Hatsan Escort Semi Auto

[Primer]

I'm interested in one of these Hatsan mpa's as the benelli m2 is out of my budget at the moment, Dangermouse where did you get the extended tube from as the biggest I have seen is the 7 + 1 ?

[Rude Fat Dog]

I'm interested in one of these Hatsan mpa's as the benelli m2 is out of my budget at the moment, Dangermouse where did you get the extended tube from as the biggest I have seen is the 7 + 1 ?

Ditto

[Blackstuff]

At the time of getting it was a bargain, even now at the current prices I would happily look at them again, especially as they now have an improved loading gate,

DM

The only thing i would urge anyone thinking of buying an Escort to try is the loading 'procedure', and it is a procedure with both the old and new models The old ones had a bizarre button you had to press to load the gun and it wasn't like you just held it and pushed in the cartridges, you have to half/let go of it half-way through inserting a cartridge, or at least the 3 i have seen did.

While the new versions have done away with the button, and are getting close to the 'automatic' feed procedure most semi and pump shotguns have had for the last 100 years, they now have an odd 'double lifter' and one must depress the smaller 'tongue' lifter before the main lifter will move. This design is worsened by the fact if a cartridge is not fully pushed into the magazine tube it can come back out and lodge between the 2 lifters which requires tools and sometimes disassembly to rectify. I have had to do this numerous times for other people.

In short, if you have all the time in the world to reload the gun using the perfect technique, e.g. for clays, the guns are fine. If you need to load the sh!t out of the gun e.g. for PSG or pigeons, then i absolutely would not recommend them.

A second hand Remington 1100 would get my vote in that price range semi otherwise i'd get a pump

[Rude Fat Dog]

At the time of getting it was a bargain, even now at the current prices I would happily look at them again, especially as they now have an improved loading gate,

DM

The only thing i would urge anyone thinking of buying an Escort to try is the loading 'procedure', and it is a procedure with both the old and new models The old ones had a bizarre button you had to press to load the gun and it wasn't like you just held it and pushed in the cartridges, you have to half/let go of it half-way through inserting a cartridge, or at least the 3 i have seen did.

While the new versions have done away with the button, and are getting close to the 'automatic' feed procedure most semi and pump shotguns have had for the last 100 years, they now have an odd 'double lifter' and one must depress the smaller 'tongue' lifter before the main lifter will move. This design is worsened by the fact if a cartridge is not fully pushed into the magazine tube it can come back out and lodge between the 2 lifters which requires tools and sometimes disassembly to rectify. I have had to do this numerous times for other people.

In short, if you have all the time in the world to reload the gun using the perfect technique, e.g. for clays, the guns are fine. If you need to load the sh!t out of the gun e.g. for PSG or pigeons, then i absolutely would not recommend them.

A second hand Remington 1100 would get my vote in that price range semi otherwise i'd get a pump

Many thanks for your insight on this.

GG

[Mike357]

Greg, there is an engineering challenge right there. Look forward to hear if you can overcome these issues.

[Rude Fat Dog]

Greg, there is an engineering challenge right there. Look forward to hear if you can overcome these issues.

Mike,
I love a challenge !

GG

[Dangermouse]

The cartridge getting stuck above the loading gate is common and not restricted to Hatsan owners. I think that when it happens the first time you make sure you push the cartridges past that point of no return in the future. Sometimes you don't realise you have to do something until it goes wrong.
Perhaps not ideal for the F1 guys but I am sure the fraction of a second it takes would not impact on the rest of us.

Re the tube, I knew a guy with a lathe, leave it at that! I am not in touch with him any more.

I have asked Ovenpaa to look at doing these as I know he will make a great item which will be well received. He is just waiting to hear back from his FET if he is allowed to at this time. More to follow shortly we hope.

DM

[Chuck]

I refuse to own ANY Turkish gun on principle!
a. they are Turkish

Is that racist??? What has them being Turkish to do with anything. You would be surprised where a lot of your fancy "names" are actually made - either in part or completely.

I have had 3 of them in S2, S5 (not UK) and S1...they all ran perfectly..albeit the older push button load arrangement is a pain.

New M&P would be my choice over the big name stuff...seen many a Benelli sitting broke.

[Sim G]

...seen many a Benelli sitting broke.

Where?

Inertia Benellis are some of the most reliable and durable self loading shotguns made! The UK importer cite the professional Australian rabbit shooter who bought one of the very first inertia Benellis. Got over 3/4 million cartridges through it and no decernable wear or breakages.

Hatsan are good, IMO, but nowhere near that good.......

[Dangermouse]

On the target shotgun events ran at Bisley there are 4 clear names on the firing point

Benelli, Remington (1100), Hatsan and lastly Saiga.

Remington's can often be seen getting worked on. With the number of spares around, it is often possible to borrow something form another shooter to get back up and running again.

I can not think of a time I saw a Benelli in bits, possibly a case of if they don't work it has more to do with the owner or ammunition.

The Saiga's did suffer from feed issues, I suspect that the current model has sorted that.

My own Hatsan worked perfectly until I uttered the words along the lines of "never had any problems with this gun" and the very next shot failed to cycle" That was a O Ring and was over a year of shooting at that point.

Price wise there is several hundred pounds difference between these guns. I think the Hatsans are a perfectly acceptable gun to start out with and beyond,

DM