Baikal shotguns - your views

[coneyhunter]

Hello all,

i have been looking for a no nonsense rough shooting gun, something that i will not be concerned about knocking about,i have been offered a Baikal Sxs non ejecting 12 bore, it is quite old but has charm to it and the asking price seems very reasonable. It appears to be a bit stiff but seems to be very solid, the barrels give the impression they were made from a smelted tank!

 

After some research it seems that these rather basic looking guns are capable of astounding feats, submerged in quick mud and picked up and shot without issue, used as an emergency paddle, dug up from a salt marsh and fired, used as a makeshift hammer, fired with both 12 and 20 g cartridges at the same time ,used to subdue a rhino.....the list seems endless.

 

I dont doubt for a second that many shooters on here own them and i would like to hear your thoughts, views and stories if poss.

[apache]

My brother in law was moving to NZ and he took a couple of guns with him but left three behind. As I am the only other person in the family with a SGC he gave me the three remaining guns. One of them was an old Baikal SBS NE 12G. I found it rather short in the stock, but added a gel but pad to make it longer and it's fine.

 

I have one place that I go where you have to climb walls etc and it gets a few knocks. I take the free gun and have had a lot of fun with it, with no fear of the odd scratch, or putting it back with just a quick pull through. Love that gun. I toyed with trying to pick up one in over and under flavour as I do prefer them, but have taken many bunnies, crows etc with the Baikal.

 

[sitsinhedges]

My first shotgun was a mail order £99 Baikal SXS

Only problem I found was that the trigger guard tended to bang your middle finger when you fired it and eventually it left quite a lump. Think this was something to do with it being a double trigger model. Perfectly usable gun otherwise.

[hamster123]

im thinking of buying a semi auto there was one on a youtube clip on this forum a couple of weeks ago they look like a good strong well built gun.

[DIVERD]

I have a baikal hammer gun and it is tough as old boots. It is a reasonable looking gun, well i certainly like it, and unless you knew where to look it could be any make of shotgun. The wood is good enough and although it is very old it has clearly been cared for and is as tight as my new shotgun.

 

As far as shooting goes i have as much success with it as any other shotgun, and it is an absolute hoot with black powder carts.

[Norrie]

Hiya, I had a SXS Baikal ejector, liked it, but it didnt like me...so sold it on here..

 

However, it was tight in the action too, seemingly they need lots of use to slacken them off, its a thing particular to Baikals..

I now have as my 2nd gun a Baikal O/U single trigger, dirt cheap off here, and love it to bits...

 

You wont go wrong with a Baikal...

[Ricko]

If you are image conscious then no, not for you.

 

If you want a good, no-nonsense knockabout gun then go for it.

 

One of the first shotties that I used belonged to a friends father, Baikal o/u loads of fun.

[vampire]

Have had the sxs and o/u,just left with .410 now, the baikals are good

[gsm1968]

If you are image conscious then no, not for you.

 

If you want a good, no-nonsense knockabout gun then go for it.

 

 

 

 

They all shoot where you point them. If it fits you it's better than a £10k gun that doesn't.

 

That said..............you'll never find one in my cabinet

[drut]

"They all shoot where you point them. If it fits you it's better than a £10k gun that doesn't."

 

Very true! I have 2 Baikals: a 12g o/u & silenced single .410. The 12g suited me from the word "go",the .410 only after I polished the trigger sears.Both although "agricultural" are well engineered(Wish I could say the same about my Pedretti Hushpower 12g) & suit my needs perfectly.As working tools they are hard to fault but definitely not status symbols.

[welsh warrior]

used to have a o/u and could put any cart in it sadly it wasnt looked after before i had it so i had it chopped up at things were starting to fall apart on it and i only paid 20 quid for it so i wasnt going to ask any money for it

[paul99]

It's taken me a while to get used to my BaikalO/U DTE - but alot of that would have been down suddenly using an O/U after years of using a SBS. That said I'm probably shooting as well now, if not better, than I ever have done so the fustration in the early stages has been well worth it. I can't see a day where I'd want to upgrade it for a more expensive gun I'm sure it doesn't have the wow factor that expensive brands do but I didn't buy it for that - it's a working gun and as such I can't see as you could ever get better value for money. If you are thin skinned or easily led get something else - as you'll end up being persuaded to do that in the end anyway, even people who really should know better will make sarky, dismissive comments about Baikals sometimes. If you don't suffer fools gladly though it's likely you'd be very happy with a Baikal.

[njc110381]

I like Baikals, they're good value for money. They're not as smooth or as pretty as some of the expensive makes but they work and they're reliable. Some people may knock them saying they're rough and I suppose they are to a point, but for a field gun that's likely to be bashed about why waste your money on a name and some engraving?

 

In three years I've had a lot of guns. Several Baikal's, some odd others and a few Beretta's. Out of all of them guess which one jammed up on me one day and would neither open or fire the second barrel (leaving me in a very nasty situation with an unstable loaded shotgun that I couldn't make safe).

 

It was a Beretta that was under six months old.

[what rabbit]

great cheap knock about gun

pull the trigger it goes bang same as all the others

[Fishermanpaddy]

My first shotgun was a mail order £99 Baikal SXS

Only problem I found was that the trigger guard tended to bang your middle finger when you fired it and eventually it left quite a lump. Think this was something to do with it being a double trigger model. Perfectly usable gun otherwise.

 

Have an O/U Baikal years and its all I really use, the trigger guard knocked the hell out of my

middle finger too but you soon accomodate for it. The gun is rock solid and the action is nearly

as stiff as the day I bought it. They are very stiff guns and they take a lot of shooting to

loosen up. That said I wouldn't be ashamed to take it anywhere.

[dave1419]

im thinking of buying a semi auto there was one on a youtube clip on this forum a couple of weeks ago they look like a good strong well built gun.

Hello Simon. They may be strong looking-but they are like leprosy-once you get it its hard to get rid of,go for a Beretta 303 or the likes if its just for the pigeons etc,anyway will be looking to get out again,giz a ring when you are free---Dave

[ade wills]

solid made no frills does what it says on the tin ,

[Daveo26]

I dont like the way they kick and it seems to be any of them.

Iv shot several o/us all were cheek punchers, my good friend had a d/t sxs that hurt when i shot it, both my second finger and face and iv got an old single in the cabinet thats just unpleasent to shoot.

However im tall and big boned so it could be my build thats not compatable with Russian stuff?

My gunsmith told me if he was going to live on a desert island with no other tools he would take a Baikal

[nobby63]

After reading your post it sounds as you have already made a decision ? But as many others have written its not a status symbol but makes a good work horse and yes I do own one in O/U and carnt fault it.

[mossy835]

iv had a few of them over the years, and find them nice guns they hit hard, and built like a tank never let you down.im looking for one right now, as a second gun.

[dave1419]

Yes they are very strongly made,but as you say they kick like a donkey-more so the single barrel,an old friend of mine[he's long dead] had a single barrel model and it nearly put his shoulder out and he weighed about 20 stone then.if you can fire one of these all day and not suffer then you will be able to fire anything that is put in your hand.The factory that makes them is heavily subsidised and that is why they are sold so cheap.They do i believe used to sell an up market model called a Vostock? which i believe are quite expensive and now sort after,don't see them very often.---Dave

[vole]

I renovated one I got for £50 and hit most of what I shoot at . Its the N/E too .No one is looking at you in the field and lets face it , unless you spend mega bucks there is always going to be someone with something more posh . They are the AK 47 of the shotgun world and some of the worlds elite soldiers choose the AK over all else . The recoil is nothing that a good physiotherapist cannot put right . Go for it .

[Vince Green]

Our club had a couple of Baikal O/Us as club guns. They did wonderful service and still as tight as the day they were new. Lots of people who learned to shoot with them subsequently bought Baikals because they got on with them so well.

[vmax55]

just brought a single barreled model ij-17. taking it with me tommorow to shoot it looking forward to this kick i here so much of.

[1in9]

just brought a single barreled model ij-17. taking it with me tommorow to shoot it looking forward to this kick i here so much of.

 

I had a Baikal IZ-18 single barrel for years, the only reason you get a firm kick is because it's a very light gun. Shooting 36gm loads through it was always entertaining! :blink:

 

Solid dependable guns would much rather have a Baikail than a Hatstand/Webley/Rottweil.