by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
Hatsan Gladius Long.
- Back to the Hatsan Gladius
- POI rings
- Ring fit
- Assessment of the POI rings
- My new glasses
- The scope
- Sight-in
Back to the Hatsan Gladius
Today I revisit the .177-caliber Hatsan Gladius long that we have looked at 4 times already. I’m going to use this rifle to mount the new UTG G4 8-32X56 scope in those special UTG POI rings. This report will focus more on mounting the new rings and scope and sighting-in at 25 yards. There will be an additional report with this setup on the 50-yard range.
POI rings
The POI rings I am installing are medium height, which would be a problem because of the large scope objective bell, if not for the riser base in the Galdius. It seems perfect for these rings. I will show you after the scope is installed.
The jaw moves in and out on two spring-loaded guide pins. The movement is smooth and sure!
The Hatsan scope base accommodates both Weaver and 11mm dovetail mounts, but there is a problem. The cross slots for the Weaver stop blocks aren’t cut deeply enough in the Hatsan base to allow Weaver mounts to attach — at least not these POI rings. So in the end I had to install the UTG Weaver to 11 mm adaptors to get these rings on the rifle.
The UTG Weaver to 11mm adaptors came to the rescue once again. I didn’t need the scope stop screw shown here.
The POI ring with adaptor installed fit the Gladius scope base well. The cross notches in that base are too shallow for traditional Weaver mounts.
The other problem is the Gladius is a bullpup configuration that puts your sighing eye next to the scope. So the rear scope ring has to be positioned far forward for eye relief. Fortunately the Gladius base is long enough to permit that. In fact, the scope has to be positioned WAY forward, with the rear ring in the center of the scope base on the rifle.
Ring fit
The ring jaws are guided by two spring-loaded pins, so the jaw moves in and out, parallel to the ring base. There is no chance for cocking or tilting. And it fastens tight to the base with just a quarter turn of the Torx screw.
And when the scope is laid in the rings before the caps are installed, it just stays put. It is an exact fit. There is no slipping around in any direction.
Even though it is a bullpup style rifle, the Gladius is large. But the new G4 scope is large, as well. This picture shows them together. Notice that the tall Hatsan scope base eliminates the need for high scope rings.
Assessment of the POI rings
I am impressed with the fit of the POI rings. They seem to be everything they promise to be. The fit of everything is precise and tight without binding. I can see the quality we talked about. It’s difficult to rave about scope rings — they are like shoelaces. But everything UTG promises about these rings has come true during the installation.
My new glasses
Now I’ll talk about the scope. But first a word about my new glasses. They do improve my vision, but not to 100 percent. I’m not used to having poor vision in one eye, so I’m still off-balance with these glasses, but they will allow me to shoot again. The reticle appears bent and wavy like it did before, only now the image is much clearer. The bent and wavy lines are due to my retina not being perfectly smooth, and that will be with me for the rest of my life.
The scope
Once the scope was mounted I looked through and found the eyepiece needed serious adjustment. The reticle lines in the G4 scope are very fine in the center of your view and coarse around the edges. The coarse lines direct your view toward the fine center lines. When I was able to see the 1/2 mil dot at the center of the reticle, the eyepiece was adjusted. Then I fooled with the illumination. What looks best to me seems to be the brightest green dot. At least I think it’s green. I’m colorblind, so how would I know?
Sight-in
Once the reticle was adjusted so I could see the fine reticle lines and the dot, I sighted the rifle in. The first 2 shots were at 12 feet for the rough adjustment. Then a shot was taken at 10 meters, and finally 2 shots at 25 yards to confirm a 25-yard zero. My plan is to take the rifle/scope/mounts combination to the range tomorrow and shoot more groups at 50 yards.
Back in July when I shot the rifle at 50 yards, I was using a UTG 10X50 Accushot SWAT scope that was quick and easy to mount. I felt it wasn’t giving the best precision, which is why I scheduled another 50-yard accuracy test. The G4 scope and POI rings happened to arrive at the right time for this, and I don’t think anyone can say I’m not giving the Gladius the test it deserves.
B.B.
So sorry to hear about your eye Sir. Hope the Lord makes it better for you. With todays advanced eye surgery is there no way to fix the retina back with a laser? I have to wear varifocal glasses but I just can’t see the cross hairs well with my right eye, the left is good so I shoot left-hand without glasses but don’t have a problem with open sights. Why do glasses give so much distortion when looking through a scope?
Errol
BTW I had the same problem with the Weaver mount I got for my 125. So I had to get a one piece 11 mm mount & the Weaver is just sitting there.
Errol
Errol,
My retina was reattached with a laser. I had the top retinologist in the southwest as my surgeon.
Optics is unique in that changes of millionths of an inch are critical. The eye and brain can adapt somewhat, but mine apparently went beyond the limit.
My entire retina came loose, so I am lucky to have any sight in that eye at5v all.
B.B.
B.B
My gosh Sir you are indeed lucky to have your sight in that eye. It’s a big relief to know that the best surgeon around treated you. The body has an astounding way of healing itself & adapting most times so let’s put it in the Lord’s hands & hope for the best. I’m truly humbled and awed by your mental strength & stoic resilience in the face of these obstacles to the work you love. May God bless you Sir.
Errol
P.S. How on earth can the retina detach completely? Could it be from the recoil of so many guns you fire?
Is there a danger there? Better not shoot any Magnum loads just to be safe on the other eye?
BB
I can’t obviously see what your eye is seeing. But when I was a teenager I cut my eye with a corn stalk leaf. Had to wear a patch for about a week. For the longest time after it always felt like I had sand in that eye when I blinked. And my vision was distorted out of that eye. It’s my off shooting eye. But if I close my good eye that eye has like a foggy I think I will call it line that runs vertical for the most part. When I look at something out of it or with both eyes. Like reading I can’t look straight at what I’m reading. I have to look off to the side a little if that makes any sense.
What I’m trying to say is like you in a sense I’m thankful that I do have my vision in both eyes. But it does get annoying with that fogged out line getting in my way of see at times. And different light conditions for me anyway makes it better or worse.
But yep when your vision ain’t right it’s not no fun that’s for sure.
BB,
I am certain that your present vision in your right eye is annoying at best, but it likely was not too long ago you would have lost your vision in that eye altogether. I for one am thankful they have at least been able to restore it to usable.
As for the scope rail, you would think that a company that touts the dual type rail as one of their marketing ploys would at least make it usable as such.
B.B.,
I had forgotten about this “toad”. I say that will full respect for those that like it though,.. just not my cup of tea. The Part 4 will not pull up by the way. 1-3 are fine.
Interesting on the 11mm/Weaver rail supplied on the gun. Unless one was to use a 1 pc. 11mm. mount, I see the 11mm “blocks” being a disadvantage. In fact, I do not even see how a Weaver ring by itself would mount on it. There is nothing for it to clamp to, at least from the picture. At least you figured out way to get it done. It looks like lows would work. The picture would indicate you running out of room on the ocular end before you would on the objective end.
On the scope, just yesterday I thought that it would be nice if UTG would put the magnification #’s facing the shooter. My 2 UTG’s have them facing away. A close look at this one however shows the #’s facing the shooter. Way to go UTG! Looking forward to the 50 yard testing. Always the treat.
I am glad that your new glasses at least made an improvement. You probably know better than any of us, but maybe something will come along in the future to make it even better.
Good day all,…… Chris
Chris,
Yes, I am aware of that link problem and have turned it over to IT.
B.B.
“Toad” … LOL! 🙂
Not my style either – each to their own.
Getting used to plastic stocks – quite like the one on the Maximus, the rifle is light and well balanced with it.
Have a preference for traditional wood stocks so the chances are high that my granddaughter will be helping me craft a new stock for her Maximus this winter.
Cheers,
Hank
I got to handle a Maximus in 22 caliber at the local Bass Pro Shop this last weekend. I have handled the Discovery on 22 before and didn’t really the way it felt (like a glorified Benjamin 392) and was prepared not to like the Maximus on that basis, but I really liked the balance and the way that the Maximus felt in my hands. If I had more than 2 shekels to rub together right now, I’d probably get one
But I agree with 45 Bravo, I would prefer a Benjamin Maximus multi pump in either 177 or 22. I think that they would be the logical successor to the Benjamin 397 and 392.
Brent,
I bought the .177 Maximus for my granddaughter (so she would let me use my HW100 again 🙂 ) and I have really taken a liking to it.
I dropped the velocity down to around 500 fps and the shot count has gone way up (will be checking the actual shot count and fps spread this weekend. A fun little plinker!
Quite a potent rifle right out of the box, the .177 is fine for general use but I would go for .22 if you would be doing any hunting with it.
Hank
Hank,
How did you drop the velocity on it? It would be nice to know because a stock .22 Maximus is a little hot for the 20 fpe in field target.
Brent
Brent,
The .177 Maximus is rated for around 30 shots at about 1000 fps. I swapped out the hammer spring (.280 dia x 1.500 long – .040 wire) for a lighter one (.250 dia x 1.500 long – .040 wire) that I got at the local hardware store.
I was in the middle of a fill but a quick check over the Chrony has the velocity around 500 fps (which is great for killing feral pop cans 🙂 ) and the pressure looks to be holding very well over 25 shots messing around with the trigger adjustment. I plan to plot the velocity/shot count over a full fill this weekend – guessing that it will be over 50 shots.
Crosman also has a “Euro Maximus” rated at 12 fpe and 65 shots per fill. I will be contacting Crosman here in Canada to see if they can market a 495 fps version to suit our “no license” requirements.
I saw a mod for a hammer spring tension adjuster that was made from a couple of screws. Figure that you might want one to fine adjust the FPE for FT shooting.
Best I can see, the Maximus and the Disco are the same design so you can refer to the Disco diagrams and mods for a starting point.
Hope this helps.
Hank
Hank,
Well, you sure do some fine, fine woodwork. The Maximus does look like it would handle very, very well. Choosing the right wood(s),….. you should be able to keep the weight down too. Anxious to hear how you like the UTG. The no-fuss of plastics is nice though.
I picked up a Pelletgage for the .25. Keep an eye out for follow ups. Hopefully I can rid of fliers. That is the plan anyways.
Take care,……. Chris
Chris,
Will keep you posted on the UTG purchase – collecting shekels at the moment (like that word Brent 🙂 )
TTFN
Hank
A closer look at the picture showing only the ring mounted appears to show the front(?) of the rail having edges that would clamp a Weaver, yet the rear(?) of the rail appears to have squared off edges. Unless it’s just an optical illusion. At any rate, as RR said, too bad that it does not work as advertised.
Chris,
Optical illusion. The Weaver dovetail is correct, the notches are just too shallow.
B.B.
B.B.,
I remember complaining in the past about how the UTG weaver mounts had a round cross bolt. If that is the type you used in Part 4, that may explain why you had no mounting issues.
I am glad to see that UTG went to a square cross pin on these mounts. Maybe not a big deal on a PCP, but welcome on a thumping springer. Weaver (brand) mounts were the only ones I could find in the past that had a square cross pin, though I am sure there is others. Way to go UTG.
Chris
Those adapters are a nice solution. I did not know of them. If I came across the same mounting problem, I would be using a small file to make room for the cross bolt. That is not the desired approach for an item on loan.
Gopher
I have used those UTG adapters on several different guns mounting scopes. They work nice. Those two little setscrews in the top of each adapter help the scope to not walk. Even on some heavy recoil magnum springers. They work.
“The bent and wavy lines are due to my retina not being perfectly smooth, and that will be with me for the rest of my life.”
I’m sorry to hear that B.B., but I’m still happy that you can see and you can shoot…praise God. 🙂
Keep up the good work!
Good afternoon B.B.,
Just got Firearms News in the mail and there you are staring at us, on page 54, through your Meopro 80 HD Spotting Scope.
If anyone is interested in buying an excellent spotting scope, please read Mr Gaylord’s article before you spend more than you need to purchase a quality scope.
Bruce
Hm, reminds me of my own travails with scope mounting. For my Anshutz, I got the largest scope I could. However, the objective touched the receiver just barely. I didn’t care to a high mount because of the change to the fit of the rifle. So, I exchanged the scope for a slightly smaller one (Leapers). This one just barely cleared the receiver, so I thought I had the best solution. But then I began to have zeroing problems. These I finally traced to the expensive German mounts. So, I switched them out for a much cheaper Leapers mount and it worked fine. So, my Olympic rifle is now aimed by airgunning optics.
B.B., that must be disconcerting about your vision, but the human body has a tremendous ability to adapt over time so you never know, and familiarity can do a lot too. My used SW 686 seems to have a slightly canted that I’ve grown used to. And since I don’t use a leveling device, my scopes are probably a little bit tilted. But as long as you can see the intersection of crosshairs that’s all that matters.
Matt61
Eye Glasses ….
I wear transition trifocals and really need to center them when looking through a scope to avoid curved and offset reticles. However there are no waves within the lines, just the entire line. It can be a real pain because they keep sliding around. A higher mount helps a little there. Room to move my head up or down to focus on the target or reticle.
Bob M
Carel has a Walther LG55 for sale on the American Airgun classifieds for $295. Sounds like a great deal if you want a classic 10m competition rifle. I was really tempted but I think at this point that I’m holding out a .22 cal Maximus or Crossman’s new concept multi-pump based on the Maximus when Crosman comes out with it. Hint, Hint