Does anyone here have a lot of experience with these gas piston guns? Bought one for a brother from another mother. Had it in the works then he had a stroke. He appears to be making a full recovery. He will have therapy but he lacks strength that was previously there. The gun is difficult to cock and it may make him dislike the gun. That can not be helped if it happens. I have to take measurements and find tubing to add to the barrel for leverage in cocking. Only a slide on and off cocking lever. Was thinking a slot cut/milled into the lever to slide past the front sight. It will be easily removed for firing. The caliber choice was because he has large hands making loading a 177 a laughable exercise. The 30 is large enough. Any insights on these guns? Thanks and Be Well Brothers, Bandito.
Hatsan Hatsan 130 QE, .30 CAL.
- Thread starter Bandito
- Start date
Bandito,
Was complaining about 27-pound cocking force of my Benjamin NP XL .22 and, IIRC, SepticDeath said his Hatsan 130 .30 was more like 50-pounds! Think I'd set this gun aside until strength has returned, safer for both gun and user, IMHO. WM
Was complaining about 27-pound cocking force of my Benjamin NP XL .22 and, IIRC, SepticDeath said his Hatsan 130 .30 was more like 50-pounds! Think I'd set this gun aside until strength has returned, safer for both gun and user, IMHO. WM
Last edited:
Upvote 0
It's a handful to cock and I don't think there's going to be any way to make it easy for someone with limited strength, unless it has one of the old adjustable gas rams and that's unlikely. As super magnum springers go it's not too terrible though. The Gamo Magnum makes it seem easy to cock in comparison.
Upvote 0
I have converted my 3-95’s and my 135 from a gas ram to springs. You can get a spring conversion kit for the 130 and cut some of the spring off to lighten the cocking effort. Keep the gas ram to convert back one day if you wanted to. A different gun is probably the best case though.
Upvote 0
I have the 130. It’s brutal to jack, I need 2 hands to jack somewhat comfortable. Already has a long reach. Not a gun for a stroke victim. This is a young man’s gun, IMO. Get an appropriate gun for him, hope he has a full recovery. Crow
Upvote 0
If your friend can handle coordinated motion, just not strength, this could work. FIRMLY attach PVC to a post, wall, bench, vise etc. at an upward angle. My pic was just a mock-up for demonstration- not secure at all. Insert barrel, and use the whole gun and its weight as a cocking lever. If he loses control or gets tired, the inclined angle should be able to hold it for him in almost any position. Good luck to him in recovery. 
Upvote 0
Best thing to do is get him a gun he can handle and enjoy. No sense in taking a chance on him hurting himself worse.
Upvote 0
There was the Browning 800Mag pistol that had a cocking extension
It was made from some strong plastic. I just left it attached to the end of the barrel all the time as a barrel weight.
The trick with the 130 will be to have whatever tube be able to suffer a wide enough cocking slot, and yet be strong enough to not bend the slot wider and slip off. Steel pipe will probably mar up the end around the front sight, and most Home Depot PVC is probably too thin. How about PVC with a cut slot, slipped past the sight, but then with a hose clamp around the slot end to keep it tight on the barrel/moderator, and just leave it on all the time? Cocking that thing will make him stronger than before.
Actually, I've just thought of a mod for _my_ 130! It won't make it any uglier.
Browning 800 Mag – Part 5 | Blog | Pyramyd AIR
by B.B. Pelletier Photos by Earl "Mac" McDonald Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Now it's time to test the big Browning in .22. It's been a while since we looked at this pistol, but I knew we had to test it in .22 because of the power potential. In .177, I topped
www.pyramydair.com
The trick with the 130 will be to have whatever tube be able to suffer a wide enough cocking slot, and yet be strong enough to not bend the slot wider and slip off. Steel pipe will probably mar up the end around the front sight, and most Home Depot PVC is probably too thin. How about PVC with a cut slot, slipped past the sight, but then with a hose clamp around the slot end to keep it tight on the barrel/moderator, and just leave it on all the time? Cocking that thing will make him stronger than before.
Actually, I've just thought of a mod for _my_ 130! It won't make it any uglier.
Upvote 0
This is the best answer. After a stroke, he's already going to be having to readjust his life drastically and if he likes shooting its best to just get him a rifle he can safely handle. It might be different if this was his prized Theoben Eliminator that he had saved up his overtime for back in his 20's, but not for a Hatsan 130. You can probably sell it for $150-$200 and get something more suitable for the same price, or keep it for yourself and get him a different gift. .30 Hatsan break barrels are great fun for plinking with. They recoil hard, hit like a ton of bricks and have a super loopy trajectory that makes it seem like you are shooting extreme long range at 50 yards. They're the spring piston equivalent of a 45-70.
Upvote 0
I have the 135 and I have a real problem cocking it. Yes I'm 72 but I feel the vortex is harder to cock than my 125 with a spring. I've shot the 135 over 30 times in 1 session but I was feeling it next day.
What does that have to do with the 130? The 135 is the same engine as the 130. They are all a 2 arm cocking.
What does that have to do with the 130? The 135 is the same engine as the 130. They are all a 2 arm cocking.Upvote 0