When you first see the Hartsang "Carnivore" 135, you can easily think of it as a sporting rifle or shotgun of more than 7 mm caliber, because its body is very strong, the whole gun length reaches 1199 mm, and the full gun weight is a staggering 4.53 kg. Its "size" even exceeded the famous American M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle, 99 mm more in length than the M1, and weighed almost 0.2 kg more. Even compared with the Japanese Type 38 rifle, the Hatsan "Carnivore" 135 is only slightly inferior in length, but the weight exceeds 0.6 kg.
The Hartsan "carnivore" 135 in the hands of the user shows that its size is indeed huge
However, the Hartsan "Carnivore" 135 is an uncompromising air gun, and it is a spring air gun with a barrel prying structure. It is the largest caliber in the Hartsan 135 series, using a .30 caliber, or 7.62 mm, which is equal to the M1 Garland and more than 1 mm larger than the 38. As a result, the gun is also the most powerful in the series, with Hartsang calling it "the most powerful prying airsoft in the world." Therefore, the use of "carnivores" to name it is also a true name.
The 7.62 mm caliber (left one) used by the "Carnivore" 135 compares to other common calibers
Although it is incomparable with big brands such as Diana, Umarex, GAMO, and FX, In the field of air guns, Hatsan is by no means unknown. Founded in 1976 in Izmir, Turkey, Hastan Arms Company has a history of 45 years. The company started from the production of air guns and sport rifles, and gradually expanded to shotguns and other hunting and defense weapons, the business field is expanding day by day, rapidly developing into one of the world's largest gun manufacturers, currently has 15,000 square meters of plant and more than 400 sets of professional equipment, the production of more than 95% of the various guns for export, has successfully entered the European and American markets, marketing more than 90 countries.
The Hartsan Arms Company's logo is an arrow resting on an open bow
On May 11 this year, a shooting at the No. 175 Middle School in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, killed 10 people and injured 21 others, using a Hatsan Escort shotgun, 19-year-old killer Irinaz Galyaviev. In October 2018, another school shooting that killed 21 people at the Crimean Kerch Polytechnic School was also the same gun. While this would not bring fame to the Hartsan shotgun, it also indirectly reflected the popularity of the company's products in Europe.
Hartsan's Hatsan Escort series shotguns are widely marketed throughout Europe
After conquering the Shotgun market in Europe, Hartsang returned to the source of its business by creating a complete division and once again designing and producing various airsoft guns. The company's airsoft products are diverse, both the current popular PCP, as well as the traditional spring air guns, and there is no lack of some of their own original representative products, the former such as Hatsan AT44, Hatsan Gladius, Hatsan Sortie, the latter such as Hatsan Mod 25, etc., all enjoy a certain degree of popularity. In general, the materials used in the Hartsang air gun are better, such as barrel steel is made in Germany, the wooden parts are made of high-quality Turkish walnut, and all the products have been professionally tested, so the quality is relatively strong and the accuracy is also good. At the same time, the price of the Hartsan air gun is relatively close to the people, which can be called a good price, so it is more suitable for beginners. With the advantages of performance and price, Hartsang has launched a series of products with different models and different powers in recent years, which have set off a lot of enthusiasm in Europe and the United States, including the Hartsan 135 series.
The oddly shaped Hatsan Sortie short PCP airsoft produced by Hartsang
Now the conversation returns to Hartsang"135. The gun uses the most classic prying structure in the spring air gun - this is not a common design of high-power spring air guns, in order to ensure air tightness, high-power spring air guns mostly use fixed barrels - in addition to the patented "vortex" piston, the gun structure is not too innovative, the overall arrangement is similar to GAMO's "clear" series. However, the caliber used by the "carnivore" 135 is very special. Although the caliber of air guns is theoretically not particularly limited, but according to the convention, spring air guns are generally 4.5 mm, 5.5 mm, very few use 6.35 mm and the new 5 mm, PCP in addition, common calibers are 9 mm, 11.43 mm and 12.7 mm or even larger, like 7.62 mm, which is commonly used in military weapons, medium caliber is still relatively rare to use on air guns, especially spring air guns. Although there are several brands of airsoft ammunition of this caliber on the market, it is still a non-mainstream caliber.
The "Carnivore" 135 is a spring air gun with a pluck-out structure
The "Carnivore" 135 stock under the long groove containing the compressor linkage
The main consideration for the 7.62 mm caliber of the Carnivore 135 was still to increase its power, and its projectile weight was much heavier than that of the 4.5 mm, 5.5 mm, or even 6.35 mm airsoft bullets. According to data released by Hartsan Weapons, the gun has a maximum muzzle velocity of 179.8 m/s and a muzzle kinetic energy of up to 46 joules, which is comparable to most 5.5 mm (.22 caliber) PCP air guns in terms of power, and is definitely among the top in high-power spring air guns.
The Predator 135 is second to none powerful in a spring air gun
Foreign gunners selected 4 different brands of 7.62 mm commercial airsoft ammunition and conducted field tests with "carnivores" 135. Although the measured projectile velocity was a little lower than Hartsan claimed, it was still impressive. The first is the "vortex" air gun cartridge, which weighs 2.9 grams, the measured muzzle initial velocity is 161.5 m/s, and the muzzle kinetic energy is 37.9 joules; the second is the Czech JSB competition grade air gun cartridge, which weighs 3.25 grams, the measured muzzle initial speed is 155.4 m/s, and the muzzle kinetic energy is 39.3 joules; the third is the FX air gun cartridge, which weighs 3.25 grams, the measured muzzle initial speed is 154.2 m/s, and the muzzle kinetic energy is 38.7 joules; the fourth is the "Predator" Polymag air gun cartridge. The single grain weighs 2.9 grams, the measured muzzle initial speed is 157.3 m/s, and the muzzle kinetic energy is 35.9 joules.
Results of tests for different brands of 7.62 mm airsoft ammunition with "Carnivores" 135
Of the four types of airsoft cartridges used in the test, the other three were the most common domed, skirted empty bamboo airsoft bullet cartridges with skirts, except for the "Predator" Polymag, which had a fake tip made of polymer at the top of the hollow projectile, which was designed to accelerate the expansion of the projectile after hitting the target. But either way, when launched with "carnivores"135, its power can fully meet the needs of hunting common small and medium-sized animals. In fact, there are multiple examples of successfully eliminating pests such as fox squirrels (the largest squirrels in North America) and raccoons at a distance of 46 meters (50 yards), while the 5.5 mm spring air gun is difficult to kill directly at the same distance, unless it hits the point, and requires a PCP air gun of the same or more caliber or a .22LR sport rifle to be competent. If the right projectile is chosen, the Predator 135 can even cleanly destroy coyote-sized prey within an effective range. Of course, even with a caliber of 7.62 mm, the Predator 135 is by no means a large shotgun, but more than enough for small and medium-sized prey, so there is no need to worry about the legal risks associated with it.
7.62 mm caliber "Predator" Polymag airsoft bullet
Nielsen produced a 7.62 mm caliber air-tipped airsoft cartridge
For spring air guns, especially high-power spring air guns, vibration and noise during firing are the two most difficult problems to solve. However, Hartsang "carnivore" 135 has taken a number of steps in both areas to minimize the impact of both problems. The gun uses a Walnut Monte Carlo stock, and the cheek plate can be lifted and raised, and the size is particularly thick, which is one of the reasons why this gun is so heavy. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing and durable, one of its roles is to relieve the huge vibrations generated by the super strong main spring when it is extended by weight. And the bottom of the stock is also equipped with an impressive oversized cushion, which looks large enough to be used on a high-powered center-firing musket rifle, which is also intended to reduce the vibration when firing.
The "Carnivore" 135's Monte Carlo stock patch plate can be lifted and lowered
The "Carnivore" 135 stock has a large rubber cushion at the bottom
In terms of suppressing muzzle noise, the barrel of the Hartsang Predator 135 is a double-layer design, with a real barrel on the inside and a barrel sleeve on the outside. Although the full gun is nearly 1200 mm long, its barrel is actually incredibly short, only 269 mm, and the barrel sleeve that looks long on the outside is the barrel sleeve. Near the muzzle in the crosshair position, the barrel sleeve has a thickened part, which is actually an extended cavity in which the high-pressure air is buffered and diluted, and then flows out of the small hole below, to some extent acting as a silencer. But because the Predator 135 is really powerful, it still makes a noticeable "bang" sound when shooting, but it is still smaller than the .22LR caliber weapon that uses a silencer. Of course, the "carnivore" 135 itself can also be connected to the external muffler, the front end of the barrel has been pre-processed to connect the thread, the choice of a suitable muffler, can further reduce the gun's shooting noise.
The front end of the "Carnivore" 135 barrel is an expansion chamber that acts as a sound-attenuated role, and the true barrel length is extremely limited
The Hartsan "Carnivore" 135 is equipped with a mechanically adjustable sight with its own light-emitting fiber column, but due to the problem of the full length of the barrel, the length of the sight line is limited, so in order to improve the shooting accuracy, the Picatinny rail is preset above the receiver, and more sights or other optical aiming devices are actually used. The gun also features the acclaimed Quattro two-stage trigger and the equally revered Quitet Energy precision barrel, which is helpful in improving the firing accuracy of this high-power airsoft gun. Equipped with the Optima 3-9X40AO sight, the accuracy of the lead bullets of the aforementioned four air guns is very good for a shooting distance of 46 meters.
Adjustable mechanical gauge of the "Carnivore" 135
The Picatinny rail preset above the "Carnivores" 135 receiver, with the safety protruding from the tail end
The Hartsang Carnivore 135 is an "adult" air rifle — not only because it's heavy and big enough, but also because it requires considerable force to get it on hook, which isn't very difficult for an adult, but it's hard for a child to do it on its own. In fact, the Hartsan 135 series is so huge that even the 4.5 mm caliber model in the series weighs 4.49 kg, and the muzzle initial speed is a staggering 381 m/s. Considering the weight and size of the gun, it may not be suitable for improvising and hunting in the jungle with it, and if it is carried in the wild, it is necessary to carry it with a harness.
32 meters away, when firing with JSB airsoft shells, the visible impact point is quite dense
One of the important advantages of the Hartsang Carnivore 135 is its simplicity, its structure, use and maintenance. The process of opening the barrel and loading the lead bullet is very easy, and it can be "ready" for use, and as long as the barrel is open, it is equivalent to setting up insurance, which is a safety performance that no other firearm can match. Although the PCP airsoft gun is relatively lighter and the power may be easier to increase, the "Carnivore" 135 does not require an air compressor and other complex equipment, does not need time to prepare the "power", as long as the barrel is broken down into place to complete the hang-up process, and the maintenance required to shoot 1000 rounds is only a few drops of silicone oil for the spring. This will be a big plus for those in rural or other remote areas. Especially in some parts of Europe where the possession of gunpowder-powered weapons and PCP is prohibited, traditional spring air guns face far fewer legal restrictions.
The Carnivore 135 is a large airsoft gun that can only be used by adults
The structure of "carnivores" 135 itself is relatively simple, and the requirements for maintenance are extremely low
Another benefit of Hartsang's "carnivore" 135 is that it is cheap. The gun sells for 288.4 euros in Europe, which is roughly equivalent to $326, but it actually retails for only about $300 in the United States. Although 7.62 mm airsoft lead bullets are not cheap, there are also specialized handmade tools for sale. All in all, the Hartsan "Carnivore" 135 is a very economical "hunting toy", which is a fairly cheap and easy to obtain pleasure compared to the thousands of dollars of PCP.
Compared with the power and processing quality, the price of the "Carnivores" 135 is a great value