@notsosilentmajority1 Sounds like you did your homework and it paid off! What you described is the proper break in method. Thanks for the comment!

Yeah from what I heard on a few videos you have to put heavy loads through first, about 50 or so. But man 206......thats a great buy for a auto

@@troyluv33 Yeah man, I still love shooting it. I don't know what they might be selling for now or if they are even still being made but for $200 dollars or so, you cannot go wrong. Take the time to inspect and clean it when you first get it home and then run 50 or so heavy rounds through it and you should have no problem. It seems like too many people don't want to break it down and clean it when they first get. Well, it's a $200 autoloading shotgun, what do you really expect from it? The fact that it runs great if you just take a few minutes before you use it should be incentive enough to do the little bit of work involved. Good luck and stay safe. 👍🏼

Thanks. Glad it helped. Hopefully you won't have any more problems.

Yea, if only more people would do that, they would have fewer problems.

I agree. I recently found out that some of the rings on the piston are harder spring steel than others. The soft ones come off, while the harder ones will not budge. With one of those harder rings, there are very few problems with the gun. I think the makers have come a long way since the beginning. Cheap gun, good for the money.

I think you're going to do just fine. These guns love trap and skeet loads.

Love to eat them in the chamber.

Thanks for the comment. No problems on the ring coming off on yours? My other Hatfield hasn't lost a ring on it, but then I change on heavy loads. The one I sent in the first go around, would blow it off frequently, but they traded with me so I don't have that one anymore. This one coming off caught me off guard, so I decided enough was enough. I had figured what was going on from the first one, so I figured I knew what to do and had nothing to loose by doing so. I'm really impressed at the quality job of the camo. It really is top notch. Better than my Rem 870, or any other camo I've seen. It's that good of quality. Those 6's at 35 yards are a killer on Turkeys for sure. That's an optimal yardage and shot size at that distance, and even on up to 40 yards. They pattern good out to there. Good luck on your hunt too.

@@bgdesignandsolutions no the ring never come off of mine. I've never shot nothing but 2 3/4 loads 4 ,5 and 6 some high brass like the Hi Bird federals .00 buck suprema Walmart loads they pattern good at 40 - 45 yards. But I'm like you I really like the camo Hatfield, that is a good-looking shotgun ! They make a good quality gun for the money it just sometimes needs a little polishing like you did. For $200 you can't beat it !

Sounds like you have one of the good ones with no issues. It's a hit and miss I guess.

Mine is doing the same thing with federal 8 shot 1 1/8 oz brand new out of the box as well.

I agree for the most part. Light loads have always been the issue in modern times, but not so much in the older guns that shot 2 3/4 only, or were set up to shoot 3 inch, but not the heavy 3 inch shells of today. There is no one gun for all, or one ammo for all.

Yup, the cheap light loads don't work in these guns very well. Glad it working good for you!

@David Vance yes

Thanks, I appreciate that. Yea, I wish they would send me one too. I've been working on a new piston design that doesn't use a ring at all. So far it's working with good results. I plan to video the final results and testing. Who knows, maybe I'll get that gun after all.

@@bgdesignandsolutions That is very cool. I have a suggestion brother.........don't put out a video or even tell anyone if you create something that might be valuable or patentable. I am not one of "those guys" but I have seen people share their knowledge and expertise about something and of course, not charge a dime for it, only for some person to come along and "sell" the idea/innovation or patent it. That is an example of the "those guys" I was referring to. If anyone might make a few bucks for an idea, let it be you since you're the one that's coming up with it. If not, someone else will just steal it and THEY will profit from it. Keep up the great work and good luck with whatever you have come up with. Shhhhhhh, there are thieves in them there hills, lol. 🤫. God Bless brother.

@@notsosilentmajority1 True, very true.

It seems these style of Guns made in Turkey are pretty much the same and have the same issues. I am not familiar with the one you mention. But if it looks the same, it was likely made at the same factory. Did the ring come off the piston on that one? I made one that works pretty good since I made this video. So there is an answer to the problem. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iLFjhq2eq9bck4E.html .......

I get what you're saying, however, I have or have owned: Browning's, Browning O/U, Winchesters, SKB, Stoeger, Mossberg, Remingtons, new and old, Pointer, Pointer O/U, and worked on and sold many other shotguns along the way. The Hatfield caught my attention because of its price and design, so I bought one, then another, and now a 3-1/2" one. Which is turning out to be worth every dime. I have seen Browning O/U's that couldn't shoot straight because of barrel misalignment, mossbergs that couldn't operate because of factory defects, and some that come from the factory with crooked barrels as found in the 835's. I've had shotguns that locked up on first shot fired on cold days and others with more issues than I can recall. The Hatfield is a mix of designs. It favors the Winchester SX3 & 4 and the Browning Maxus by way of gas interia design. The issue is how it was trimmed down to work the same way as them, and the piston is the main defect. None the less, many people need a budget gun because they can't afford the name brand shotguns, and then still have problems on top of it. I have seen many unhappy people who paid a lot for money for a gun that wouldn't work. So, all things aside, the Hatfield is a good gun for the money, and they are working to improve them as issues come up. Most of the Hatfields have no issues. For the ones that don't, people seem to be very happy with them.

The first versions of this gun came with two pistons. Later on they made the version that has a gas valve and it only comes with one piston. Since the making of this video, I ordered new pistons and moved the ring forward by cutting another grove in it. It works flawlessly so far, and even handles the light loads with no ring modifications. I let Hatfield know what I did. The works on this gun are mixed. The sleeve takes on the same function as the Browning and Winchester. While the Trigger assy is virtually a Stoeger copy. The Gas port idea comes from Beretta, and the piston from CZ, Tri Star, and others like it. These features make it shoot well when all things are in working order.

I agree. The more you shoot them, the better they perform. I think they have many of the bugs worked out of them that plagued them in the beginning. Great working guns now.

@Husker Bowden Thanks, always good to hear positive comments! I'm with you, hard to beat it for the money.

do they sell mag extension?

See if this helps: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/e7OEapaLrcrHiKc.html

The first ones came with 2 bushings. One for light loads, and one for heavy. That lasted about a year or just over. Then they changed the design and added a pressure relief valve. This did away with the second bushing. They only use one bushing with this regulator because the pressure relief valve regulates the pressure and tries maintain low to mid range pressures, and eliminate High pressure to reduce the recoil. Does this help?

I still have it, but never use it. I switched up and use the 3-1/2" version for goose and the Matrix for most everything else now because its lighter. As for the piston problem, I designed a new piston and it works great in 3" and 3-1/2", so no worries about that anymore.

Thanks

That's true. It takes that to cycle them properly.

Great. I use mine a lot, except for turkeys.

Short heavy? Wide? Gas valve uses a heavy spring. Hard to get back together. No other springs except the firing pin spring.

What I ended up doing is making a new piston on a lathe. I made it slightly larger in diameter and moved the ring forward. It solved all my problems. Works like a champ. No more ring blow off, and it shoots lighter loads.

It sounds like the bolt lug may be ground incorrectly. Some will catch the upper side of the receiver by scrapping against it. Take the trigger assy out, and look at the inside of the receiver to see if there are scratch marks on the top side (inside). If there are, you need to send it in. This is the only thing I am aware of that will stop the bolt short of opening. This will also cause failure to eject on many different loads, even heavy ones. Also, these guns require oil to function reliably. Not much, just a dab. If it's dry inside, add some oil to all moving parts.

Adrian Gradinariu, There is another thing that will not allow the bolt to be pulled back, and that is the safety. If you have closed the bolt and dry fired it, and then put it on safety, you cannot pull the bolt back. You have to take it off safety in order to open the bolt. Most of the time, the gun is fired and the bolt will remain open. you can put it on safety at that time. However, if the gun was dry fired, and you put it on safety, you have to take it off safety to open the bolt. Then put it back on safety, and you're OK then. Stoeger gun uses much the same trigger assy and are the same way.

in the old days, enlarging the holes was very common. I considered doing that once, but I haven't gone that rout on these guns, so I don't know what you should expect. I chose to work on the piston issues instead. Keep me informed.

@@bgdesignandsolutions just in case you are still interested after enlarging the holes a little yesterday I shot it today and it was still was failing to eject shells or lock open on an empty chamber so I made the holes larger again and now it works fine with three different light loads I tried... Federal 1-1/8 oz. #7.5 shot,,, Federal 1-1/8 oz. #8 shot and Remington 1-1/8 oz. #7 shot... If this would not have taken care of the problem my next step was to mess around with the gas regulator as it has four holes around its circumference which I assume is for bleeding off excess gas... I was going to try to plug or cover them some way or another but now don't need to... There is a spacer inside the regulator which goes between the spring and the barrel lug I was going to flip that around inside so it was on the regulator side instead of the barrel lug side... By doing this it would have covered up all four of those vent holes in the regulator... Didn't think about that until today and I probably should have tried that first which would have been easier than drilling the gas holes larger...

@@propdoctor21564 You're right, the holes are to bleed off gases. However, the small piston inside must be able to move, and very little gas escapes this area as it is. The regulator is more for the heavy loads. But it sounds like it worked to drill out the holes. You might note the size of drill bit you used. Others may want to know in case they want to try it.

Any of the new guns will have the latest updates.

Not with the Camo shotguns, or newer ones. They have gone to a pressure release and the need for two pistons is no longer. They only come with one piston now. You can order new pistons from UTAS if you need one.

@@bgdesignandsolutions Good to know this, thanks!

Should be able to drive the pin out and put in a new one. If you cannot do it yourself, just send it in and let Hatfield fix it or replace it. I myself, have not experienced that, and I have shot the hell out them.

@@bgdesignandsolutions I found a way of fixing it with a Cotter pin that I cut and fit into the hole, seems stronger than original pin which is a bit odd. The original broke on a 3 inch magnum Winchester supreme load.

@@hunters.6894 A cotter pin will hold for awhile. They are soft metal, so don't expect to last long. I would be weary if it broke under firing. It may cause internal damage to the receiver. Good luck.

@@bgdesignandsolutions the original pin broke in the cycling process. Didn't damage anything surprisingly. I guess I'll find out how long it holds up, seems to be fine for now though

Yes I do. I have one and I have never had any issues with it. If you search, you will find very little problems ever mentioned about the 20 ga. They're lighter, and when it comes to quail and dove, they are a go to gun. Worth the money.

@@bgdesignandsolutions appreciate it man, I might just pick one up come duck season

I just got a 20 GA SAS

@@scottsime5197 Awesome, keep us up to date on performance.

Hatfield has a scope base they use on their tactical guns, but I am not familiar with it. You will have to drill and tap for it or any other that you choose to use. I put a scope on my 3 1/2" gun. I used a base made for a Mossberg 500. The center of it fits right down into the slot on the top of the receiver. In order to make sure it was tight and wouldn't come loose, I drilled another screw hole in the base. The holes in the base are 1/2" apart, so I added a 3rd one to give it 3 holes spaced evenly at 1/2" intervals. I drilled the back side of the receiver to match up where I wanted the base to fit. Do not drill for the other holes on the base because there isn't enough metal on the front side of the receiver to hold any screws. The front of the base will "free float," but it doesn't move and is very secure even without screws in them. I tapped the holes using the standard thread size for the screws, but I bought and used longer screws that go all the way through the receiver for strength. This is because the ones that come with the base are too short and would strip out if I used them. I never had an issue with them coming loose. Normally I don't use thread locker on scope bases because they can gum up and cross thread when removed. But I did on this because of the heavy loads for turkey. Therefore, if you do use thread locker, use the blue and not the red so the screws will come out if someday you need to remove them. Make sure all holes are straight and so is the tap or you may end up with wobbly screws that won't hold. I did all mine on a mill vise with a dial indicator, and not by hand. I do not recommend doing any scope or base mount holes by hand.

If you're on a budget, they're cheap and work really well for the most part. If you get one, clean it and oil it with fresh oil. Use it for waterfowl, turkey, dove, or whatever. I have found the primary weak spot on them is the bolt assy and lug, and the piston ring not hardened enough. But they have come a long ways and I see more and more of them functioning good and lasting. But also some are still being made out of tolerances too. The 3-1/2" version is the one I would go for, because it's an all arounder. Make sure the bolt is tight when slightly pulling on the finger knob to open the bolt and you don't see of feel the bolt moving back until the lug has cleared the barrel lug slot in the barrel. Headspace should be ok if it doesn't move until then. Find a good one, and you'll be ok. On the flip side, if you can afford to step up, I would. The Tri Star Viper G2 or the Matrix, or Stoeger M3000 would be a good step and still budget friendly. If you want 3-1/2, the costs go up, which makes the Hatfield a bargain.

@@bgdesignandsolutions i can only find the camo hatfield in 3” chamber any websites other than cheaper than dirt that has good price and offers 3 1/2” chamber?

@@lukejohnson4292 If you have to order one, you might be able to do it through Walmart since they seem to have them in stock. I know of two stores that have them in the show cases right now. Found one online at: _Edited_

No, it was the same issue. Is your ring coming off when you shoot heavy loads?

BG Design and Soultions no the ring looks like it’s fine on mine. I shot it again this morning after my morning hunt and now it seems like it won’t feed a new shell after the spent shell get ejected. The feeding lever doesn’t lift the new shell into the chamber.

@@risenhunting187 Look at the trigger assy. If the small ring clip comes off the pin that holds the Shell carrier, (the one that lifts the shell), or if the pin is damaged. I had one break on me and it wouldn't lift the feeding shell. The pin design is weak, and shouldn't break, but they do. Needs a solid pin, not a hollow one. Start there, see if that's it. Be careful not to loose the small spring clip. If it came off, it may laying inside the receiver, or trigger assy.

BG Design and Soultions looks like it was the specific shell I was using, Winchester longbeard XRs. I ran some other 3” and 2 3/4” shells through it and the lifter works fine with those shells. So mechanically it looks like it’s working. But one thing I’ve found with this gun is that there’s a bunch of hang up spots on this gun. Probably just part of a 200 dollar gun but I would think that after a break in period it’ll limber up.

@@risenhunting187 That's odd, I had no issues with the long beards. I have come around to liking the distance they produce. 50-60 yard shots are no problem. As for being rough, that's one reason I filed the hammer smooth. It had rough spots and a bump that caused the bolt to hang up when pulling it back. But don't work on it yourself if your not sure. Better off to send it in if there is any real issue and let them do it. In the meantime, keep using it and time will determine how reliable it is, and what can be shot consistently.

That's a really good question. I know they are trying, and have fixed many issues with these guns. If you only shoot mid range ammo, 1300-1450 fps. I'd say 95% of these guns work really well. But I shoot a wide range of ammo, and need it to function with all of them. I hope to see this gun functioning 100% out of the box in the near future. As far as them being able to fix the problems I have shown, they know how to fix them now. So any issue would be covered under warranty.

Humm, the gas port is under a chromed piece screwed on the barrel where it fits over the magazine tube. Under it, is a heavy spring. If that has been taken apart, you may want to send it in if it's still under warranty. Other than that, there is no spring that goes over the magazine tube. If it is a long spring, it may go inside the magazine tube itself. There should be a black piece with two locking lips on each side in the box somewhere. Push the spring in the tube and hold it down, then place the black piece in the tube and lock it in place with the two "ears" in the slots of the magazine tube. It's possible this came loose if someone left the magazine cap off during shipping. Was this it?

There is no extra part for magnum shells that I now of. On the early models, there were 2 pistons, one with a wire ring around it, and the other without the wire ring. If you have the early model, just switch out the piston you need at the time you will be shooting. The one with no ring should be labeled Heavy, or Heavy Load, while the other just has the ring on it.

I am just going to take gun to a shop and have them check it out...by looking at all the videos its not a bad idea to take gun apart when you get it and make sure all the parts all smooth and burr free..remember when you could buy a shotgun and hardly ever have to take it apart except for cleaning

@@bgdesignandsolutions Its not the long spring that fits inside the magazine tube..do you have a email i could possibly send you a pic or two..all local gunshops are closed due to covid...my email address is csmith112056@gmail.com

@@charliesmith9528 I sent you an email.

And dove

@@austinsisco7507 Yes, it's a good buy. A good gun at a great price.

I went to Walmart, and had them special order it for me. Took less than a week. Other than that, I believe buds guns has them listed, and cheaper than dirt had them listed as well, but out of stock at the moment. Try Googling them.

I use the Truglo Gobble Stopper the most. I found they pattern better and I get a more rounded pattern. My next choice is Carlson or Hevi Shot. But I have noticed the ridges in them will often egg shape the pattern.

Not on this gun. It comes with only one. There is no need to change it. Are you having problems shooting light loads?

Sounds like a good idea. I have the 20 ga one as well, and have had no issues with it other than 900 fps loads. Everything else is fine, and works great. Lighter too.

@@bgdesignandsolutions sweet but the lowest fps in shoot is 1350fps #7 #6 Winchester expert steel low brass great for dove and early teal and close range timber hunting 50$ a case or #8 #7#7.5 lead shot at 1200fps

@@codybrotherseasttexasoutdo1581 There is slower out there. I know I said 900 fps earlier, but i see on the box it is 980. They are Winchester AA, upc: 020892020825. Labeled as 7/8 oz, 2-3/4", MIN DR.EQ, #8 shot. These are the only ones that wouldn't cycle the 20 ga. May need to look into what the breaking point is on velocity before it will/won't cycle. Reloads may answer that question, and it should be cheaper too.

@@bgdesignandsolutions ya them AA are great for clay shooting and iv done a few reload magnum 3in round with a mix if #6 #3 in them with a light load and the same amount of powder but they would not cycle so load weight may play a part but my auto is inertia driven idk how it would be with a gas gun I'll do some tinkering with it

@@codybrotherseasttexasoutdo1581 There are two things that play a role. The weight, and the powder charge. Even a 7/8 oz will cycle a gun if the powder is charged so that it will create high velocity. If the powder charge is too low, the 7/8 will not cycle. On the other hand, a gun will cycle a 1-1/8 oz shot even with low velocity and low powder charge. This is because the extra weight increases pressure, which causes the gun to cycle. Cycling is definitely effected by the powder/shot ratio. I don't know of any semi-auto that will cycle a complete range of shotgun ammo. Inertia or gas. But some come close.

Sounds like I need to make a video update. I had the same problem. There's an easy fix for it. I ended up cutting a new grove in the piston for the ring at the foremost part of the piston, and moved the ring there. That changed the timing and as a result it cycles everything I put through it now, and hasn't blown the ring off either. I did it on a lathe. I don't know if _UTAS (Hatfield)_ will modify one for you if you don't have access to a lathe or good gunsmith. But it's worth asking them.

Benelli Mobil. I use a Primos Jellyhead.

All the Benelli/Mobile chokes will. I use them all the time. Steel, Turkey, etc. I don't use the ones that come with it.

@@bgdesignandsolutions Ok thank you.

Post a link.

Sorry that one doesnt work, here m.kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g9GjjK9-utyYo6M.html

@@themittenoutdoorsman6969 Nothing happens when I click on the link. Looks too long for a KZfaq link.

@@bgdesignandsolutions i will try it again, i got it right from youtube on chrome

@@themittenoutdoorsman6969 Yes, I've seen that video. That's how I found out there was a camo version and it inspired me to buy one. However, that guy doesn't go through a shooting test, and he's a water foul hunter. Most water foul shells are heavy, and so he never goes through how the very light shells perform. Also, keep in mind 80% of these guns function well. What I have found is the ring on the piston has different strengths. Some are very hard to remove and some come right off. I have both. I modified a piston, and placed the ring at the end and it has not failed since, either light or heavy loads. I'm using the light ring for this test because I want the weakest point, under the heaviest condition. The issues he had cycling is the same thing I was having, and this cured the problem.

Plastic, or some type of polymer?

@@bgdesignandsolutions Well at least that one hopefully wont crack like the wood. I been thinking about ordering the Camo Stock and Fore Grip for my Non Camo Model. I just bought it, 12A20 New Model just made this year. Haven't shot it yet. I'm making sure the Fore End Stock is not to tight before I shoot it. I hope it dont crack, I Absolutely hate things that break, no matter what they cost, freaks me out. It's a nice Gun, what it to stay that way.

@@StrBADCyperIgwt If it has the fiberglass in it, it shouldn't crack. As far as I know, you can't buy the Camo Stocks, but you can buy the black ones. I did for my other one. It's all black. You can always dip it and make it what ever camo you want.

I shoot a lot of mid range in 2-3/4, like 1-1/4 oz, 1-1/8 oz. Some of the 3 inch will not cycle due to the short ejector position. After I find they will eject, I use them as well. However, I have a box of 3" Peters in #2 steel that cycles just fine, and a box of Peters in #4 steel that won't cycle at all because the fired shell is too long to eject. A 3 inch shell is 3 inches inches before or after firing. Shells are measured then and not when loaded. The ejector is about 1/16 to 1/8 too short of letting a full 3" out of the receiver. Good thing most 3" shells are only about 2-7/8 after firing. This is one reason i decided not to make it my turkey gun. I use it mostly on dove now.

Typically, any round that is over 1-1/4 oz is considered heavy. Light loads are those under that size. The weight of the shot is what makes it heavy or light. Also, sometimes the velocity will do it as well. For instance, a 1550 fps steel 1-1/8 oz is considered heavy due to the high velocity. While a 1-1/8 oz lead shell around 1200 is considered light.

BG Design and Soultions I’ve seen these guns are sold out in many online stores, any tips on how to find one?

@@TheCamashpet I see them all the time at Walmart. For some reason, no one seems to look there for shotguns or rifles.

@@bgdesignandsolutions Walmart has changed their age of purchase to 21+ so I have to rely on other stores

@@TheCamashpet Ahh, bummer. You can order it through Cabela's or Bass Pro too.

They seem to do well with light loads if they are high velocity, 1300 fps or faster. They do well with intermediate loads in the 1-1/8 oz to 1-3/8 oz without any trouble. In steel, there doesn't seem to be any issues, likely because most steel shots are higher pressure or higher velocity. (almost the same thing) The hick ups are with the very light loads, so it wouldn't make a good trap gun unless you shot the high velocity rounds. The heavy magnums do well too, but come with heavy recoil. (as usual with any shotgun) Even though velocity is an issue, the 1,050 Winchester Long Beard XR ammo cycle just fine. Namely due to the pressure pushing the heavy shot load, even though it is low velocity. So light load, light velocity will not cycle. The rest do fine.

@@bgdesignandsolutions I've saw on another video that if the serial number doesn't end in 16 or 18 you don't have the new gas valve what part of the serial number are they talking before or after the dash?

@@mattturner1143 The last 2 numbers before the dash are the year. 16, 17, 18, or in this case they are 19, showing that it was made in 2019.

BG Design and Soultions you know of any issues with 2018 sas guns as I just bought one?

Yep. I use that around the house for almost everything. But mostly for cutting up food. It's very sharp, and holds an edge. But sometimes, when I need a good sharp knife in a moments notice, I will grab it. Especially if it's something that will not nick the edge.

They are suppose to come with Imp, Mod, and Full. Mine came with a skeet instead of Imp. Skeet has 5 marks on it, Imp has 4, Mod has 3, Imp Mod has 2, and Full has 1.

Depends. II recently bought the 3-1/2 inch version. It shoots most 3" shells, and every 3-1/2" I have put through it. If you're going to be shooting heavier shells, step up and buy the 3-1/2" version. I've been very impressed with it. Otherwise, it will make you a good gun. The downfall is if you intend on shooting light loads, like 1 oz loads. These guns don't like light loads, but if you stay with hotter 1-1/8 loads (1200 fps) and above, you should be fine.

Words right out of my mouth as I have told many people the very same. However, when I test guns, I test them dry and wet, and base my findings on that. These guns do not perform dirty, that is very true. The ring popping off is not a matter of being dirty, it's a matter of heat treatment. They seem to have fixed that issue. Now if they will just move it.

Yes, I had them order it for me because it's one they normally stocked. Haven't seen one in a long time though. They have the 3 1/2.

@@bgdesignandsolutions they have the walnut one at my Walmart and they have a Charles Daly 601

@@bait_caster_kam2936 I don't know much about the Charles Daly 601, but from what I see it doesn't sound very good. On the other hand, neither do the Hatfield's most of the time. Not much out there in the budget world. Try to catch Black Friday sales and step up if you can. The Tristar Matrix is doing well, and so is a Weatherby Element I have. Both are decently priced, but will be about twice the price of a Hatfield or Charles Daly. If you can't afford to step up, and only have the two to choose from, I'd go with the Hatfield.

@@bait_caster_kam2936 They sell Winchester SX4's I believe. They are really good guns.

Amen brother.

Ok I want to get this gun do you recommend it

I agree, Winchester does not function as well. And this is true in other shotguns as well.

That's not true. Many of the Benelli's have issue with them "right out of the box" and later on as well, and I see people trading them off all the time. The Super Black Eagle is one of them. Won't shoot light loads and many times not even the heavy 2-3/4" shells without jamming. The m2's are the same way. The Montefeltro is about the best of the lot, but even it has issues with many brands of shells as well. Letting shell selection fix a gun, is not a fixed gun. Beretta is Ok, and has a solid reputation. But I have worked on them as well in the past and many of them fail to cycle shells on regular bases. Browning is no true winner either. They have many issues with them, but will shoot almost anything you put through them. This puts the Winchester SX serries in the same boat as it is basically a Browning without the shell stop. The Browning pump is legendary, but so is a Rem 870 _Wingmaster._ But no one wants to talk about them because they are pumps. Browning O/U's have issues as well, with trigger failures being very common and even barrel misalignments. But when a person pays almost 2 grand for a shotgun, they don't want to admit their gun has "issues," so most issues lay quietly under the rug somewhere. With that said, and because of what I have seen and know about them, I do not own a Beretta or any Benelli's for all of the above reasons and more. And more than likely never will. There are cheaper shotguns that can absolutely out preform them. The Tristar Viper and Viper Max are two of them. And the Matrix I bought is doing quite well and I would put it up against any of the more expensive shotguns. Grant it, the Hatfield is a cheap gun, but it peaked my interest enough to play around with them and then seek to improve them, which I did. But the improvements are limited as to what can be done because of design. Not design flaws, just design in general doesn't allow for some improvements. Not everyone can afford 2 grand for a shotgun, but most can afford up to 5 or 6 hundred dollars. Those are the ones most people will end up with.

You could have told me, but I may not have listened and still bought one. I now have 4, 12 ga models and I have been thinking about making a video on my latest purchase and changes I have made on them to make them work. They are not a gun for the beginner, and full of many issues, namely out of tolerance and poor quality. I won't be buying anymore because they are so poorly done and as far as I am concerned. They are dangerous, and I am fed up. I recently sent in a new 3-1/2" one in for warranty work that I hadn't even shot and they beat the hell out of the bolt block (why?), messed up the pressure regulator case, and polished the barrel because it was missing chrome in the barrel and I guess they call that a fix. The barrel should have been replaced as it's still missing the chrome where it peeled and now where they just sanded it and it looks like more of the barrel doesn't have any chrome to it now. WTF? The trigger assy is messed up and causes jams in the action. I noted it, and they ignored it completely. It too should have been replaced. I know what the cause is for jamming, and they should know why too and replaced it. I'm so P.O.'d this time I feel like suing them. I didn't get what I paid for, and a non chrome barrel is not what I paid for. So yes, I am fed up and thinking of making a video on the gun with Pro's and Con's, and show what it takes to make one work. Namely, Hatfield needs to get control on the manufacturer, because in reality, it's them and not Hatfield. But Hatfield is paying the price and pushing it on to us. A pretty gun, but not reliable or trust worthy. Don't get me wrong, I made some positive changes and have two that shoot very well (now). But quite frankly, they are scary to shoot. I've had two blow the bolts and trigger assy's out the bottom, and one completely split the receiver. So I never know if one will blow up on me again. (but I think I figured out why it happens) Time for me to hang it up and walk away from them. I have other shotguns that shoot perfectly well, and I don't live in fear of them blowing up when I shoot them. Thanks for your comment.

@@bgdesignandsolutions WOW! any way I bought one and was going to use it for home defense, I wanted something that would work with out rebuilding it from the ground up so to speak, it jammed 195 times out of 200 rounds, yes I maybe could have made it work ok, but when it comes to protection from the bad guy trying to break in my house, I lost complete trust and faith in the Hatfield, believe it or not I gave it away, could not sale such a bad gun to any one, and on top of that my neighbor gave me a 12 gauge single shot Hatfield, it had never been shot, I never seen such a bad gun, I bet it has a 30 pound trigger pull, I am going to experiment with it even if I can't get it back together, there will be nothing lost, I been shooting shotguns for 60 years and these take the cake, hang in there it will get better

@@randybird9979 The one positive thing that came out of this last episode, is that it forced me to take another look at the piston design, and in doing so I finally figured out a design on a piston that uses no rings and performs great. I'll let you know when I get the video posted. May be awhile though.

@@bgdesignandsolutions will be looking forward to it

I wouldn't say hard headed, I'd say optimistic. I was hoping after 3 years they had it right. In this case, I anticipated they had some of their issues taken care of by now. I was wrong on that. The mechanics are there, the finish is absolutely super and better than any expensive shotgun i know of, but the sleeve issue has not been resolved.

Wrong..... duck loads or any heavy load for that matter and this gun runs super!.

I have 2 of these ,never a problem, mine likes federal ammo, good gun for a reasonable price .

Correct. This gun cycles great with heavy loads from what I have heard. It has a break in period, and after about 50 heavy rounds it should cycle regular game loads fine

After 2 years of hunting and shooting clays with no problems, no unusual wear ,this misnomer of you get what you pay for is b.s. ,mine goes head to head with perazzi and Krieghoff and Beretta all day long, it just works ,it's nothing fancy but it works.