Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Baikal

What say you about these over and unders? I bought one like new cheap and it shoots very good. What is the feeling on them out there?

They're built like a tank, the only draw backs I've seen are with the single trigger ones. Lots of two trigger Biakals out there.

The inexpensive ones are probably the more modern equivalent of the Savage 311 though not quite as well finished. They are rugged, pretty reliable, and cheap. Barrel convergence can be a problem as some shoot as if the barrels were just soldered together in any which way.

A buddy who is a dog trainer has a couple that he uses when training as he doesn't mind dropping them when needed. He has had some minor parts breakage but he has been able to get them repaired so far. I have seen a half dozen at the range back before sanctions were placed on Russia.

Baikal also put out some guns that rival anything by Browning or Beretta. A neighbor had one of this level I owned be briefly. I have been able to shoot a couple a little bit when I was more serious about sporting clays. A few shooters of the former USSR had them as well as some from Eastern Europe and allowed me to take a few shots with theirs. I would have no problem owning one and I would not hesitate to use it as my primary gun for any discipline.

I had an IZH-94, one of the ten worst firearms that I've yet to own, but despite being bad, it was much better than the absolute worst firearm that I've yet to own, a Noble pump action .22 that I had back in the early 1980's.

Cabelas here in Connecticut had a bunch of used ones for sale. They just didn’t feel right to me, but seemed solid.

What was the problem with the single trigger model?

The single trigger switching mechanism is a pretty delicate item, a spring loaded pendulum. When your building an inexpensive mass produced double gun it isn't where they put any extra effort in. They are hard to repair when they go out of sync. Two triggers are just plain reliable.

The three biggest problems with inexpensive over/under's or sxs's are the single triggers, soft or brittle fireing pins or barrel regulation, you have to cut corners somewhere to sell for half the price of bottom end well made shotguns like a Berretta 686, or Browning Citori..

Well the barrels are good because shot the sporting clays very well. Trigger feels ok but maybe I will take it apart and make sure it is lubed good. The gun is like new and it is so tight in the hinge it is tough to open. I am sure that will change as it is broke in.

I had a SxS that has held up very well, and shoots good. I also had one of those pump 22's. I concur with your assessment.

Got one when a customer ordered one and never came back.
Shop sold it to me at cost.

Stock dims were fugged.
Got the buttstock to Rem 870 dims. Usable but still clicked cheek.
Needed bent to drop it some.
Barrels did point where they were supposed to. Gun shot flat like an 870/1100.
Yanked the auto safety.
Changed recoil pad.

Limited out on doves with it and then sold it.
Did not have the frame to bend the stock, plus it was a 26" and kinda light. If it had been a 28" I'd have worked on that stock more.
Was a "Spartan".........nickel receiver 20 ga rebranded by Remington.

Shop got one for a customer, 12 ga, owner blew the tubes out of it. Was mismachined. Big Green replaced it.
They soon after dropped the Spartan brand.

Prices going up on Baikals.
They were iffy, but better than the Stoeger stuff IMHO.

have 2 of the side by sides in the family , a 20 and a 28.......function has been flawless and the barrels are lined up good....they also point pretty nice IMO

pretty much anyone who picks them up can shoot them well

I killed a boatload of roosters with the 28 back a few years ago when we had pheasants in these parts

Well I shortened the stock a bit and added a limbsaver recoil pad and shot clays last weekend. Probably one of the better rounds I have shot. It fits me much better. It has probably 400 rounds through it and it is still super tight.

Changing the recoil pad is a MUST, never been able to get the trigger pull where I would like it though

My mind's going blank at the moment but Remington also marketed them under Spartan I believe it was

Yes that is what they called them.