Field test: Huglu HT-14 Sporting – what does the 12ga over-and-under shotgun designed primarily for clay shooting offer for sport shooters and hunters?

According to its own information, Huglu alone produces up to 100,000 shotguns every year, including many for other well-known gun manufacturers. The range extends from side-by-side and over-and-under shotguns to pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns, semi-automatic and bolt-action rifles, and even air guns. Before we take a closer look at the test gun, it is therefore worth taking a brief look at the most important milestones in the history of Huglu.

Who or what is actually behind the Huglu brand?

After the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), a returning gunsmith specialist soldier founded the first gun repair workshop in the small mountain town of Huglu, in central Anatolia. Gradually, further workshops and the first production facilities for hunting guns were established. In 1962, the craftsmen working in the field of firearms joined forces to form the Huglu Hunting Firearms Cooperative. They chose a double-headed eagle as their trademark to symbolise their commitment to each other. The merger led to a more structured and coordinated way of working. They were also able to make more progress with the government and in 1971 finally managed to electrify Huglu and expand the range from classic hunting shotguns to semi-automatic and pump-action shotguns. In the meantime, Huglu even added a bolt-action rifle series in its catalog and is not only one of the oldest still active, but is now also one of the top shotgun manufacturers in Turkey. If you look into the production halls at Huglu today, you will find state-of-the-art CNC machining centers. The guns manufactured there are exported to more than 50 countries, primarily to the USA. all4hunters.com has already had the opportunity to test the Huglu HT-14 Sporting shotgun model in 12ga with 76mm chamber. Here we tell you what we found out.

Appearance, workmanship and features of the Huglu HT-14 Sporting over-and-under shotgun

The 120 cm long HT-14 is a real eye-catcher, and not just at first glance. This is mainly due to the interplay of the matt satin-finished and mirror-polished action parts with the attractively grained Turkish walnut and the glossy black blued barrels. The Huglu lettering and logo laser-etched into the matte surface on the receiver underside are just as discreet as the double eagle in matt gold on the top lever. The chequering on the contact surfaces of the fore-end and the pistol grip is cleanly made. In general, this shotgun, which is also available with black action parts, has a very clean finish and the precise fit of the wood and metal parts is certainly not a matter of course in this price range.

The HT-14 (in silver or black) comes at a price of €1,799 (RRP) in a sturdy black ABS case with the Huglu double-headed eagle logo on the lid, which can be locked with a padlock. The inside of the case features foam padding in which the firearm lies in the suitably cut padding and is additionally protected by a gun sock made of blue satin fabric, which is also adorned with the Huglu logo. In addition to the manual, which is available in Turkish and English, and a set of stickers, the case also contains an accessory box. In addition to the three non-installed of the five interchangeable chokes supplied (Full, IM, M, IC and Cyl), it contains the corresponding choke key and the stock shims, as well as the Allen keys needed to make all stock adjustments.

The most important details about the construction of the Huglu HT-14

The Huglu HT-14 features a modified boxlock action and a single trigger, as well as selective ejectors. The forend with beavertail profile is fixed to the barrel pair by a patent catch. A ventilated, 11 mm wide sight rib sits on the barrels. An orange-colored fiber-optic front sight is fitted near the muzzle on the glare-reducing guilloché rib. Slots in the mid rib between the barrels also ensure better heat dissipation. Huglu uses solid steel parts for the receiver and almost all other metal parts on the shotgun. Only in the area of the buttstock are some aluminum parts used. Overall, the test gun weighs in at a whopping 4.2 kg. The center of gravity is just under two finger widths behind the hinge pin. This makes the shotgun relatively rear-heavy, but allows it to be swung easily.

The safety slide is within easy reach of the shooting hand's thumb. In its rear position, an "S" is visible and indicates that the gun is locked. Only in this position can the barrel selector switch located transversely in the safety slide be operated. If the switch, which is also designed as a slide, is on the left, two dots can be seen to the right of it and the trigger moves to the lower barrel first. If the switch is on the right, there is only one dot next to it and the upper barrel is operated first by the trigger. Incidentally, in the HT-14 if the first barrel fails, the second barrel can be fired quickly by pulling the trigger again. The trigger blade can be adjusted longitudinally on its carrier. There are a total of four positions, each 4 mm apart, to which the trigger blade can be moved after loosening a screw. This allows length of pull to be varied between 360 and 372 mm. The factory setting for the test gun was 368 mm. The average trigger pull weight for the lower barrel was just over 1,800 g. The electronic trigger scale also displayed relatively consistent values in the test. The values for the lower barrel were mostly around 1,650 g, although there were also downward outliers in the measurements, which were then just over one kilo.

Huglu HT-14 Sporting over-and-under shotgun technical specifications and price 

Practical impressions and test results for the Huglu HT-14 Sporting

In live fire, however, the fluctuations in trigger pull weight measured dry were not noticeable. In the 400 or so test shots fired during an intensive training day on the sporting course, there was not a single double and no other malfunctions or ejection problems. However, after around 170 to 200 shots, the clamping screws of the adjustable comb "shot loose" and had to be retightened. This was due to the fact that the clamping screws did not find enough hold on the round steel pillars of the comb. However, Huglu has already made improvements here since our test and has already rectified this problem. On the course, the shotgun immediately felt good to the author. Thanks to the high weight and the medium-hard rubber butt plate, it shot very comfortably in terms of recoil. The surface of the butt plate could be a little smoother: Every now and then the stock "stuck" a little too much to the shooting waistcoat. Tilting the barrels on the brand-new shotgun also worked very well from the start, even if a little more – but not excessive – effort was required at the beginning. The testers also experienced this differently with more expensive models. All in all, the Huglu HT-14 is an exceptionally well-made sporting shotgun that is recommended for both sporting and trap shooting at an extremely fair price of just under €1,800. However, for hunters who travel long distances with their shotgun in the hunting ground and tend to fire fewer shots, as well as for less powerfully built shooters, its high weight of 4.2 kg should eliminate the HT-14 from the shortlist of less strong prospective buyers.

Further information on the Huglu HT-14 and other guns from the cooperative can be found on the Huglu website.