Hatsan Model 25 Super Charger

Hatsan is a name on airguns from Turkey that no shooter can ignore. They produce a wide range of guns including pistols and rifles in both spring/piston and pre-charged pneumatic formats. Their new Model 25 spring powered air pistol is an update of an earlier model. They call it the Model 25 SuperCharger, but as it bears little real resemblance to the old Model 25, I would have called it something completely different. It is only the same as the original Mod.25 in that it’s a break barrel spring piston gun, but now made from very modern materials.

Try This For Size

Make no mistake it is a big framed pistol, making me think of my old BSA Scorpion, as with that gun the barrel is relatively short at 235mm long, which could make it very hard to cock - the large foresight gets in the way too if you try to cock the bare barrel. To solve cocking problems a 75mm threaded muzzle brake cum cocking aid is included. This screws on via the ½ UNF thread at the end of the barrel. The gun comes with a short 22mm thread protecting collar which has to be removed to fit the extended cocking aid. With this fitted all the problems of cocking are overcome, I left this extended muzzle brake device on for all my tests.

The gun is fitted with an automatic safety catch, this sits in front of the trigger guard and comes on when you cock the gun. It’s a pressed steel affair with a curve in the opposite direction to the trigger blade. The safety can be re-set at any time - a good safety feature for a pistol.

XRS-Recoil Reduction System

One very interesting thing about the Model 25 is that is semi recoilless, having an action whose spring generated recoil is dampened and controlled by another spring system housed within the grip/frame of the pistol. Hatsan call it the “XRS-Recoil Reduction System”. The metal action body is held in a synthetic frame and this top section slides backwards relative to the pistol grip as the weapon is fired.

It comes back on two rails, a female square channel section on the grip body slides over the male projections from the top part of the action, one half slide rail system on each side of the pistol, this ensures the top section of the gun moves back along the sight line to allow you to follow through. You can see the recoil dampening spring if you look inside the action right under the barrel.

There is a full 6mm of potential movement of the action but upon firing it does not move the full amount as it would come to an abrupt stop and therefore some recoil would be felt. The spring inside the body holds the top part of the action in the forward position, as you cock the pistol the top of the action slides back - it’s not something to be alarmed about.

Groovy Grips

The ergonomically shaped synthetic grip is made for a right handed shooter and has rubber panels with a pronounced thumb rest on the left hand side. Hatsan’s web site state they can supply left handed grips for the model 25 SuperCharger, but I have yet to have it confirmed by the distributor Edger brothers that these will be available in the UK. The grips are very comfortable in use with three deep finger grooves on the front to aid adhesion even more.

I used a two handed hold as this is a big framed weapon. The export or European model of the gun is higher powered than the restricted UK version. Where laws allow the gun can produce 700fps in .177 and 600fps in .22, but this UK legal model came in at 570 fps or 5.7 ft.lb just below the UK legal limit of 6ft/lbs.

The shot to shot consistency was good and the trigger is one of Hatsan’s Quattro models, normally only fitted to their spring powered air rifles. The 10mm wide gold plated trigger blade looks cool. The trigger pull measured 2kg but the let off was crisp. I could have lightened the trigger as it is adjustable but did not feel the need to due to the accuracy the pistol was already capable of.

Sight Options

In keeping with the very modern theme of the gun it has Truglo fibre optic open sights. They have two 8mm rods forming the rear two green dots either side of the rear notch and a 15mm long red fibre optic rod making up the front dot on top of the post. The rear green rods are .035” in diameter and show up very clearly. The front sight is Hatsan’s new model where is has extra adjustment, there is a rotating wheel under the rod; by turning this you can move the rear (facing end ) of the (.060”)  diameter rod up a further 3mm, the wheel has clear micro clicks you can hear.

If you want to fit an optical sight there is an 11mm sight rail machined into the top of the compression tube body. This rail is 85mm long, while on the old model it was only 72mm long, Hatsan can always be relied upon to continually improve their products.

The sight rail will accommodate any small reflex or red dot sight without a problem. I did like the open sights, with the long sight base of 385mm and with micro adjustable sights it is very user friendly as well as accurate. I do prefer an optical sight on pistols if I can get away with it, and I would even be tempted to fit a magnified telescopic sight to take advantage of the gun’s power levels, allowing targets to be moved out to longer ranges.

Firing Time

The pistol proved very pleasant to shoot and the movement of the action within the frame is too small and too quick to discern when you are shooting the gun. The recoil dampening system does work on this beefier Model 25 – and it really needs it. It also helps with accuracy.

At six yards it shot sub 9mm center to center five shot groups all day long. With a two handed grip outdoors I was hitting 40mm diameter spinners consistently at 25m when I fitted a red dot sight. You can also fit a sturdy moderator on the ½ UNF barrel thread if desired. Don’t be tempted to fit a plastic one as you need to use the moderator as cocking aid. I also liked the twist pattern on the cocking aid and the small 3mm diameter ports machined around the end of the aid do act like a muzzle brake of sorts.

The Hatsan Model 25 SuperCharger is a very well designed and put together pistol indeed – all in all a very impressive air pistol at an attractive price. GM