Hatsan Hatsan Jet, the air gun I will never own

I have spent many hours researching the Hatsan Jet on various air gun websites, independent posts and Youtube videos (most of these are positive since these guys are either clueless or have something to sell).

In the past week, Midway USA had the Hatsan Jets on clearance (Jet 1 177/25 for $136 and Jet 2 177/22 for $178).
Those lowered prices triggered even more research, and still the same crappy shot strings and acceptable short range (15-25 yards) accuracy.

Every time I have an itch for a Hatsan Jet I seem to buy a different air gun, like my second Umarex Notos or a Gamo Arrow.

This is my conclusion
The shot string is really bad (2 consistent magazines at most), and the accuracy seems pretty bad (especially in .177) or if you shoot past 20 yards.
Many people will cut and recrown their barrels to improve their poor accuracy, still the limit is about 20-25 yards.

Overall performance is much worse than the Umarex Notos or even the 13-14 year old Benjamin Marauder pistol (my PROD with a BStaley mod would be vastly better than the Jet).

After all my research, the main thing I like about the Jet are its cool looks,.
But I will not buy anything (or marry anyone) based on looks :)

Update
I caved and bought a Hatsan jet 2 in .177 from MidwayUSA (about $160 shipped).
To my surprise it is not bad.
The acceptable accuracy (3/4-1 inch at 18-20 yards) is the main weak point.
Ergonomics are really good.
Trigger is very good.

Even the shot string is good after doing some mods.

With my .177 Jet 2 I have managed to get 6 magazines (48 shots) with 7.5-8 grain pellets in the 740-780 FPS range from 250 bar to 130 bar.
These are the mods:
-removed the 2 hammer spring preload washers
-added 1 M3 nut as preload to the valve spring
-placed 1 washer on the valve stem where the valve spring sits
This washer will restrict the air flowing into the barrel, and also acts as valve spring preload.
Initially the washer was restricting most air and got velocities in the 400 FPS range.
I ground the washer outer diameter a little to allow more air to pass.
 
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Well, I was seduced by the closeout sale. I've got a Jet2 that should be arriving next week. The shot strings do have me concerned though. I'm thinking that maybe I can tune it to around 14 fpe and get a better shot curve. If not, then I'll knock $50 off of it and put it up for sale.

I've got two Hatsans currently. A 130 break barrel in .30 and a Browning 800 pistol. I like the 130 quite a bit. It's a really fun plinker and I think that Hatsan did an excellent job of making a low priced powerhouse with it. I wouldn't buy the Browning, (or it's modernized version, the supercharger), again though. It's not a pleasant gun to plink or target shoot with and it's underpowered for hunting.

In general, I've found the build quality of Hatsans to be somewhat dubious. The stock on the Browning has separated where the two pieces of it intermesh in the past and I've had 3 screws between the 2 guns break where they engage the tip of a screwdriver. Also, it took quite a bit of work on the trigger of the 130 before I managed to get a good trigger pull out of it.
 
I have the Hatsan Jet 2 in .25. Like most, I thought it was kinda junky. But, I needed a small compact pcp for barn pests. Something that can squeeze in and out of tight places ...so, this was perfect for the price ...if it worked. So, I took the gamble and bought the .25 Jet 2. Since, I have polished the barrel and that made a big difference. The barrels are filthy so they need a good cleaning to begin with. I added a laser and flashlight. The flip up sights are a nice feature and accurate up to 20 yards. I have filed/sanded the grip down as the sharp ridge was pressing into my middle finger. Also, the inside the rear stock its a great spot for storage for pellets/parts etc. When the pistol arrived it came in a nice hard shell injection molded case. I was very happy off the get go! Great deal and I got one of the last ones I was able to find in .25.


Happy Camping
 
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I have the Hatsan Jet 2 in .25. Like most, I thought it was kinda junky. But, I needed a small compact pcp for barn pests. Something that can squeeze in and out of tight places ...so, this was perfect for the price ...if it worked. So, I took the gamble and bought the .25 Jet 2. Since, I have polished the barrel and that made a big difference. The barrels are filthy so they need a good cleaning to begin with. I added added a laser and flashlight. The flip up sights are a nice feature and accurate up to 20 yards. I have filed/sanded the grip down as the sharp ridge was pressing into my middle finger. Also, the inside the rear stock its a great spot for storage for pellets/parts etc. When the pistol arrived it came in a nice hard shell injection molded case. I was very happy off the get go! Great deal and I got one of the last ones I was able to find in .25.


Happy Camping
It seems that you wanted a compact .25 cal air gun to kill pests at short range (less than 20 yards).
At that that distance the accuracy is probably fine, and you do not care about the bad short string since you likely shoot few shots at a time, when pesting.

I am target shooting/plinking at longer than 20 yards, and then the accuracy and shot string matters.
 
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I have several Hatsans, mostly break barrels and a Blitz which I love. I am really disappointed in my Jet2. I think it had a lot of potential but never quite hit the mark. Mine is the 22cal. and seems underpowered an not very accurate. I also have a Notos which I think is a much better choice for the same criteria at a similar price point
 
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I have several Hatsans, mostly break barrels and a Blitz which I love. I am really disappointed in my Jet2. I think it had a lot of potential but never quite hit the mark. Mine is the 22cal. and seems underpowered an not very accurate. I also have a Notos which I think is a much better choice for the same criteria at a similar price point
Hatsan is better known for high prices and lower quality.

The customer support and part availability is nothing to remember either.
 
The Jet is a 25 yard gun. That being said I did get a 50 yard kill (.177) with my Jett 2. I break it out whenever the weather is good and friends are over. It's a fun gun to shoot cans with.
The Jet seems to be a very short range plinker, assuming that your targets are big enough for the Jet out of the box accuracy :)
But I have that up to 25 yards distance covered by many cheaper and more accurate airguns, the Crosman 13xx/22xx for instance.
 
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The Jet seems to be a very short range plinker, assuming that your targets are big enough for the Jet out of the box accuracy :)
But I have that up to 25 yards distance covered by many cheaper and more accurate airguns, the Crosman 13xx/22xx for instance.
I'm not so sure about it's value as a plinker. A good plinker needs a high or unlimited shot count and as little additional equipment as possible. It's the reason why springers make such great plinkers. Just grab the gun and some pellets and shoot until you get bored, no recharging or repetitive pumping necessary.

I see some utility for it as a backpacking gun or a pest control gun. It's the kind of thing you could put in a backpack or carry with you while walking the dog. I think that what really holds back a lot of these kinds of small PCP's are a lack of small, lightweight pumps to charge them with. What's the point of carrying a 2 lb. PCP pistol with you if you also need 5 lbs. of pump or 6 pounds of tank to charge it?
 
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I'm not so sure about it's value as a plinker. A good plinker needs a high or unlimited shot count and as little additional equipment as possible. It's the reason why springers make such great plinkers. Just grab the gun and some pellets and shoot until you get bored, no recharging or repetitive pumping necessary.

I see some utility for it as a backpacking gun or a pest control gun. It's the kind of thing you could put in a backpack or carry with you while walking the dog. I think that what really holds back a lot of these kinds of small PCP's are a lack of small, lightweight pumps to charge them with. What's the point of carrying a 2 lb. PCP pistol with you if you also need 5 lbs. of pump or 6 pounds of tank to charge it?
You may be right.

When I plink, I shoot a lot and the Hatsan Jet has a very short useable shot string.
I do not want to fill the Jet every 2 magazines.

If you insist on fitting an airgun in the backpack, and only want to shoot 2 magazines then maybe the Jet is fine.

But the Umarex Notos can also be fitted in the backpack (adding/removing the stock only requires a hex key) and gives you a much better accuracy and a much longer and useable shot string.

What was Hatsan thinking when they designed the Jet?
 
I've got a 2240 PCP conversion in .25 already that has the same problem. I get about 8 shots between charges and what you have to keep in mind regarding accuracy with all non-regulated guns is that you only get really good accuracy within the part of the shot curve that is consistent. If that means you only get 3 consistent shots, then if you're going for accuracy you only take 3 shots between charges. Before I installed a regulator in my S410 I used to count on about 20 good shots at 50 yards or more.

You can hunt just fine with a gun like that, but they're no good for plinking.
 
I bought my .25 Jet 1 for the sole purpose of bottling it and making it a low power barn gun. It's awesome in that respect, but I broke the poorly designed valve stem running it at 800 psi. I can see all of them failing in the future because of the fragile stem, so I can't recommend this gun to anyone unless you know someone that can fabricate a custom stem and poppet.

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I bought my .25 Jet 1 for the sole purpose of bottling it and making it a low power barn gun. It's awesome in that respect, but I broke the poorly designed valve stem running it at 800 psi. I can see all of them failing in the future because of the fragile stem, so I can't recommend this gun to anyone unless you know someone that can fabricate a custom stem and poppet.

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Based on various posts (here and elsewhere), it seems that the poppet stem has a weak point that can break in a few hundred shots or a few thousand shots (if you are lucky).
The ability to make your own stem and poppet will easily eliminate 99% of us from owning a Jet long term.
 
I happen to like my .22 Jet 2. It is fun to shoot, and has taken out many pests in my small yard. It serves it's purpose as an inexpensive, small, lightweight, short range pistol/carbine. It seems some people have very unrealistic expectations for a gun this size... If you want a gun with better shot string, more accurate at longer distances, then buy one that is designed for that. It's like buying a Prius and complaining about not winning any races...
 
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