Hatsan Escort Magnum MP-A24

If rumours are to be believed, the sport or pastime of practical shotgunning is gaining momentum to the degree it now ranks as the second most globally popular target shooting discipline.

Problem is, the nature of the sport tends to see most clubs keep their collective heads below the radar. However, if you look hard enough, not only will you find a club near to you, you’ll also find a happy band of members more than willing to welcome a new affiliate to both the club and method of shooting. What you will have to do especially if you’re new to the discipline, is progress through a number of tutorials, tests and appraisals before full membership is granted.

The other aspect you’ll encounter is the equipment used and a whole cross section of modified, usually Section 1 multi-shot semi-automatic 12g shotguns. But whilst some shooters prefer or have bought other makes, its Hatsan’s Escort Magnum that tends to predominate. Reason being, apart from the fact it was the gas powered semi that more or less started the Turkish shogun revolution, their price, basic design, the fact the basic gun can be heavily modified with little effect on reliability meaning the Escort is the ideal practical shotgun. But whilst a standard Escort Magnum can be modified, in MP-A24 guise the Hatsan comes ready to go, all the bits and pieces part you’d start to fit already in place.

Looks The Part

One of the appealing factors of Practical Shotgun Shooting is that the guns tend to look the part. By that I mean they look exactly like the shotguns as used by the military and police, to the degree that if you were able to buy the shorter barrelled version of the MP-A24 on test, that’s exactly what you’d have. Where the gun on test differs is that this one is a 2+1 or 3-shot, meaning that with the 24 inch barrel as fitted you can own one on a normal shotgun certificate. The benefit being once you’ve passed all your courses and got your Section 1, by removal of the magazine blocker, you’ll have a 7+1.

Not surprisingly, the MP-A24 is black, in fact it’s extremely black, every square millimetre as black as it gets. Starting with the synthetic stock, the ‘black rifle’ profile is rounded off with a neat rubber recoil pad whilst a neat cut out a few inches forward allows the shooter to safely clip two extra rounds in place. Move forward and protruding from the stock neck is a fully contoured, rubber armoured full pistol grip, the size filling the hand, the ribbed soft tactile surface adhering the entire grip to the hand.

Move forward and the heavily contoured, deep bellied forend packs enough bulk to ensure a confident hold no matter what the angle of shot or the weather conditions. Likewise, a short moulded accessory rail allow the shooter to fit a variety of extras be it a torch or an additional handle should they so wish.

Individually substantial, together the stock and forend ensure once you’re hold of the MP-A24 you have no reason to let go or for the gun to break free.

 

Aim On

Sat high above the muzzle, a hi-viz red bead sits in its elevated and shrouded position above whichever of the choke-tubes you’ve elected to fit, the black anodised 24 inch ribless barrel sat just under an inch above in this case the extended but redundant magazine tube. Featuring the Escort’s three inch chamber and long barrel extension, the barrel utilises the non-nonsense twin gas port and simple gas valve that in turn operate and regulate the gas systems.

Maintaining the Escort Magnum basics, the black alloy receiver is the standard unit containing the familiar one-piece bolt, although in this instance a short, straight cocking handle protrudes in place of the usual curved assembly. Just below the ejection port is the push-on/ push-off cut-off that allows the shooter to fire or eject the shell in battery whilst keeping the next live round locked in the magazine tube. Likewise, the bolt release is located within the shell lifter; the act of pushing the second round up and into the mag tube releasing the bolt, the bolt lock automatically brought into play the instant the last round is fired.

Where the gun differs from the sporting version is that a detachable metal accessory rail is screwed to the top of the receiver. Incorporating the fully adjustable rear ghost ring sight complete with twin hi-viz green parallel dots, the rail allows for the fitment of a variety of additional sights such as a Red Dot or similar depending on the class you and the MPA24 are entered in. Lastly the safety that like all Escorts is located within the rear span of the serrated finished but still black trigger guard is the familiar cross-bolt safety catch.

Noticeably small, whilst the safety operates in the usual fashion it does at times seem out of place size-wise when compared to the rest of this shotgun’s big, bold and chunky character.

It’s worth mentioning at this point the assembly of the MP-A24. To start with you must ensure the bolt is gently released and in the battery position before attempting to fit the barrel. Next slide the barrel ring and barrel extension simultaneously into place over the mag tube and into the receiver, whilst at the same time drawing the bolt out of battery and into the locked back position. When the barrel is correctly seated slide the forend over the mag tube until the rear detent locates within the receiver flange before finally running the mag cap over the tube and screwing it into place. There you are, ready to go shooting.

 

Job In Hand

The moment you’ve assembled the MP-A24 you’re left in no doubt that this 12g was built for the job in hand, a gun with a definite feeling of purpose. The difference is you cannot evaluate the MP-A24 in the same way as a standard, sporting shotgun due in the main to the overall style. Weight-wise the gun is none to dissimilar to the standard Escort Magnum at 8lbs with an overall length of 44¼ inches. But with no rib, open sights you can adjust and aim plus a stock that’s of a style you don’t mount quite the same there are no such things as drops at comb and heel.

There is a length of pull that measures 14 3/8 inches, although the full pistol grip means this isn’t overly important, although the effort to release the 7lbs 4oz breaking trigger could do with lightening just a touch. Granted, given the discipline of practical shooting, a heavier and harder to pull trigger is a significant safety feature, it could do with backing off a bit.

The gun itself balances directly beneath the chamber but once again the fact you hold the MP-A24 differently, aim it and hold it still when shooting renders the balance point and how it swings superfluous, the act of holding and shooting the Escort more assault rifle than shotgun, the feeling of size and weight tending to make you think you’re hold of something that it actually isn’t.

By leaning into the gun and pulling it tight into the shoulder as you would a rifle, the shooter’s head and more importantly eye more or less line up the moment you mount the gun. And once the bright green dots of the rear sight and the single red dot of the front sight are all level and parallel with each other, the MP-A24 unfailingly hits what it’s aimed at. More or less neutral in feel, the main mass of the Escort sits firmly between both of the shooter’s hands whilst the distribution of the weight means no matter how large a load you use, little if any recoil transfers through to the shooter’s shoulder. The wide forend give the lead hand a good safe hol, whilst the rubberised full pistol grip gives the shooter immense and secure control, man and MP-A24 in complete harmony.

Fitting ¼ choke and loading up with 30g Eley Pigeon, a series of three clays clusters were set up on Huntroyde’s shooting range, the Escort as expected made short work of them. Please note though since most practical shotgunners tend to use budget ammo due in the main to cartridge expenditure, the Eley Pigeon were and are too good and to expensive a shell to be using in this fashion. Similarly, as only a 2+1, timed rapid fire sequences weren’t with regret a feasible option. All I can say is that the Hatsan cycled and discharged as quickly as I could pull the trigger.

 

CONCLUSION

Irrespective of which capacity MP-A24 you buy the price is the same, the gun retailing for a suggested £570, the only extra being the alternative magazine tube and spring should you wish or be able to convert the gun from one capacity to another. Apart from that, your only other expense will be ammo, and take my word for it; practical shotgunning tends to be cartridge use heavy but very enjoyable.

In virtually every aspect of semi-auto shotgunning Hatsan’s Escort Magnum has carved a niche for itself, these 12 bores having a dedicated band of followers and users. Granted in 3-shot guise it’s more or less impossible to subject the gun to any form of intense shooting or mechanical strain. But given the number of MP-A24s that run hundreds of shells each weekend, the Escort Magnum tends very much to speak for itself. If further proof were needed, whilst for you and I ownership of a MP-A24 is for pleasure there are people out there who use them out of necessity.

Suspended clays and knock-down targets don’t shoot back but if they did, Hatsan’s MP-A24 could well be the gun you’d want by your side. This gun does exactly what it says on the box and when it comes to a practical shotgun you can’t ask for more than that. For more information on practical shotgun shooting and all that it involves visit the United Kingdom Practical Shooting Association’s website at www.ukpsa.co.uk.

 

Thanks To:

Eley: www.eleyhawk.com
Huntroyde Estate: www.huntroyde-estate.co.uk
CENS Digital: www.censdigital.com
Arrow Laser Shot: www.arrowlasershot.com
Maui Jim: www.davidgouldopticians.co.uk

PRICE: SRP £570
CONTACT: Edgar Brothers 01625 613 177, www.edgarbrothers.com