Baikel Shotgun

123shooter

Does anybody know and have experience of a modern Baikel O/U shotgun as regards quality etc?

Back in the day they used to be great workhorses and built to last, hard to break them, did the job and more although a little heavy, but I was just wondering what the modern day guns are like.

Was thinking of buying one and dont want to spend thousands on something that is just a name but no better.

Is a Baikel O/U the same as old or a pile of poo?

Cass

They have a bad rep and frankly, as you said, were never going to measure up to the likes of Beretta, etc.

However most of the guns i've seen in recent years have been of sturdy quality and reliable. Now i won't try to say too much as ive never owned one so any opinions are based on what i've seen and heard from talking to lads that do own them.

What is your budget?

123shooter

Thanks Cass my budget would be under a 1000.00.

Bad reputation for what? build? reliability?

Cass

Most every bad comment i ever heard was design based. IOW how it was finished, felt, etc.

There were a few about firing pins, tight opening, etc. However i'e seen top of range guns with the same problem so while not dismissing those comments they are to be expected.

As for your budget you have loads of options other than Baikal if something else takes your fancy. My choice would be a second hand Beretta and failing that i'd look at a brand new Bettinsoli. The quality is similar to Beretta and the gun sits perfectly to me just like my Berettas.

Whatever you decide you have a good healthy budget so i'd advise you go out try a few for fit. Concentrate on the brand you'd like, but keep an open mind to others that fit you better.

Grizzly 45

Baikal..
The AK47 of DBBL's .Good for prying the Lada out of a large pot hole in the State road in Siberia ,and hammering in a few fence posts on the way home too. Should it break,your local black smith can repair it,[usually with a hammer.]And it shoots as well. Stocks are a nice Communist,"one size fits all Comrade"So
dont expect anything fancy or likely to fit you very well.That's proably the biggest investment anyone makes in the Baikal,is getting a decent stock.;)

Cass

How much of the stories are "old news"? You know the reputation Skoda had for donkey's years but look at them now.

Grizzly 45

When they bought VW tooling and designs for the Passat.;) Nothing wrong with it BTW Baikal is making a SA copy of the Remington 1100 ASFIK too. baikal are just pure simple sturdy guns,and nothing wrong with that either.:)
They go Bang 99% of the time which is the most important thing.

gunny123

I had a Baikal (named after the deepest lake in the world btw) side by side years ago, before we lost the run of ourselves with the celtic tiger, "I only shoot a Purdey, Perazzi, or Beretta SO don'tcha know:rolleyes:.

It was a good gun for rough shooting, no plastic or mim'ed crappy parts on it, oddly the action had lovely bluing but the barrels didn't. It was an unpretentious gun, plain, hardwearing, tough, like the old brno/cz rifles were. Did exactly what it said on the tin.

123shooter

I had a mate who had one way back and it was a great strong sturdy gun and wondered/hoped that the build quality had not changed.

I have been shooting a long time and know/understand and have experienced the snobbery around guns especially shotguns which even if they cost 1000's never hit anything if they do not point in the right direction.

dodderangler

My baikal was made in 1965 and has never giving a dribble of trouble. Never miss fired or jammed or anything and anyone who owned it before me never had problems ever. A lick of oil and clean a year and that's her.
Old twin trigger overunder. Don't think I'd ever change it. Heirloom at this stage.

Tackleberry.

Id a auto never gave trouble but taught it was heavy then again I'd get 7 trap shells into it .. I'd not be afraid to buy one again.. there sold as the Remington Spartan in the USA.. has to say something...

cavan shooter

I had a baikal ij 27E made in USSR. If I remember right the remington spartan was a baikal. Easy to dismantle and fix. You could switch off the ejector on my o/u

A Baikal is a good solid work horse. Technically I'd say sound. Aesthetics so so. Good all rounder for rough shooting and odd clay days.

123shooter

cavan shooter wrote: »

I had a baikal ij 27E made in USSR. If I remember right the remington spartan was a baikal. Easy to dismantle and fix. You could switch off the ejector on my o/u

A Baikal is a good solid work horse. Technically I'd say sound. Aesthetics so so. Good all rounder for rough shooting and odd clay days.

Why would you say odd clay days? Do you mean it isnt up to repeated shooting over a short period or?????

gunny123

123shooter wrote: »

Why would you say odd clay days? Do you mean it isnt up to repeated shooting over a short period or?????

Game guns can be a bit light for clays, you don't notice the recoil so much bopping the odd pheasant, but firing off 50 or 100 cartridges in a row can get painful. I shot a round of clays once with a single barrelled shotgun, i was numb with the pain in my shoulder after it.

cavan shooter

gunny123 wrote:

Game guns can be a bit light for clays, you don't notice the recoil so much bopping the odd pheasant, but firing off 50 or 100 cartridges in a row can get painful. I shot a round of clays once with a single barrelled shotgun, i was numb with the pain in my shoulder after it.

Exactly.....that old baikal of mine kicked like a mule and on occasion s would let of the two barrell simultaneously...those barrels are well built...

Grizzly 45

Look at this another way.if you do alot of wild fowling or work around water.There is a good chance of eventually everything ending up once in the water or going over board. How much of a loss is it if say your fourth hand Baikal at 200 quid gets deep sixed into the estuary mud.Or your new 1500 plus whatever brand?You can almost always tell the working wild fowler guns on a display rack.There usually arent any! They are in bad shape after a hard life,but are also the cheapest brands too.

So it depends on what and how you shoot.If your gun is going to be a daily companion out in the jeep or tractor for having a flake at crows or the odd pheasent.Baikal is your man...Bust clays and do the odd pheasent /duck shoot etc and the gun is cleaned and into the safe for 9months of the year? Go abit more upmarket.

123shooter

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

So it depends on what and how you shoot.If your gun is going to be a daily companion out in the jeep or tractor for having a flake at crows or the odd pheasent.Baikal is your man...Bust clays and do the odd pheasent /duck shoot etc and the gun is cleaned and into the safe for 9months of the year? Go abit more upmarket.

As regards things breaking and build problems on the newer Baikals, have you heard of these probs also?

cavan shooter

123shooter wrote: »

As regards things breaking and build problems on the newer Baikals, have you heard of these probs also?

Have a look, and you come back and tell us...;)

http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/guns/buy-gun-guide/closer-look-baikal-shotguns-39831
http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/guns/23-things-you-should-know-about-baikal-shotguns-82872

gunny123

I forgot they have chrome lined bores, but then again most Russian firearms do so I am told. I'd sooner have a Baikal than a cheap Italian or Spanish gun, I have seen some right junk made in those countries.

123shooter

Thanks both looks interesting.

As regards the reference of made out of melted down old battle tanks. Well half the guns in WW11 were made from old school railings, old cars and spare pots and pans and they are still around today and still shooting so I wouldnt take much notice of stuff like that.

12gauge dave

I have an old baikal o/u banger and shes a tough old mule that has outbanged and outlasted many of my friends fancy berettas.

gunny123

123shooter wrote: »

Thanks both looks interesting.

As regards the reference of made out of melted down old battle tanks. Well half the guns in WW11 were made from old school railings, old cars and spare pots and pans and they are still around today and still shooting so I wouldnt take much notice of stuff like that.

Hmmm, that's debatable, Lord beaverbrook did ask for people to give up their iron railings, and housewives for their aluminium pots and pans. But a lot of what was taken was never used, as it was much more efficient to make the metal from scratch, rather than collect relatively small amounts from all over a country as large as the UK.

123shooter

Most steel and other metals has so much scrap metal added at melt unless specified for a reason as far as I know/was told.