About 16,000 high-end pellet air rifles sold across the country can fire on their own, and owners are being told to stop using them until a free fix arrives.
Story Highlights
- On Thursday, Oct. 15, federal safety officials announced a recall of about 16,170 HatsanUSA Blitz and Blitz 777 air rifles.
- The rifles can fire if the bolt is released before the rifle is fully cocked, a risk officials say can cause serious injury or death.
- One accidental misfire has been reported, and no one has been hurt.
- Owners should stop using the rifle, make sure it is unloaded, and contact HatsanUSA for a free trigger replacement.
Why These Rifles Are Being Recalled
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the federal agency that oversees recalls of household and hobby products, said the Blitz and Blitz 777 can fire unexpectedly when the shooter lets the bolt go before the rifle is fully cocked. The bolt is the sliding part that loads each pellet, and cocking readies the rifle to shoot. An unplanned shot at close range can badly hurt or kill someone, which is why the agency calls it a projectile hazard. The company, HatsanUSA of Bentonville, Arkansas, is replacing the trigger assembly, the set of parts that controls when the rifle fires, at no cost.
The recall covers every Blitz and Blitz 777 sold from February 2020 through March 2026. They sold for $800 to $1,100 at sporting goods stores and gun shops nationwide, on hatsanairgunsusa.com, and through the catalog sellers Utah Airguns, Airgun Depot and Pyramyd Air. The rifles were made in Turkey and imported by HatsanUSA.
How to Tell If Your Rifle Is Included
The recalled rifles are black, with a synthetic stock and a carbon fiber air tank mounted under the barrel. They are pre-charged pneumatic rifles, which means they run on air pumped into that onboard tank ahead of time. They load from a rotary magazine, a round holder that turns to feed each pellet, and come in .22, .25 and .30 caliber, the size of the pellet. They are also select-fire, meaning the shooter can switch between one shot per trigger pull and continuous fire.
Look at the left side of the receiver, the main body of the rifle above the trigger. The model name, “BLITZ” or “BLITZ 777,” is marked there, next to the Hatsan logo, a circle with “HATSAN” beside a bow-and-arrow graphic. The serial number and the date the rifle was made are engraved on the right side of the receiver, above the bolt.
What Owners Should Do
Stop using the rifle at once, keep it pointed in a safe direction, and make sure it is unloaded. Then contact HatsanUSA. The company will mail a free replacement trigger assembly with instructions. Owners who would rather not install it themselves can ask for a prepaid shipping label and send the rifle to the company for inspection and repair.
HatsanUSA can be reached toll-free at 877-750-3375 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday, or by email at [email protected]. Recall details are also posted at hatsanairgunsusa.com under “Warranty & Safety,” then “Recalls.” Federal law bars anyone from reselling a recalled product, so a rifle that has not been fixed should not be sold or traded.
Why It Matters to Shooters
Air rifles in this class are serious tools, not toys, and owners use them for hunting and target shooting. A rifle that can go off while it is being loaded takes away the shooter’s control at the moment it matters most. Only one misfire has been reported so far, and no injuries, so owners who act quickly can keep it that way.
Safe handling starts with gear that works the way it should. Owners who check their model, set the rifle aside and order the free part can be back on the range with a rifle they can trust. Anyone who has been hurt by one of these rifles, or has seen one misfire, can report it at SaferProducts.gov or call the agency’s hotline at 800-638-2772.
Sources:
cpsc.gov, fox32chicago.com, yahoo.com, news3lv.com
