Hatsan Escort Wrecked Choke on 1st Shoot

[Aron1231]

Hi all hoping for some advice and info.

I bought a hatsan escort as a cheap semi auto to play with and take out once in the blue moon. After the first shoot when I was stripping it down the choke was tight and effort to remove and when i got it out i realised it is wrecked and looks like the shot hast stripped it out and pulled it up.

Basically it looks like the choke isn't sitting central and there must be a little lip overhanging into the barrel which the shot has caught onto and ripped the choke out. This has happened after putting 100 shells through it on one shoot (the very first time I used the gun). Obviously I havent shot it since and with everything atm it's going to be a while before I can get it to the rfd for them to look at it.

What I'm looking for is any experience on this happening? And is there a way it can be rectified or do you recon the barrel should be replaced as well as the choke? There is no damage or rolled edge on the barrel internal where the choke butts up to it's only the choke. The thread seems to be okay on the barrel aswell theres no stripped threads.

The chokes arent tight and there is a slight bit of play which is what's kicking the choke over and causing the misalignment.

As you can see the choke is trashed!

Also I know it's a cheap gun I got it for some fun and only plan  to use it every now and then so please none of the 'get what you pay for'.

Cheers in advance

 

[ColinD]

I hope you got lucky and it's only the choke by what you say, was the choke tight in there in the first place before you shot.

What shot were you using when it happened

 

[Aron1231]

Gamebore evo comp 24g. They werent cycling correctly but put that down to the lower load. Kinda glad was using the lighter load finding this!

Yeah I checked it before and during. I would have thought it would have gotten loose with the missing material but it felt tight.

Lead shot aswell, should have said.

 

[Clynt]

Think I would put other choke in and with a small slotted screw driver or the like check (by sliding it down the choke hard against the chokes sides ) that there is a definite lip where the choke seats into the barrel ; ie the barrel is smaller than the choke ?? if there is , choke maybe came undone , if there is not , take it back to where you bought it .

 

[Aron1231]

I did that so it sits off to one side slightly it's hard to see in the pic but theres is a black crescent that isn't in the top right that is where the lip changes to overhanging into the barrel. I dont have bore gauges to check the difference in bores but as the choke is not a running fit to the barrel when its tightened it kicks off to one side causing the discrepancy. I gues that's backed up by it looking like the damage is come from one area of the choke

 

[Will Hewland]

I would be taking it back and being very firm about the dangerous gun you were sold. Full refund and a bunch of flowers needed IMO

 

[ChrisPackham]

I would be taking it back and being very firm about the dangerous gun you were sold. Full refund and a bunch of flowers needed IMO

And compensation for ruined trousers..
 

This could have been nasty...

 

[Luke_(NL)]

Seeing the two chokes side by side, the wrecked one does seem a lot shorter than the whole one. Has all that been torn off, or was the choke to short to begin with? In that case, the shot would have had an edge to tear away at. 

 

[Barrie0]

This is a long time ago - 2008.

I had similar with a Hatsan Escort Magnum. The shot somehow got between the choke and internal barrel wall, bulging the barrel as per the picture. I've always checked choke tube tightness on all of my guns - so 100% it wasn't a loose choke. 

Fast forward 10 years later and my Browning Maxus semi auto slam fired with the shell outside of the barrel! I.E with the bolt halfway open! Discharging out of the side of the gun. Was sent to Browning and they deduced that the firing pin retention pin had sheared allowing the firing pin to not retract fully setting off the shell when cycling.

Not had a semi auto since!

 

[Aron1231]

Seeing the two chokes side by side, the wrecked one does seem a lot shorter than the whole one. Has all that been torn off, or was the choke to short to begin with? In that case, the shot would have had an edge to tear away at. 

Yeah they were the same so all the material has been torn off and luckily gone out the end and not plugged/blocked the barrel

 

[schmokinn]

Had a similar problem with an A400 ,turned out the had tapped the thread of centre...only took 2 attempts to get a decent replacement barrel!

 

[Luke_(NL)]

Yeah they were the same so all the material has been torn off and luckily gone out the end and not plugged/blocked the barrel

Wow. I can only second the demand for a full refund when handing this back over to the dealer. And I'm making a mental note to checking the choke-fit if I ever* buy a new gun. 

 * ok, ok... when