[ScottA]

Originally Posted by photopro

We have had Baikals in the UK for quite some time and in the scheme of things they are garbage, OK they are cheap but you get what you pay for.
The quality of the woodwork is at best mediocre - some times you can still see the word "Bananas" through the polish. The blueing frequently turns to browning and needless to say they are worth jack when you try to sell or trade them in. Oh and they are made in Russia.

photopro

Tell us what you really think.

Of course, I don't think we would expect anything else from the UK when it comes to shotguns. Kind of like trying to get the Germans to buy a Japanese car.

[photopro]

this gun snobbery we still get in the UK still makes my blood boil.

Actually that's not the case very few of the members of our UK hunting forum own a British made shotgun favouring Benelli, Beretta Browning etc etc. Investing a significant amount of money in a showcase firearm is not for the likes of me or most of the people I know. However I value the not frequent enough shooting I manage to sneak away on so much so that I wouldn't trust it to a piece of recycled Russian T70 tank bolted to a chunk of floor board. There are better options than Baikal, secondhand of otherwise, and if it retains more value when you need to trade it doesn't that make more sense ? More bang for your buck ?

photopro

[Davyboy]

Originally Posted by photopro

Actually that's not the case very few of the members of our UK hunting forum own a British made shotgun favouring Benelli, Beretta Browning etc etc. Investing a significant amount of money in a showcase firearm is not for the likes of me or most of the people I know. However I value the not frequent enough shooting I manage to sneak away on so much so that I wouldn't trust it to a piece of recycled Russian T70 tank bolted to a chunk of floor board. There are better options than Baikal, secondhand of otherwise, and if it retains more value when you need to trade it doesn't that make more sense ? More bang for your buck ?

photopro

IMHO you obviously know Jack S**t about Russian weapons. ( piece of recycled Russian T70 tank bolted to a chunk of floor board ) What you are describing here is in fact the one of the most reliable and effective weapons ever produced. The AK47. There is more combined knowledge of weapons on this site than probably anywhere else in the world. I would invite any members with experience of Russian weapons to add their comments.

[M14sRock]

Looks good to me Jeep. The Russian guns and Turkish guns may not win many beauty contests but they tend to work well for a LONG time. They gobble up abuse.

Please keep us updated with the reliability and durability of your Baikal. I could not care less how the finish holds up, as that is what Aluma Hyde 2 is for.

[Hawg]

Nothing wrong with Baikal. You done good. I personally don't care for synthetic but for the price you can't beat it.

[Angry_bald_guy]

Originally Posted by Davyboy

IMHO you obviously know Jack S**t about Russian weapons. ( piece of recycled Russian T70 tank bolted to a chunk of floor board ) What you are describing here is in fact the one of the most reliable and effective weapons ever produced. The AK47. There is more combined knowledge of weapons on this site than probably anywhere else in the world. I would invite any members with experience of Russian weapons to add their comments.

My Mosin can attest to the reliability of Russian guns...

[frenchnra]

I have a Baikal IJ 43 "special slug", 22" barrels, Truglo sighting stuff ... It looks solid and I love to use it with less recoil slugs, it is VERY accurate ...

[Ronbo]

Vey Nice. A real world target from a real world slug gun in the hands of a real world hunter. My dad's Ithaca model 37 deer slayer would do groups like that, but i never could get them that small with my 28 inch modified barrel. So i cut it down to 22 inches cylinder bore and voila! Oh, I haven't been able to read the packing crate words under my synthetic stock finishes either.

I like to shoot my targets with progressively bigger calibers too (see small bullet hole at 5 o'clock)..it makes them last longer. Again, nice target.

[Virginian]

I would remind everyone that the AK-47, the best assault rifle of all time, was a Russian product. It wasn't pretty either, but it worked way better than the Mattel... er... M-16. They had an interesting article in I think the NRA mag when Remington met with them about importing the Spartans. They didn't get the looks issue, at all.
I tried a Stevens 411 12 ga SxS for waterfowl for a short while. It worked every time, auto ejectors and all, and I didn't shoot it too bad, but never felt quite svelte to hand as it were. I liked an old 311 better in the handling department.

[frenchnra]

Originally Posted by Ronbo

Vey Nice. A real world target from a real world slug gun in the hands of a real world hunter. My dad's Ithaca model 37 deer slayer would do groups like that, but i never could get them that small with my 28 inch modified barrel. So i cut it down to 22 inches cylinder bore and voila! Oh, I haven't been able to read the packing crate words under my synthetic stock finishes either.

I like to shoot my targets with progressively bigger calibers too (see small bullet hole at 5 o'clock)..it makes them last longer. Again, nice target.

Thanks !! But I must confess : for this shoot, I was resting on a table