Baikal Russia 20ga O/U question

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Sniper66

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I recently acquired this shotgun; it was actually a gift from a guy who simply didn't want it anymore. A generous gift. I'm trying to learn more about it and hoped you guys out there could help. I found one on GB that sold for $340, but there was little info about it.. I'm less interested in cash value than I am in the experience of others with these guns. It is actually a very nice looking O/U, well balanced and sleek. The previous owner had refinished the wood and did an exceptional job. I shot it a few times and it shoots quite well. I'll appreciate any info or experience you are willing to share. thanks. Tom
 
Baikal guns are known to have issues with ejectors and extractors. Otherwise they seem to be fair guns for the money. The ones I had both broke the ejectors in such manner that they became extractors. I liked them better after that because I had no need for quick reloads, and I don’t like chasing empties. I believe that if a person were using them for quail or similar where they might break them open with a flop and push for a super speedy reloads that they might develop issues at the hinge pretty quickly. The metals seemed to be fairly soft on the guns I had. I probably should have kept one of them, but I didn’t.
 
My son used the Remington Spartan 310 O/U version of the Baikal shotgun shooting trap in middle school. It never failed to go boom. There are two slots on the sides where you can turn it to extractor or ejector by choice. That was a nice feature. The gun didn't have the polished edges etc one might expect from say a Beretta, but it didn't affect the use. It was a bit stiff to open, and we cut 8 of the coils off on the ejector/extractor springs for that. In regards to the wood, I am not surprised the first owner refinished the wood. My son's shotgun wore the finish off rather quickly, but it didn't affect the usability of the firearm. I think I still have an electronic copy of the manual I can send you if you like. Just PM me. Good luck!
 
My son used the Remington Spartan 310 O/U version of the Baikal shotgun shooting trap in middle school. It never failed to go boom. There are two slots on the sides where you can turn it to extractor or ejector by choice. That was a nice feature. The gun didn't have the polished edges etc one might expect from say a Beretta, but it didn't affect the use. It was a bit stiff to open, and we cut 8 of the coils off on the ejector/extractor springs for that. In regards to the wood, I am not surprised the first owner refinished the wood. My son's shotgun wore the finish off rather quickly, but it didn't affect the usability of the firearm. I think I still have an electronic copy of the manual I can send you if you like. Just PM me. Good luck!
Since they changed the site sometime ago, there is no obvious way to send a PM, so yes I would love to have the electronic copy of the manual. My email is [email protected] so you could send it that way. And thanks a bunch!! Tom
 
I bought my 20 ga O/U Baikal 26" for around $350 (?) OTD many years ago and it has been a good buy. I bought it when my only other quail gun was a pristine Red Label 28ga, and I didn't want to beat that gun up hiking after mountain quail. Other than a scratch on the barrels from something I touched it against, and the rock hard recoil pad, it's been a handy and tough little gun.

Thanks for the manual link there, Milkmaster, mine is also long gone.

Stay safe.
 
I’ve used the 12 ga version a good bit. We used it a the backup gun mostly but I liked dove shooting with it when it was cold or wet because it was easier to use with heavier gloves than my 870. The barrel selector is prone to being a bit quirky. It’s a forward push on the trigger to change order and I did manage to get it to double on me once. Two dove loads at once isn’t bad but a funny push. The worst part was I still missed the clay with two shells.
 
i have 2 of the remington spartan 12ga. I love them. 1 has only been shot a couple times, and is like new. The other gets used quite a bit and is rather banged up, but has never failed on me. I wish I had a 20 gauge to go along with them lol. Actually I would like several more of them, including a 410 and 28 gauge.
 
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