Hatsan Galatian: A Complete Buyers Guide

The larger than life Hatsan Galatian PCP Air Rifles come with features not found in most guns at this level. The classic lines, interchangeable air tubes, super-smooth side-lever action, massive shot capacity, and exceptional sound suppression in the Hatsan Galatian QE Air gun make the Hatsan Galatians some of the best air rifles you can buy at this price range ($750 -$900).

Here is Why I Fell in Love with The Hatsan Galatian:

Value for Money

If you’re to judge the Galatian Hatsan based on the features it offers at its price, it’s quite a good deal. For about $800, you get a powerful and exceptionally accurate air rifle. Its clip has a massive capacity, and its side lever cocking is easy. Besides, its ambidextrous stock has an adjustable butt plate and cheekpiece.

If you want to add accessories like bipods, lasers, and lamps, the air rifles come with three accessory rails at the front part of the stock. 

The Galatians also comes with a sling, two clips, and a premium quality hard carrying case. You’ll also get a bunch of tools, small components, and O rings.

While the Galatians don’t come cheap, their wide range of features and excellent performance and accessories make it all worthwhile.  

Speed and Accuracy

One of the standout aspects of the Hatsan Galatian Air rifles is their outstanding accuracy with a full spectrum of pellets.

The accuracy was outstanding even when shooting ultra-light pellets that most PCP air guns shoot poorly. I found the best accuracy when shooting the heavy H&N Baracuda Match pellets. These pellets gave an exceptional “one-hole” accuracy, which means they’re likely to do well in the longer rangers where you’ll generally shoot the Galatian.

As you might expect, I achieved the maximum muzzle velocity of 1203 FPS when shooting the H&N Field Target Trophy Green and Gamo Raptor PBA alloy pellets. Remarkably, when shooting from the heaviest to the lightest pellets, the variation in muzzle velocity didn’t exceed 100 FPS. 

Like most PCP air guns, the knockdown power (muzzle energy) increases with the pellet‘s weight. This, coupled with an increase in accuracy and a reduction of noise, makes heavy pellets ideal for the Galatian. One of the key virtues of the Galatian is that it’s not pellet picky. 

Cocking Effort and Trigger

The Hatsan Galatian air rifles come with a very consistent two-stage Quattro trigger. The ‘factory set’ pull weight is about 6 Lbs – quite heavy. However, you can adjust the trigger to a lower pull weight – it can get to 1Lb without losing its crisp release.  

The Galatians’ trigger has a very short pull length, which means its heavy pull weight is less bothering. And the pull length certainly doesn’t limit the gun’s accuracy.  

The safety is ambidextrous and manual in Hatsan Galatian Tactic auto, Galatian I, Galatian III, Galatian IV, Galatian 5 auto, and Galatian 6 auto.  (It’s, however, automatic in the Hatsan Galatian QE Air Rifle). Besides, you can easily access the safety as it’s just next to the trigger blade. 

Cocking is effortless and pleasant, which is not surprising given it’s a side-lever operation. The cocking level reverts quickly to the part-open position. And you only need at most a 13 Lbs force to get it back to a full open position.

Does it Live Up to Hatsan’s Claims?

Hatsan claims that the Hatsan Galatian .177 delivers 1130 FPs as the maximum velocity. When shooting the lightweight RWS Hobby lead pellets with my Hatsan Galatian QE .177, I easily achieve a muzzle velocity of 1145 FPS. 

With the lightweight alloy pellets, the peak muzzle velocity is 1203 FPS. So, when it comes to muzzle velocity, this Galatian exceeds Hatsan’s claims.

According to Hatsan, a Galatian with .177 caliber delivers maximum muzzle energy of 24 Ft/Lb. I got 24.20 Ft/Lbs when shooting H&N Baracuda Match pellets, so in this aspect, the air gun matches the maker’s claim.  

Hatsan also makes a general claim that the Hatsan Galatian .177 delivers from 32 to 48 good shots for every fill.  In my experience, the Galatian easily achieves this claim –but this is subject to the muzzle velocity spread you’re willing to accept. 

The manufacturer also claims that the Hatsan Galatian QE (Quiet Energy) model diminishes noise by more than 32%.  This claim is hard to verify, but given how quiet the gun is, I’m inclined to believe it is valid.

Consistency

Consistency is certainly a key attribute of the Galatian Hatsan. The airgun delivers consistent muzzle power even when shooting the lightest pellets. Heavier pellets are, however, preferable. The trigger’s pull weight is also consistent.

Noise Level

With its integrated silencer and shrouded barrel, the Galatian QE is very quiet.  But even with its quietness, when you shoot light pellets with this air rifle, you get a loud crack – the shock wave that emanates from pellets going faster than the speed of sound. 

You also find this effect in other rifles. It highlights that many shooters’ need for maximum velocity is not compatible with their need for quietness. As you would expect, shooting heavier pellets generates lower levels of noise. 

Sight and Scope

With the Hatsan Galatian, you get to choose your scope. It doesn’t have irons sights fitted, but it has excellent scope dovetails machined atop the breech. The dovetails provide a robust mounting platform that allows you a variety of positioning possibilities – thus, you can mount various scopes and adjust for ideal eye relief requirements.

A remarkable characteristic of many of Hatsan’s PCP air guns like the Galatian is they come with both standard dovetails and Weaver/Picatinny rails. So, with the Galatian, you won’t have any issues with scope ring fittings. 

I have fitted the Leapers 4-16 x 40AO scope on my Galatian, which feels quite well balanced.

Removable Barrel

You can easily remove the Galatian barrel for cleaning without damaging the rifle or the breech seals.  

To remove the barrel, you only need to unscrew the grub screws on the breech and gently pull the barrel from the breach. You get to see the Galatian’s refined pellet lead-in, smooth barrel circumference, and finished o-ring chamfers. It’s thanks to these features that the barrel is exceptionally accurate. The features also allow you to service the barrel efficiently without damaging the gun.  

Shootability

The Galatian offers numerous shootability benefits. On top of the list is the system that prevents double feed. With this system, two pellets can’t simultaneously slide into the barrel.

Double-feeding is a common problem that comes with many multi-shot PCP airguns – both cheaper and pricier. It happens when a shooter mistakenly pulls that level or bolt action two times without punctuating it with a trigger pull. This is a vital practical benefit that comes with Galatian rifles. 

Another standout feature is that the rifles allow you to load pellets into the empty slots while the clip is in the gun. The Galatian clip has an unusually high capacity, so you might not get to use this feature often. But it’s a testament of Hatsan’s unique approach to design. 

Convenience

Using the side-lever action is easy and convenient. And the Galatian’s multi-adjustable stock allows you to adjust cheek weld and pull length to fit your requirements. 

While the Galatian system that prevents double-feed is great, the airguns don’t show the number of pellets in the clip. Unless you’re careful about counting your pellets, you’re likely to fire blank shots. Most multi-shot PCP airguns come with a pellet counter, so the Hatsan’s omission of this crucial component is disappointing. 

The Hatsan Galatian also offers exchangeable HPA tubes couples with degassing capabilities. You can easily remove a pressurized tube by detaching it from your rifle. There is no fuss or hissing; you don’t need to diffuse the air first – you can unscrew it even when the tube is fully packed with pressure. You can then reattach a replacement tube and get back to shooting. 

The Galatian’s valve is positioned in the interchangeable HPA tube, rather than in the rifle itself which makes degassing easy and convenient. The tube has a set screw at the end. To bleed down pressure from the tube, you only need to unscrew the setscrew using the supplied Allen wrench. 

Appearance and Finish

The Galatians are stunning rifles that combine stylish design with a practical aesthetic. 

Hatsan has also brilliantly combined synthetic and metal parts; this makes for a fantastic finish. The aluminum receiver is gloss black and gas clear and sharp wording. Besides, the steel parts like HPA tube and shroud are well finished with strong, deep bluing. 

There aren’t any mold marks in the Galatian QE black synthetic stock. It has a tactile and rubbery feel – quite practical and pleasant. Besides, the stock material is checkered in the right places to improve grip. 

Overall, the Hatsan Galatian PCP air rifles avoid the flashy look and yet look elegant and have the appearance of high-end guns. 

Safe Packaging

The Hatsan Galatians combine exceptional features with some mediocre ones. For one, the sling is handy; you’ll need it to carry the relatively heavy air rifle. And the guns are shipped in sturdy hard cases which protect them during shipping. 

The interchangeable HPA tubes are a significant advantage, too. They provide a light and compact way of carrying more air when shooting without ferrying a pump, an HPA tank, and fittings.

200 Bar (2,900 psi) is the optimum fill pressure, so most users can fill the pressure using a hand pump. 

On the flip side, to connect the air tank to the rifle, you need a probe system. A fast disconnect system is better because this probe system needs more protection to limit dirt from entering the rifle during filling. Besides, to connect the probe to the HPA tank, you need an adapter. 

My Experience with the Hatsan Galatian in a Nutshell

The Hatsan Galatian air rifles top the PCP category with their advanced features. The remarkable features include high magazine capacity, double-feed prevention, and exchangeable pressure tubes – coupled with the ability to load it while the clip is in the gun.  

The Galatians also deliver steady muzzle velocity and exceptional accuracy with all pellets tested. The Hatsan Galatian .177 makes for a fantastic Field Target gun. The Galatian with a .25 caliber makes for a brilliant hunting air rifle. 

The Galatians offer shooters numerous tinkering options, thanks to the removable air cylinder, removable rear sight, an adjustable butt plate, and cheek comb, and the spare magazine holder. You can configure it to suit your unique needs. This versatility is perhaps the most redeeming quality of the Hatsan Galatian PCP air rifles – it guarantees you won’t get bored with your gun.  

Sure, they’re expensive, big, and bulky. But overall, the Galatians are top-of-class PCP air rifles, and they offer great value for money. They combine a versatile platform with excellent accuracy, massive power, a versatile platform, a fantastic fit and fish, and massive carrying capacity. 

Hatsan Galatian Specs

• Ambidextrous and ergonomic stock
• Rubber butt pad
• Picatinny rails
• Dovetail groove receiver
• Available in .177, .22, and .25 caliber
• Removable 14-shot magazine in the .177, 12-shot in the .22, and 10-shot in the .25 caliber
• Removable aluminum air cylinder
• A patented anti-knock system which limits wastage of gas when the gun is bounced or knocked
• “Anti-double pellet load” system that ensures only one pellet gets loaded into the barrel
• Cocking indicator
• Checkering on forend and grip
• Built-in pressure gauge
• Manual Safety
• Fitted sling swivels
• Sling and Hard case included
• Overall blued finish

What I Wish the Manufacturers Could Change

• Weight. The underside of shooting the Galatian Hatsan is that they are relatively heavy guns, and they don’t come with a shot counter. With their heavyweight, the ideal way to shoot the Galatians is from a rest, for instance, using a bipod. That’s how you’ll get to tap into the air guns’ inherent accuracy. 

• Loading the clip takes some effort
• Pressure gauge location
• Pepperjam Verification <– inserted for Pepperjam affiliate confirmation.