Secondhand O/U.

[Longbower]

I traded in my old 20g pump for a over/under 12g at a dealer,the cost was £295, so at the budget end of the market .

But a nice looking, good condition, single trigger, multi choke, so I thought 'smashing' just what i wanted for pigeons.

 

Two days later ,I got the hide set up , decoys out , and in no time at all the first birds came in , and the first one , folded

as I pulled the trigger, So, Very pleased was I .

I reloaded, just as another three dropped into the pattern , Safety off, and WHAM, a double discharge, 60g of recoil, asc

both barrels went off at the same time.

The shock wave through my shoulder and back was painful to say the least.

The flaming thing would shoot ok , then do it five times on the bounce,

So I ended up just using one barrel as a single shot. 32 birds for the afternoon.

 

I took the gun back , and the shop was as good as gold, Very apologetic , and gave me a full refund.

 

Lesson learned 'Try before you buy'. I will from now on.!

[db135]

Was it a bettinsoli

[Scully]

Or a Webley and Scott?

[TONY R]

If your buying cheap buy Baikal always a good bet there as been all sorts of tat produced over the years, much of it italian junk marketed under various brand names like lincoln nickerson parker hale and smaller firms, just sticking their names on them.

In these named brands there are exeptions like laurona who did produce guns marketed by winchester, and berettas 56 es under webley and scott logos and BSA badged SKBs these were good examples but sadly not all are like this kind of quality. The 70s and 80s italian tat is esspecialy nasty some of it.

At least with BAIKAL or in the case of the OUs IZH mod 27. are basic but properly produced and safe.

[Longbower]

It was a Midland Gun Co. Made in ITALY by Rizzini I think . As you state sadly I just missed a mint Baikal o/u at the same shop. I swear by my Single barrel £35 Baikal.

Its done Pigeons, Rabbits , Corvids ,Squirrels etc , its just so handy.

Edited September 9, 2016 by Longbower

[nagantino]

That would be a scary scenario.....double discharge each time. I would think that was easily fixed though, by an an experienced smith. Try Before You Buy..... but how? You shop would need a range. Only one in my region has that.

[chris1961]

Try to get a lanber built solid and newer ones are steel proof

[kennett]

A friend of mine is having the same problem with.........a baikal!! Any gun can have its faults, his took 2 trips to the gunsmiths before it was sorted

[ChrisAsh]

Can any gunsmith state any gun make that has not had any problems, and surley double discharge is very rare on modern guns, agreed Betinsolli had a reputation in the 80 & 90's, but so did quite a few makes

[TONY R]

If your buying cheap buy Baikal always a good bet there as been all sorts of tat produced over the years, much of it italian junk marketed under various brand names like lincoln nickerson parker hale and smaller firms, just sticking their names on them.

In these named brands there are exeptions like laurona who did produce guns marketed by winchester, and berettas 56 es under webley and scott logos and BSA badged SKBs these were good examples but sadly not all are like this kind of quality. The 70s and 80s italian tat is esspecialy nasty some of it.

At least with BAIKAL or in the case of the OUs IZH mod 27. are basic but properly produced and safe.

Midland or parker hale same gun exactly, Some shody internal finnishing on guns from italy in this time scale, It really was a bit of a lottery if you got one that was half decent in the hardening of the internal sears etc, they were horible the most part.

Once remembered working on a mates pedretti no 3 garden gun, it had a firing pin that sort of worked at an angle in the breach face, the action was made of chese or something nearly as soft, They hardened the firing pin, it due to the acute angle it had to work at was very unreliable it stuck the pin hole went oval and pin stuck once and dicharged the gun on closing the action, very poor design and terrible workmanship generaly.

This is not all of the italians from this period and price point, but quite a few you need to be carefull buying these things some of the quality control is terrible.

[Gunman]

They were cheap and nasty when new and do not improve with age /.I am surprised that any dealer would sell one these days ,they are the sort of gun that either get put into auctions or are bought up by the "junk dealers" At the time these were selling I would always recommend to customers to go for double trigger non ejectors as there was a lot less to go wrong . It may be a good gunsmith can put it right but you will always have that doubt in mind each time you pull the trigger . Best go for a refund and hope it dos'nt get sold on to some one else .

Edited September 10, 2016 by Gunman

[motty]

Double discharging isn't the worst thing in the world. My Laurona trap gun used to do it. Simple fix by the gunsmith. Been fine for years.

[Longbower]

Hi Motty , my back would not agree with you ust at the present moment.

[Gunman]

Luarona's were a much better better made gun than the "Parker Hale" . Speaking as a gunsmith and having had long experience of such problems a "simple fix" is not always simple and will/would depend on what the problem actually is , if someone has had a go at it before or the amount of time spent in analising , correcting and testing also assuming that parts like the inertia block is not badly worn ,the gun is not very loose the stock is sound it is cocking correctly etc . Other factors can come into play such as gun fit and operator error . All these have to be considered

[TONY R]

Luarona's were a much better better made gun than the "Parker Hale" . Speaking as a gunsmith and having had long experience of such problems a "simple fix" is not always simple and will/would depend on what the problem actually is , if someone has had a go at it before or the amount of time spent in analising , correcting and testing also assuming that parts like the inertia block is not badly worn ,the gun is not very loose the stock is sound it is cocking correctly etc . Other factors can come into play such as gun fit and operator error . All these have to be considered

Agree entirly with the above Lauronas are a great gun , i have to say i am just no fan of tacky nasty italian garbabe like the old parker hales midland same gun , they are just horible, as a kid i remember going to buy my very first ou a baikal 610 The DT ne model i just could not raise the extra 4 quid for the Ejector 611 model, My bale stooking and sheep hearding in the school holidays just could not stretch the 4 quid. How times change ..

The gundealer was trying to push an italian top locker the brand escapes me now, but it was midlandesque in type, the gun dealer was saying how the wood stock was a proper one and would fit me b etter, My Dad thankfully pushed for the baikal and i came out with what i wanted.

Buying cheap buy Baikal everytime.

[guzzicat]

Baikal guns must be good,they were made to shoot Baikal shells!

[bruno22rf]

As motty said - it's not the end of the world and easily fixed.

[TONY R]

As motty said - it's not the end of the world and easily fixed.

Agree just like that rotten mk 2 escort van i welded cills on and two floor pans to get to scotland in in 1983 to 1984 but would i bother today, Its just not practical these days. There are better out there for the money. WHY?

Baikal guns must be good,they were made to shoot Baikal shells!