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Re: Which Practical Shotgun?
Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 3:18 pm
by johngarnett
Hi guys,
Hopefully, renewal permitting, I shall be in the market for a S1 shotgun.
My research has come up with the Hatsan Escort MPA, circa £400 new.
Please has anyone any comments re this shotgun for practical and target shotgun use?
Thanks
JohnG :cornwall:
Re: Which Practical Shotgun?
Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 4:26 pm
by Blackstuff
johngarnett wrote:Hi guys,
Hopefully, renewal permitting, I shall be in the market for a S1 shotgun.
My research has come up with the Hatsan Escort MPA, circa £400 new.
Please has anyone any comments re this shotgun for practical and target shotgun use?
Thanks
JohnG :cornwall:
I'm not familiar with that particular model, however 2 blokes at my local club bought S1 Hatsans because they were cheap but they had this ridiculous button on the receiver you have to press to load it :G :cool2: Make sure it doesn't have one of those or you might as well throw out all your wooden spoons in the house as you'll be losing every match you enter.
Ballistol - Out of the Benelli semi's i'd also vote for the M2 too unless you get a steal on an M1. I've only seen 1 M3 that worked
most of the time and that person had spent over £500 putting it right to be able to shoot light (28g) loads. The M4 isn't legal in the UK as it's only supplied with a 18" barrel. A quick look on GunTrader has them going for about £900 secondhand or £1100-1200 new
Re: Which Practical Shotgun?
Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 4:43 pm
by Dangermouse
JG,
I did this review on GT a while back
Are you thinking of getting one of these? I have had the opportunity over the weekend of handling a couple at the Target Shotgun comp at Bisley.
Firstly they shoot well, both pump and semi. Feeding the tube is a lot easier than the old style receiver and certainly faster.
Same comment was made re the ghost ring sights on the rear by owners. No one could raise the sight high enough to zero accurately and thus will be changing the fore sight for a lower model or mounting a scope. Zeroing was attempted at 30 yards using a mixture of slug.
One shooter had his fore sight fall off on his first shot, so as with most things you need to give the gun a once over.
What I did learn is, Hatsan will provide you with a gun made from their available parts - to order,
So for instance, you do not like the fixed choke barrel, you can order the MP-A with one of their other barrels. Or you want a different stock, they can do that.
Edgar Brothers may not be overly pleased with you and you will have to wait for it to be constructed and sent over, but it can be done.
Despite the sights I am seriously considering one possibly with the cantilever scope rail and a chocked barrel like the slug auto combo,
These are part of the companies new range of shotguns which have done away with that annoying loading gate which Blackstuff is referring to and which my current Hatsan has.
I read somewhere that they have started to make better kit since the first wave of shotguns and they may be better made than the originals which were agricultural.
I am currently having problems sourcing a part for my old model, not sure if that is a case of a number of RFD's just not trying to get the part or if it is Edgar's Bros/Hatsan not communicating.
For light competition use I think you could have a lot of fun with one but I doubt that you will see many at a National or International comp.
As I use mine almost solely for target shotgun I am interested in the Hatsan slug which has the cantilever scope rail on the barrel. When you consider how much movement is in a shotgun barrel it makes sense to have your sights mounted on it and not on the action.
It looks like the MP-A is a fixed choke barrel, you might find this not to your liking in practical shotgun, chat to others and see how much of a handicap they think it might be,
DM
Re: Which Practical Shotgun?
Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 5:43 pm
by Porcupine
I'd go with a used Remington, Winchester or Mossberg over a Hatsan. Not that the Hatsan is a crappy gun and I have no personal experience with it, but it's certainly not proven the way the older designs/companies are and I'd imagine you'd have trouble finding parts if there's anything you don't like about or want to improve upon from the stock gun. I'll bet you could square a Remmy 1100 away for competition for under £500.
Re: Which Practical Shotgun?
Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 7:39 pm
by Sim G
Don't have a S1 Hatsan as I have an M2, but I do have a S2 Hatsan, and so far over the last 18 months it has given sterling performance. I've used it on bunnies and clays and I don't remember having had a stoppage with it. But obviously, three round strings are not an indicator....
Re: Which Practical Shotgun?
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:16 am
by Chuck
I LOVE HATSANS. Had three: A S1 8+1, a S2 pump and a S5 pump over here (pictured).
The ONLY problem I ever had was a broken firing pin on the S/A and that fired tons of ammo. ....
Like DM I waited on the importer/RFD...bad move..I just got them when I was here! Nowt wrong with them and DM has pretty well got them sussed out.
I might buy the new M&P semi not sure yet as i still have the Safir T14.
Parts, that'll be the importer for sure. Not worth the hassle for them, they just want to sell guns.
Want to buy one cheaper and a spares package......get yer self over to Turkland on a cheap flight and take it back with you. You can buy one here on your passport but make sure you have a slot for it first otherwise the UK customs /police folks will not be happy...Also keeps Turkish cops happy at the airport this end.
Re: Which Practical Shotgun?
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:02 pm
by Ballistol
Re: Which Practical Shotgun?
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:39 pm
by saddler
Chuck wrote:I LOVE HATSANS. Had three: A S1 8+1, a S2 pump and a S5 pump over here (pictured).
Pump action shotguns with slug sights are a very effective weapon.JPG
The ONLY problem I ever had was a broken firing pin on the S/A and that fired tons of ammo. ....
Like DM I waited on the importer/RFD...bad move..I just got them when I was here! Nowt wrong with them and DM has pretty well got them sussed out.
I might buy the new M&P semi not sure yet as i still have the Safir T14.
Parts, that'll be the importer for sure. Not worth the hassle for them, they just want to sell guns.
Want to buy one cheaper and a spares package......get yer self over to Turkland on a cheap flight and take it back with you. You can buy one here on your passport but make sure you have a slot for it first otherwise the UK customs /police folks will not be happy...Also keeps Turkish cops happy at the airport this end.
The new Benelli M1014 style stocks that Hatsan just released are a HOOT!!
& yeah - the Importers (EB) will more than likely NOT be bringing them in, which is a ahame, as they can be retro fitted to any model....
Re: Which Practical Shotgun?
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:49 pm
by Chuck
The Fabarm looks a hefty thing to lug around, I like Hatsans because they are light..
If the sole importer will not bring the MP versions in you are screwed. Hatsan will not allow anyone else to ship them/import them to the UK..even for a niche market. That also applies to spares last time we spoke with them....MONOPOLIES????? Surely a sole importer is against competition rules....
Best idea...have a wee holiday in Turkland, buy me a beer or 5 and fill yer boots. Some hunting stuff like cartidge belts are a fraction of the UK prices too.
Re: Which Practical Shotgun?
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:53 pm
by meles meles
Chuck wrote:...MONOPOLIES????? Surely a sole importer is against competition rules...
Of course, there is only one Monopolies Commission...
