Escort Gladius<\/h2>\n<\/a><\/h2>\n
[\/one_half]<\/p>\n
[one_half_last padding=”0 0 0 0px”]<\/p>\n\n \" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\"> [\/one_half_last]<\/p>\n The very ergonomic pistol grip has a soft rubberized coating that provides excellent grip. The forward down-grip handle is hard plastic.<\/p><\/div>\n Just a few years ago, many in the gun world scoffed at the idea of a 20 gauge as a dedicated home defense gun.\u00a0 But today, many experts agree that the 20 gauge is not only sufficient at the distances most likely to be in play in a home defense scenario, many feel it is a better choice than the traditional 12 gauge.\u00a0 With the right loads, a 20 gauge is devastating, presents less risk to non-threats (as it is less prone to over-penetration), and is able to be managed by smaller members of the household who may need to use it in defense of themselves or others. This is a gun review though, so I won\u2019t go any deeper into that debate, other than to say that I tested and evaluated this shotgun specifically with that purpose in mind.<\/p>\n The Escort shotgun line is made in Turkey by Hatsan Arms, and is imported to the U.S. by Legacy Sports.\u00a0 The line is available in several configurations, from hunting to tactical \u2013 and in pump or semi-auto actions in 12 and 20 gauge. The gun tested is the 20 gauge semi-auto home defense model. And it essentially comes fully dressed and ready for work.<\/p>\n The Escort Semi-Auto is a complete tactical package<\/p><\/div>\n [one_half]<\/p>\n The fiber optic dots help level off the ghost ring sight.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half]<\/p>\n [one_half_last]<\/p>\n [\/one_half_last]<\/p>\n Aside from the general specifications, what does $500+ get you with the Escort?\u00a0 Well, it gets you quite a bit.\u00a0 This shotgun is equipped handsomely from a tactical point of view, and leaves little (if anything) to be desired.\u00a0 And the Escort Gladius is not just all dressed up with no place to go \u2013 it shoots pretty good too.<\/p>\n The muzzle break, heat shield, and front sling swivel are just some of the standard features of the Escort Gladius.<\/p><\/div>\n Let\u2019s move down the length of the Escort and take a closer look at how it is equipped, and what that means for a home defense tool.\u00a0 Starting out at the business end, there is a nice muzzle break of standard birdcage design.\u00a0 How much it helps with felt recoil, I can\u2019t really say, but it does seem to reduce muzzle flash pretty well \u2013 and that is important for a defensive gun.\u00a0 I have to admit, it doesn\u2019t hurt the appearance either.<\/p>\n The front sight contains a long red fiber optic tube that gathers a lot of light. The sight picture is fast and clear.<\/p><\/div>\n Just behind that, we find a large red fiber optic front sight, well shielded.\u00a0 The long fiber tube collects a lot of ambient light and glows well even in moderate indoor lighting. Further back, there is a metal heat shield atop the barrel, which covers the majority of the exposed surface and protects the shooter from grasping a hot barrel.\u00a0 Below that, the polymer fore-end stock provides a nice gripping surface, and has picatinny rail on the bottom and both sides.\u00a0 The included down grip handle occupies the larger portion of the lower rail (unless you opt not to attach it, which is an option) but there is still some usable space.\u00a0 The bottom and both sides provide about 3\u201d of usable rail.\u00a0 The side mounts would be ideal for a flashlight or laser.\u00a0 I actually mounted a camera to one side, to capture a few interesting images.\u00a0 The down grip handle is a nice touch for a defensive shotgun, and even contains a latching flap at the base to access the inner storage.\u00a0 The mounting surface is a bit longer than necessary, I think \u2013 and takes up more real estate on the rail that it should have to.<\/p>\n This brings us back to the receiver, which is an aluminum alloy and nicely machined. Inside, there are no visible tool marks or coarse machining. The bolt fit is very good, and the action cycles smoothly.\u00a0 Outside, the receiver is finished off with a flat black coating that is impressively durable.\u00a0 Atop the receiver is another 5 inches of picatinny rail, lest you want for a place to mount that red dot optic.\u00a0 The rear sight sits just behind that, and it is a nice one.\u00a0 Fully adjustable for windage and elevation, the rear sight incorporates a ghost ring with two green fiber dots (tubes) on either side.\u00a0 So if you prefer the ghost ring and post or the three-dot sight picture \u2013 the Escort has you covered.<\/p>\n The trigger assembly is removable and well fitted to the receiver. The button safety is an effective and proven design, but a bit awkward to use.<\/p><\/div>\n The trigger group is housed in a polymer trigger guard that marries tightly to the receiver.\u00a0 It can be removed for cleaning and maintenance via two pins, but when in place I doubt any dirt will find its way in.\u00a0 Completing the mechanism is the cross-button style safety just behind the trigger.<\/p>\n The Escort comes with a pistol grip that is very ergonomic.\u00a0 I found the size, angle, and rubberized texture all creates a very comfortable and firm grip on the shotgun.\u00a0 There is no access to storage in the pistol grip.\u00a0 The butt stock is also black polymer and includes an adjustable cheek rest and a quick access compartment for two shells.\u00a0 The rubber butt pad is adequate for a good grip to your shoulder and recoil absorption.\u00a0\u00a0 Finishing off the bells and whistles is a pair of sling swivel connectors fore and aft.<\/p>\n An interesting option on the Escort is the Cut-Off switch on the receiver that allows you to eject the chambered round \u2013 lock the bolt back \u2013 and prevent the next round from being fed from the magazine.\u00a0 The apparent purpose for this would be to quickly change ammunition type, albeit from single feeding only.\u00a0 I found that this only works when the action is manually cycled via the charging handle \u2013 it won\u2019t work if you engage the cut off and fire the gun.\u00a0 That is by design, but I tried anyway.<\/p>\n Light loads, like this Winchester target load spread quickly and are insufficient for any serious use. Pictured is the pattern from a single shot.<\/p><\/div>\n The Escort Gladius 20 gauge comes with everything but the kitchen sink, but how does it shoot?\u00a0 As I mentioned, it shoots pretty good.\u00a0 I fed several types of ammo through this gun, from light target loads to hot slugs and turkey loads, and I found the accuracy to be consistently good across all of them.\u00a0 It shot about 3\u201d low at between 7 and 10 yards.\u00a0 That can be adjusted via the rear and\/or front sights but I didn\u2019t bother.\u00a0 Point of impact (so long as it was reasonable) was not as important to me as consistency.\u00a0 And consistent it is.\u00a0 I finally settled on a Federal premium turkey load as the overall sweet spot for this gun, and it literally put 15 shots into a single hole.\u00a0 The spread was minimal, and at defense distance this would be an awesome, yet manageable load in this gun.<\/p>\n Additional accessory items included are four stock drop spacers, which would enable some adjustment of the way the shotgun fits the shooter, a magazine limiter rod that will reduce the magazine capacity to two shells, and a choke adapter that replaces the muzzle break.<\/p>\n I wasn\u2019t able to get my hands on 20 gauge buckshot or some of the designer \u2018home defense\u2019 loads that are offered \u2013 and this is one of the few disadvantages of the 20 gauge \u2013 it simply isn\u2019t as popular as the 12 gauge and therefore ammo choices can be sparse.\u00a0 Best bet would be to special order what you plan to rely on and be sure you have enough to train with and keep a proper supply for defense.<\/p>\n With sub-second cycling, the Gladius can put multiple hits on target quickly.<\/p><\/div>\n At less than seven pounds with an 18\u201d barrel, this gun still lets you know you\u2019re shooting a shotgun. Especially with the high copper content high velocity loads like a #5 turkey, or a slug.\u00a0 But it is manageable, and something that smaller or younger family members can be trained to use.\u00a0 With lighter recoil they are less likely to fear the gun, and more likely to handle it well if they ever need it.\u00a0 Which leads me to the important point of reliability.\u00a0 I had a couple of ejection failures with one brand of light target loads (Winchester), out of 100 or so shot.\u00a0 Every other brand and type, including other light target loads from Federal, performed flawlessly.\u00a0 Not enough data there to lead me to any conclusion, but I would not rule this gun out as a reliable home defense option.\u00a0 This is also a shotgun I would seriously consider taking to a 3-gun match.\u00a0 With the right ammo, the Escort 20 gauge could be an excellent entry level match gun just the way it comes.<\/p>\n The Escort Gladius 20 gauge shotgun is a purpose built defensive weapon, and is well appointed to serve in that role.\u00a0 Aside from a laser or tactical light, and maybe an optic, there is nothing to add to this gun.\u00a0 It is ready to grab when you hear the glass break at 2 am, and it is ready if you want to take it to a 3-gun match. It is well made, and all indications are that it will be reliable and durable. I\u2019d like to see some small changes: a safety located atop the receiver for less awkward manipulation, a better charging handle (this one is a steel stud that screws into the bolt, and comes with a rubber cover that keeps it from tearing up the box–which is surprisingly easy on the hands), and an extended magazine tube as standard.\u00a0 Five plus one is not too bad, but for home defense I would want to add at least two shells to that.\u00a0 These minor gripes aside, I find the Escort Gladius 20 gauge from Legacy Sports to be a very viable home defense shotgun at about half the price as the tactical versions of the well-known domestic brands.\u00a0 It is generously packaged with all the bells and whistles.\u00a0 It\u2019s worth a look.<\/p>\n [one_half]<\/p>\n The trigger breaks at 5.5 pounds, typical for a shotgun.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half][one_half_last]<\/p>\n The author doesn’t go much above 150 lbs., and still finds the Gladius 20 gauge very manageable, even for an extended range session.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half_last]<\/p>\n [one_half]<\/p>\n The fully adjustable rear sight incorporates both a ghost ring and two dot fiber-optics. There is a good 5 inches of open picatinny in front of it \u2013 if a mounted optic is desired.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half][one_half_last]<\/p>\n The stock includes storage for two extra shells and an adjustable cheek rest.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half_last]<\/p>\n [one_half]<\/p>\n The forward handle takes up a lot of real estate on the lower rail, but includes a storage compartment.<\/p><\/div>\n [\/one_half][one_half_last]<\/p>\nEscort Gladius<\/h2>\n
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