baikal mp 153

I own one. No problems whatsoever. Cycles everything from 1 1/8 oz target loads to 3 1/2" steel duck loads. The factory chokes are "loose" meaning they mic way over what the markings indicate. ie: extra full steel is a loose modified. I bought a few after market Tru Lock chokes to solve that. Mine has a 24" barrel and handles much like my old Remington 1100. Best gun for the buck. Beware the MP153 SPR 453 haters will surface soon.......

Darryl
 
Couldn't agree more with above.
Pros: Digests nearly everything (except steel Winchester target loads, the steel expands and can't cycle in any of my guns so its not the 153). Affordable. Reliable. You won't be afraid to take it into the field.
Cons: Owners of more expensive shotguns get really crabby when you show them up breaking clays :)
Looper will be around soon with his copied and pasted crap speech that makes its way onto every MP153 thread.
 
My MP153 is my go to gun for waterfowl. I use the IC choke & 3.5 inch steel #2 shot going 1550fps, drops geese & ducks GREAT!

I should say that my gun has synthetic with a 24 inch barrel. The 24" barrel makes it the same length as my Benelli Nova with a 26 inch barrel when placed side by side.

Cheers
Jay
 
Probably the best budget semi shotguns out there under $800. Built pretty solid, a bit rough around the edges. Mine had issues cycling light loads for the first couple hundred rounds but soon worked nearly flawlessly (some light Winchester bulk loads jammed on occasion) . As madtrapper said, the factory chokes are pretty loose. I sold mine after shooting around 2500 rounds, but only because I bought a prettier gun.
 
One of my friends took me out for my first duck hunting experience this past fall and he loaned me a Mp-153 and I loved it. Going to be picking one up in the next couple months once the funds are available. Couldn't agree more with everything everyone has written.
 
right on glad to hear all the positive stuff no negative i ordered a tru lock choke a few days ago and a extended range for my mossberg ill tell you guys what i think of it after i get to fire off a couple hundred rounds
 
the guy i picked up the shotgun from said it doesnt cycle 2 3/4" target load even if you turn the gas system to the lightest it will go any thoughts how i could fix this
 
sillyserb said:
the guy i picked up the shotgun from said it doesnt cycle 2 3/4" target load even if you turn the gas system to the lightest it will go any thoughts how i could fix this
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Shoot it with 3" loads for a bit (1-2 hundred), double check gas system is adjusted properly, use 3 dram 23/4" loads for a whileswitch brands of ammo(federal worked better for me than winchester).
 
Adjust the gas system back to the factory witness mark. Follow Diemeco's advise on break in. He broke in the gun I have now and it works perfectly. Invaribly new 153 owners start messing with the gas adjsutment that's where the problems begin. It's like setting up a carb by randomly turning screws.

Darryl
 
I own one and used it without hardly any break in for hunting last year. We went all week and I didn't clean it because I wanted to know what it could do. We limited out every day, lots of shots, it did finally start to malfunction. Took me 5 minutes to open it up, wipe it with my tshirt put it back together and it worked just fine, no oil or anything. Russian knows how to make guns that are built tough, built to last, and RELIABLE, they don't care about prettiness as much but I find the gun actually looks quite nice. I just got a hold of some Carlsons chokes so I will try those out when the snow goes away. I did pattern several different brands of ammo through the factory chokes and actually find the cheaper federal steel shells to pattern pretty reasonably which works out very nicely at $20 for a box of 3.5". It will take some time before you can put the cheapest target load in and get it to cycle but it will happen. You CANNOT get a better performing and reliable gun for the money. I did a lot of reading before I bought this and there are countless stories I came across of this gun outperforming guns 2 or 3 times its price when out in the field hunting.
 
I just cleaned my MP153, what a GREAT gun! It's a toss up if I am going to use it or my Kel-Tec KSG for turkeys this year... KSG is likely going to win to scare the fudds, ha ha. Just need my choke adapter to show up & I am off to the races!

Cheers
Jay
P.S. WRT getting the gun to reliably shoot light loads, I believe you MUST follow the break in procedure as per the manual & then try the lighter loads. If it won't cycle them after 100 rounds of heavy loads, shoot another 100 rounds of heavy loads, clean well & then try the light loads again.
 
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I'd look for the newer MP-155, it is supposed to be more refined and better handling then the MP-153. I know that the Gundealer here in New Brunswick lists it $10 cheaper then the MP-153 both with wood stocks and 28" barrels.
The only negative I can think of for the 153 is they do not handle as nicely as a gun that costs $200+ more then them.
If you don't require 3.5" shells I'd look at the Weatherby SA-08 it costs less and handles very well.
 
If you turn the gas system in or out sooner or later you will see a slight mark on it. Align it with the rear of the cut out on the barrel ring. The gun has to be assembled to do this. This will be the factory setting.

Darryl
 
Like all the MP-153/SPR-453 owners said, I love my black synthetic stock 26" MP-153. I got a Carlson turkey choke and had a picatinny rail tapped into the receiver and it's now my goto gun for waterfowls and turkeys. Maintenance is minimal and a quick squirt of remington gun oil on the bolt before a shoot and it's good to go.

Anyone know where I can get a "pistol grip stock" for it?
 
The baikal dropped a couple hundred geese and about a 100 ducks this season
Very happy with the purchase
I took it to a ducks unlimited sporting clay had no problems while there was guys with Benelli super black eagle2 and it jammed a few times and a guys beretta was jamming they were getting pissed and not to mention I beat all of them
 
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