Introducing the New Unique Hatsan Jet II - A Versatile Compact PCP Airgun: Post 1 - Out of the Box

I first saw a photo of the forthcoming Hatsan Jet I and II airguns in November of 2022 and was very interested in them. As more info started coming out, I really focused on the Jet II as it has twin air tanks. You see, I like short airguns for handling pests so I needed something to authoritatively deal with ground squirrels, tree squirrels and the occasional rabbit.

I have an amazing FX Impact Compact Mk II in .25 but wanted something even smaller but with less over penetration. I used to include having less of a report but switched from a DonnyFL Emperor to one of the new EdGun Behemoth moderators with an additional module and wow is that thing quiet now but that is a story for another day.

So, back to the point – I wanted something even smaller than the Impact Compact with less energy but didn’t want to spend a fortune either – sure, I’d love a Leishy II, Layla or something similar but don’t have that kind of money. As the just-before-Christmas release date drew near, the pricing came out and the suggested pricing was very affordable at $289.99 for the Jet I and $339.99 for the Jet II plus vendors were planning to come in lower. Ok, I had some thinking to do and very quickly decided to order the Jet II in .22 from Pyramyd Air and added their 10 for 10 test to try and guard against getting a defective unit.,

Specifications

It’s a side lever operated repeater
Available in .177, .22 and .25 – I opted for the .22 model
Magazine capacity: .177 is 8 rounds, .22 is 7 rounds and .25 is 6 rounds – these are small magazines for a small airgun
Barrel length: 7.9″
Each air cylinder holds 40cc so the Jet II holds 80cc of air
Pressure is 250 bar (3,626 psi)
There is a built in pressure gauge
Power is not regulated (the more expensive airguns tend to have regulators that step the pressure down from the tank to a lower more o consistent level that is then sent to the pellet upon firing. Higher end air guns may even have two regulators. For the price point, the Jets do not have a regulator and you’ll be just fine though I will tell you this is why I bought the Jet II – I wanted a larger air volume and a slower corresponding drop in pressure compared to the Jet I.
The barrel has a shroud to protect and stabilize it but nothing more. There is no integral moderator/suppression in the shroud.
Hatsan reports the barrel is rifle and made in Germany but they don’t mention the manufacturer – not sure if it is made Walthar or just who and will update this if I find out
Split length 11mm dovetail and Picatinny rail – it runs over the entire barrel and for a short amount behind the breach. Note: This combination rail design was also on my Gladius and hasn’t been reported in the press for some reason. You do not need to be limited to just 11mm.
Has three flip up sights – one front and then two at the rear depending on whether you are shooting it as a pistol or a carbine
The stock can be easily installed or removed with a push button
It is adjustable for length with a rubber recoil pad and a vertically adjustable cheek piece
Overall length of just the pistol: 15″
Overall length with the stock collapsed is about 23-3/16″ and fully extended it is just over 24-3/4″.
If I use the back of the rear sight as a starting point, length of pull collapsed is about 9-5/8″ and fully extended it is about 11-9/16″.
1.4 pounds without the stock and 3.4 pounds with the stock
Now the next stats are reported by Hatsan and I want to take a moment and recognize them for conservative reporting. Whereas some vendors inflate their numbers (meaning they exaggerate), Hatsan tends to be truthful and if anything their airguns perform better than they report:
Max Velocity – Lead Free Pellets – 810 FPS – .177; 700 FPS – .22; 600 FPS – .25 (depends on the type of pellet and other factors)
Max Velocity – Lead Pellets – 788 FPS – .177; 700 FPS – .22; 600 FPS – .25(depends on the type of pellet and other factors)
Max Muzzle Energy – 9.7 FPE – .177; 15.6 FPE – .22; 16.5 FPE – .25 (depends on the type of pellet and other factors)
Shots at Optimal Velocity – 48 – .177; 42 – .22; 30 – .25

Notice the muzzle energy reported in Foot Pounds of Energy (FPE). I want to use this to eliminate squirrels and the .177 with 9.7 FPE is on the lighter side. There are guys who hunt squirrels with .177 but I tend to think they are pushing heavy pellets faster and delivering more FPE. My first choice would have been .177 but given the numbers I decided to go with a .22 and the 15.6 FPE.

How much is enough FPE for squirrels starts arguments and chest thumping online one post cites 9 FPE for minimum energy and then you have folks swearing clean kills at 5 FPE with headshots. My point is that there are tons of claims out there. I know 15.6 FPE will do the job if I do mine in terms of accurate shot placement so that’s my rationale.

Opening The Box

On December 28th, the carbine arrived from Pyramyd Air and it did not disappoint.

The Jet II arrived in a flat box and inside was the pistol, the stock and in the box are two mags, a female quick connect fitting and some o-rings. Is this a pistol or a carbine? The answer is yes. I have found Hatsan’s designs to be novel and forward looking – this is no exception.

This is looking straight on at manometer (the pressure gauge). It looks like Pyramyd Arms did their 10 for $10 test but didn’t bother refilling the tank. So the gauge is in the top cylinder. The bottom cylinder has a cap on and under it is the male quick connect fitting for filling the airgun.

Inside the muzzle end of the shroud are 1/2-20 threads for adding a moderator. So, if you get a 1/2-20 male to male fitting, you can add your favorite brand of moderator. I’ll cover more about this later.

The quick connect foster fitting is protected by a black plastic cover. Note the 250 bar limit printed on the cylinder.

The cocking lever is polymer. I’d rather it were aluminum but let’s see how it holds up, Injection molded composites these days are amazing so this may do ok. Time will tell. Also, that optic rail also runs forward of the breach the whole length of the barrel and supports both 11mm and Picatinny. Most reviewers and listings have overlooked that. I will do a blog post showing a scope mounted with Picatinny rings directly.

These holes that look like ports in the shroud are just for looks – the same way that having the serrations in a shroud are for looks. The shroud stabilizes and protects the barrel plus has threading for adding a moderator but that’s it. There is no integral moderator. You’ll need to add that but that’s ok and I’ll tell you why and how in another post.

Now, let’s look at the stock

Let’s next turn our attention to the attachable stock that is very slick and can be easily attached or removed.

The stock is really interesting. The male plugs go into the female receptacles in the pistol. The knob on the lower left adjusts the height of the cheekpiece and the the square button just forward of the middle lower part of the stock moves a detent and allows you to make the stock longer or shorter.

The lower plug has a locking mechanism to keep it secured in the pistol.

The top plug has an O-ring installed. What this does is provide resistance/springiness for a firm lock-up. When you push the stock into the pistol the O-ring compresses to create a solid feeling connection.

This is looking at the female receptacles on the pistol that the stock’s plugs will go into.

That square button allows enables the stock to telescope in or out.

There are a total of six adjustments in the stock. Overall length with the stock collapsed is about 23-3/16″ and fully extended it is just over 24-3/4″. If I use the back of the rear sight as a starting point, length of pull collapsed is about 9-5/8″ and fully extended it is about 11-9/16″. There is a slight amount of play, or wiggle, in the lock up of the stock but it’s really not much and thus acceptable

It looks slick and goes to the shoulder very easily. The balance is good too. You can see the two magazines and bag of goodies that were in the accessory box.

I wear XL-sized gloves and my hand fits the grip but just barely. Oddly it’s my middle finger’s middle knuckle that feels the tight fit. I wish there was just a tad more room before the start of the trigger guard but I can live with it. I do want to point out one thing I really like – the safety flips up from the bottom of the trigger guard. I really like designs that put the safety where it can be readily turned off without moving your head or your hand to find the safety leverl. Big kudos to Hatsan for that. My Gladius had one at the front of the trigger guard and I could very easily feel it’s status or turn it off without moving my head.

So let’s wrap this first blog post

I will do more posts about adding a moderator and the optic. I’ve already done some test firing at targets and really like the little “carbine” – I think that’s what I’ll call it. So, if you are looking for something new and compact, check out the Jet I or Jet II in the caliber of your choice.

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