots (at the buyer’s choice ).
2. “Master” (60,000 rubles). The kit includes not only the rifle with all the documents and a repair kit, but also a small amount of consumables that will be useful during operation: 50 black Remington shooting targets, a 240-milliliter bottle of gun oil, 2 boxes of 500 pieces of ammunition.
3. “Profi” (65,000 rubles). A set for true connoisseurs for whom even a rifle with consumables is not enough. There are several accessories as additional “goodies”: Stalker goggles, a universal bag for storing consumables from the Hatsan company, as well as a case for transporting the rifle (instead of the standard box).

Well, don’t forget that each store also has the right to create its own unique kits in order to sell stale unclaimed goods. You should pay close attention to such offers and not forget that they are nothing more than a marketing ploy.

Features of disassembly and modernization

Disassembly order:

1. unscrew and remove the tank;
2. unscrew the four screws holding the forend;
3. dismantle the front sight by first unscrewing the cap on the muzzle of the barrel;
4. remove the forend;
5. remove the adjustable butt cheek by unscrewing the adjusting screws;
6. remove one large screw connecting the receiver to the butt and remove it;
7. unscrew the two screws securing the nut for attaching the butt;
8. remove the rear striker spring support and the spring itself. The rear support is fixed with a screw, which is also a cocking lever;
9. pull out the two pins at the bottom of the box;
10. remove the trigger guard and firing mechanism.

The rifle is initially supplied ready for use, but can be upgraded in a number of ways. To make improvements, you must have metalworking skills or contact a workshop.

You can improve the PCP of the Galatian rifle using the following parameters:

1. Providing the striker spring with a guiding axis necessary to prevent deformation of the spring (its stroke is initially significantly greater than the length of the striker). To upgrade, you should disassemble the rifle before removing the spring and experimentally select the dimensions of the guide, which you can order from a turner or make yourself.
2. Refinement of the barrel chamfer, which is relevant for products with a poor-quality muzzle cut, in which the bullet does not immediately leave the rifling (firing accuracy decreases). The chamfer correction is carried out by a specialist gunsmith.

Install a gearbox, which will allow you to achieve several goals at once:

• set up a flat plateau (an area with a constant initial bullet speed) for several dozen shots;
• reduce the energy of the shot - the flight speed of light bullets sometimes exceeds the sound speed, which negatively affects the work of the sound moderator;
• increase accuracy - stabilizing the amount of air consumed during a shot can reduce the spread of hits to 20 mm at a distance of 50 m (when selecting suitable bullets).

Galatian rifles from Hatsan are a real breakthrough among Turkish models with pre-pumping. Their main disadvantage is their high price, which exceeds the cost of analogues from other manufacturers. The high demand for rifles is due to a successful combination of technical indicators and aesthetics, leaving behind even more advanced models from a design point of view.