The Russian/ snobbery in firearms.

[reloader54]

I have an old Baikal single, I think the only I haven't shot at with it is,,,, me.

 

[vikkz]

As always people do not seam to like Baikal's I personally cant fault them as this is all i have ever used including my rare s/s hammer,i also have a new multi choke u/o and a lovely single shot perfect for slug if you hunt wild boar or bear.

 

[Jagare]

Quite a few years ago my LGS had two best quality side lock Baikal's. I had a fondle and close look. They were very nice indeed.

 

[scrumbag]

You think? I was trying to read it without my glasses and thought it said "hitch hikers"!!!!!

HAHA!!!

 

[alberta boy]

You think? I was trying to read it without my glasses and thought it said "hitch hikers"!!!!!

LMAO . I don't know about the UK , but shooting hitch hikers is generally frowned on out here .

AB

 

[alberta boy]

Quite a few years ago my LGS had two best quality side lock Baikal's. I had a fondle and close look. They were very nice indeed.

I remember seeing a few of those myself , they were very nice shotguns and a cut above the average Baikal .

AB

 

[Tom270]

I have had a semi auto 12g for many years now, it recycles all cartridges well and apart from a split stock when fired just a few shots and soon replaced by York Guns its been exemplary. Tough gun I use for wild-fowling and and other places I don't want to take something "better".

 

[steve54]

My very first shotgun many years ago was a Baikal single shot 12g.
Having just the single shot certainly concentrates the mind...... and you make sure they count.

 

[Woodsmoke]

I bought one brand new back in the early '80's for the princely sum of £49! Basic, agricultural, and practical as hell! Wish I still had it

 

[alberta boy]

I've often thought of rebarreling an IJ18 in 410 to a 38 special / 357 RM . A Rook rifle for the proletariat . It would make a great little walking around rifle , and , with 38 loads , a great snowshoe hare hunting rifle . The only thing I'd need after that would be insulated plus fours and I'd be good for winter snowshoe hunting .

AB

 

[Brno2e]

Not a Ruskie but my game-rough shooting gun of 35 years is a Hungarian Feg, some say an up market Baikal. It has excellent wood and metal to metal fit is very high quality. It cost £145 and has never missed a beat and will not be parted with.

 

[Erik Hamburger]

I can relate to the snobbery factor and Baikals. Eyebrows were raised and there was a lot of tut-tut-ing by a few Game shoot dinosaurs, when I turned up at a very informal farmer's Shoot using a single barrel Baikal 12G - with a sling. WITH A SLING!
A quiet word was had in my ear by one of the Dinosaurs , this was 'not done' - not part of the expected 'etiquette' !
When the next year I also brought a U/O Baikal in 12G, for my shooting guests to use, this time without a sling fitted, the situation barely improved. Apparently it has to be an 'English' style gun....
The whole thing put me right off Game shooting now, and I have surrendered my place in the syndicate.

 

[Sonicdmb73]

I can relate to the snobbery factor and Baikals. Eyebrows were raised and there was a lot of tut-tut-ing by a few Game shoot dinosaurs, when I turned up at a very informal farmer's Shoot using a single barrel Baikal 12G - with a sling. WITH A SLING!
A quiet word was had in my ear by one of the Dinosaurs , this was 'not done' - not part of the expected 'etiquette' !
When the next year I also brought a U/O Baikal in 12G, for my shooting guests to use, this time without a sling fitted, the situation barely improved. Apparently it has to be an 'English' style gun....
The whole thing put me right off Game shooting now, and I have surrendered my place in the syndicate.

The joke being most are shooting an Italian or Spanish gun. Or quite possibly something Belgian bought in the white by the Birmingham trade.

 

[TomT3]

I have had the Russian for 46 years now and I dont use it much at all but at one time it fed my family.

The Russian is a Baikal single barrel shotgun,it boots like a mule,has a barrel that was surely bored out of a truck axle and will give you cheek welts after a lot of shots.
Its choke is so tight that at 30 yards a charge of shot barely imprints a half yard circle.
Back in the early 80`s when fox pelts were bringing decent dough for the time I used the Baikal for walking up foxes on windy nights.
A six volt m/bike battery that was nestled into a carpet lined 5 litre oil container was my power source for an old watco spotlight.
A length of seat belt attached made it easy to carry and I would find a fox with the vehicle spotlight and leave on foot and follow the fox and generally head shoot it at quite close ranges. The windiest of nights are are always the best.

Right now this is where the vank comes into it.
I was handing firearms to a mate one day direct from my safe for him to look at and then I pulled the Russian out and handed it to him.

"wtf have you got that old clunker for? I didn't realise that you had any schitt guns"

" you know that old piece of **** shot me 400 foxes in the last few years,walking on them with a light"

"those 400 foxes averaged $30 a skin,thats 12 ****ing grand you goose,how many has your ****ing Perazzi shot?"

"oh it does look like its been a good old gun mate"

Vanker!


I have to add that the last three shots fired were under an Angus Bull that refused to budge from my house garden.

John I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts and watching your films and agree the Baikals are old work horses.

But the thing I enjoy most with your posts is your knack for swearing and getting away with it! just with a different letter inserted-genius!

 

[Greenmist]

I still have mine, it was free from an gun shop I did occasional work for, they were going to destroy it as no one wanted it. Due to the super tight choke you mention I use mine to shoot through the bottom of corvid nests

 

[John Gryphon]

But the thing I enjoy most with your posts is your knack for swearing and getting away with it! just with a different letter inserted-genius!

Tom,thats just poor spelln on my part mate!

Due to the super tight choke you mention

And aint they super,amazingly so too. I believe that having to shoot a Baikal single barrel for results on game meant that one had to learn how to shoot properly rather than the more forgiving open choked scattergun approach...