Houston, we have a problem...

[TheIceman]

I have had a Hatsan Hercules in 45 cal for two years now. I planned on using it for deer or hog hunting, if the chance arose. I tried out several different bullets, but nothing seemed to be able to hold a decent group. I like to think I am a capable enough shooter, as I get decent groups with all my other rifles. The Hercules ended up taking a back seat for a bit while I played with my other rifles. Well, today I decided to get down and dirty with it, and tore it apart. There is very little info available online, but I figured out the disassembly. Found some shavings and burrs in the action that explained the rough cocking, and used the dremel to do some polishing. After reassembling the action, I turned my attention to the barrel. And that is when I discovered this:

It appears that the boring tool was not centered when the throat/leade was cut. That lip you see is not a sharp edge, but an edge nonetheless. Maybe this explains why I can get two or three rounds to group tight, then one flies off 12 inches at 50 yards. Warranty is long expired. Is there any possibility that I can smooth that edge with a dremel, or do I need to find out how much a new barrel costs? Thanks in advance for your expertise and wild guesses, because I am at the end of mine!

James

 

[socaloldman]

Well I think that I would give Hatsan a try anyway. Once they see the barrel they will probably understand. I'll bet they get you a new barrel. It see pretty obvious and the power of posting the results on AGN will weigh heavily on their answer. Give them a call and try. Good luck keep us posted.

 

[mtnGhost]

That throat looks terrible. Had it been like that since day 1? You can buy a throat reamer for a little less than the cost of a decent barrel. If you're dead set on it, contact Dave Kiff at Pacifictoolandgauge.com. You'll need the bore and groove dimensions ahead of time.

Don't use a Dremel!

 

[DanielL]

That barrel breech throat is horribly machined and I'm afraid to say, not untypical of the kind of crappy machining I've seen on my Hatsan Bully. I spent hours tearing it apart and grinding and polishing stuff in it to get it to cycle smoothly. Mine, fortunately, doesn't have a barrel issue, and is decently accurate but I should have sent it back from the get-go. It swore me off ever buying another Hatsan and made me appreciate the fine machining of Umarex. Definitely, hit Hatsan up for a barrel replacement. I don't know how you fix a breech that isn't lined up with the barrel threads.

 

[bucketboy]

Two years is a long time to ask for a barrel replacement but worth a try, you might be lucky.

Its not beyond repair though, put the barrel in a four jaw chuck and clock the bore, bore out the breech and fit a sleeve.



Bb

 

[acs]

Dang, thats some shoddy gunsmithing. How that passed QC at Hatsun is baffling. My 7 year old granddaughter could do better on my wood lathe.

I would also contact Hatsun, if for nothing else than they need to be aware of what their factory is putting out. I wouldn't stress/mention any time frame unless they ask. Just show them like you did here. Including maybe a target of how terrible the gun shoots with lots pics of what you found. And a link to this thread. Worst case is they tell you to pound sand, and all contemplating a Hatsun purchase would like to know what they do/say. My bet is, they'll do the right thing and either replace the gun or barrel.

Doesn't Hatsun have 5 year warranties like Crosman..?

Hope this all works out for you.

JMO

 

[nervoustrig]

Well if the trail has run cold with Hatsan from a warranty perspective, the way I see it there’s nothing to lose from trying to fix it. 



The fact that it groups except for wild fliers is certainly consistent with some slugs getting damaged when being chambered. However can you not feel a difference in how hard it is to close the bolt between the ones that group and the ones that go awry? If they feel no different, I would say try removing the shroud to rule out clipping before putting the barrel under the knife.



If indeed it still appears to be the leade, take a 1/8” diamond ball in a Dremel (running at its lowest speed) and use it to shape a radius over the step. Just roll it over the step back and forth until a slight radius is formed. The nice thing here is that it’s a big bore so you will be able to see your work as you go. Then spend a few minutes with some wet/dry paper at 400 and 600 grit to smooth it. For this step, round over the end of a dowel and then roll your sandpaper around it with a little hanging off the end. Sweep it in and out at a shallow angle, allowing the rounded end to follow over the newly-formed radius to smooth it. Keep the paper oiled to help float away the swarf. Doing it by hand, you’ll know you’ve done enough when the sandpaper doesn’t grab as hard. Now you have a feature to gently guide the slug if it tips slightly as it is being chambered.



Best case, that completely solves the problem. However if it makes absolutely no difference whatsoever, that would tell you the problem lies somewhere else…which is also a very useful thing.



Good luck!

 

[TheIceman]

Well, I have sent off an email to Hatsan USA, with pictures. I will share my results with you when I get a response. Thanks to all of you, for your input. I fully realize Hatsan is under no legal obligation to send me a new barrel. Had I removed the barrel and found the problem within the warranty period, it would be a different story. Nervoustrig, thanks for the ideas and info. I did inspect the shroud and crown, and found no indications of clipping. But, your suggestion to test groups without the shroud is a good one, and if I don't get a replacement barrel, it will be on the list of things to try.

James

 

[Mrshosted]

Take to a gun smith and have them bore it out some and press in a brass sleeve. Then bore the brass to match the barrel. I cant imagine it will cost very much

 

[TheIceman]

Take to a gun smith and have them bore it out some and press in a brass sleeve. Then bore the brass to match the barrel. I cant imagine it will cost very much

My business partner is also an instructor at the local community college. If I get no traction with Hatsan, he's going to put me in touch with the gunsmithing class instructor, and make it a "project" to do that very thing you are suggesting. Thanks for the input! I think bucketboy suggested the very same thing, so there's two votes right there.

James

 

[TheIceman]

Well, I got an answer from Hatsan USA yesterday. They told me it is not covered under warranty, which is pretty much the response I expected. It still bothers me a bit, since it's obviously a factory defect. The way I see it, it was an opportunity for them to score some good publicity points. I can't even buy a replacement barrel right now, as they have none and are waiting on more to come from the factory. That bit of information leads me to believe they have issues with the barrel, if they are "out of stock" on replacement 45 barrels. It's all good though. Plan B is to turn it over to a gunsmith and have it bored out and sleeved with a brass sleeve. I'll let ya'll know how that turns out.

James

 

[mclaub]

Thanks, Iceman, and those that responded. It's threads like these that save the rest of us time and money in this community of enthusiasts!

 

[Emu]

Clear enough, I won't ever buy a Hatsan! 

 

[bandg]

Clear enough, I won't ever buy a Hatsan!

Sorry to see the issues that the OP has. I have several Hatsans that have all functioned and shot well, especially for the price compared to some other brands. More problems than some brands? Possibly. But I'm satisfied with what I have from them and will probably get others. All relative.

 

[TheIceman]

Clear enough, I won't ever buy a Hatsan!

I'd like to expound on this a little bit. I have a Hatsan Bullboss in 25 caliber that is rock solid, very accurate, and as reliable as any other airgun I own. It's a little heavy, but I could also alternate shooting racoons at 50 yards and beating them to death with it while using the end of the barrel as a handle, and there would be no shift in POI. I can't say that about my FX rifles. This situation with the Hercules would be a no-brainer had I found the problem within the warranty period. Also, we tend to share more problems than successes on this forum, simply because we are often looking for ideas and advice to solve the problems. Success doesn't need a solution. Recently, I've seen posts about barrel issues on several brands of airguns. I think one poster hit the nail on the head when they said there seems to be a QC issue not just in our hobby, but everywhere. I honestly don't know if there is a widespread problem with Hatsan airguns. I've got two. One is a hero, one is a zero. But, because the zero is mine now, I'm going to take it as a challenge to turn it into a hero. I just wanted to share my experience with all of you, so that we all can learn something from this. Thanks!

James