Would it be wise to buy a 12 gauge Baikal IZH 27 superimposed field shotgun if you live in Australia?

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i just got the baikal izh 27 field and i live in melb, it is a good gun for the money you pay for it. around $800 you get a gun that you can be rough with and know it will shoot every time. The one thing you can trust the russians with is weapons. the izh 27 can be run over by a mac truck and it will still fire thats because the gun is build like a tank. its good for entry level and very good for hunting. remember a duck dosn't care if it was shot with a $800 Baikal or a $5000 Bertta.

The gun is only a tool for the artist. Be gun safe....

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It seems all you Baikal guys try to talk yourself into the idea that a Baikal may be not as well crafted as a quality gun, but it is a real functional workhorse type gun. In my experience with a couple of Baikals which, by a gunsmiths testimony were poorly designed and crafted, I think comparing a Baikal to any of the quality guns like Browning, Charles Daily, Winchester, Remington, SKB, Weatherby, Ruger or you name it, is like comparing a silk purse to a sows'ear. Baikals have a fair eye appeal until you really look at fits and finishes, grinder marks etc. This is not to mention design. The Baikals I had ( including one I haven't gotten rid of yet )did not function in that "dependable" fashion you guys tout. List of malfunctions. The safeties on either gun didn't work. One had an rigid action than never loosened up - so rigid that you had to break it over your leg. The side by side would not fire the second barrel when using field loads - talk about bad design - the gunsmith said recoil caused a part to not work properly - this happened on both barrels no matter which barrel you selected. Guys, if you like quality dependable guns, you must spend the money - period. I'm not talking about a five grand Merkel here, but for around a thousand bucks for a new double you can buy a gun that will outlast you, your son and your grandson. Look at the Weatherby Orion for example. Now that's a workhorse, balanced well and a joy to shoot. It ain't too bad looking either.I saw a used Orion the other day that had a $750 price tag on it. It was in excellent shape. I would rather hunt with a quality gun that was beat up than any new Baikal. Period. Get a clue guys, your'e living in fantasy land.

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Answer: Go to any reputable independent gunsmith. Ask him what he thinks of Baikal guns and the incidence of malfunction as compared to guns of quality. Ask him about design and function. One guy on FAQ said that you could drive over a Baikal with a truck and it would still be dependable shot after shot. Hogwash. Mine didn't function right out of the box. A ton of problems, misfires, safety problems etc. Don't take my opinion, ask a person who knows guns. I know guns and should have known better than to buy a Baikal. A good gun is well designed, well machined, well crafted and well balanced. Look for quality. Heck, I had a little single shot Stevens 20 ga. when I was 12 and it never misfunctioned in years of hunting; to me this speaks as much of quality as a $10,000 trap gun. I had a pretty little Spanish side by side that doubled. Junk. Quality will cost more but in the long run it more than pays for itself. John Browning would roll over in his grave if they had buried him with a Baikal.

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I own many Russian weapons, vehicles and fly their planes. I'd put any of them up against their competition. As to the Baikal/Spartan shotguns they are fine. I've put 1000+ rounds through my IZH27 without a hiccup. Yes, it is rough. Yes, it was stiff (200 rounds and it smoothed out) and yes, it did it's job. The Russkies aren't much on how pretty something looks...they just care that it gets the job done (although this mind set is changing slowly). Russian firearms are something you can use to drive a spike into a post and still defend yourself or bring home dinner. If you are prissy, don't buy one. If you want a gun that will take a licking and keep on ticking, get one a try. I don't care if I bang/scatch mine up...I just touch it up when I get home. As far as shooting and accuracy...it shoots as well as guns 10X its cost. I know, because I wax guys tails every weekend shooting trap, skeet and gentleman's skeet. First time I showed up with it you could see the looks when I answered their question as to "what make?". It has garnered much respect in the last few months. Personally, I'd have no problem recommending (Baikal/Spartan) it to anyone...but then again...I like all things Russian. Paka.

First answer by FALCON. Last edit by CYKA. Contributor trust: 72 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 63 [recommend question]