Baikal o/u vs. Canuck o/u ????

3

3#cannon

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
Location
in a tree stand waiting for whitetail
Looking for a entry level over/under 12ga for my nephew's
Birthday and I've been looking at the Baikal and the canuck shotguns ... just looking for experience or opinions on them. Is one better? Should I be looking at something else?
Any advice welcomed
Thanks
 
Baikal is Russian for built like tank. Figuratively speaking. I haven't owned a canuck yet but baikals have a faithful following for being reliable.
I have an ij58 that has seen 60000 rnds. The forearm started to loosen at around 55000ish count. The action is still tight with no play. Other than some clay bird getting stuck in the firing pin hole causing a discharge when closed I've never had a malfunction. The clay caused the firing pin to stay out and I snapped it closed it dragged across the cheddite primer

Which gun fits you better?
 
stubblejumper said:
Buy him a gun that fits. A shotgun that doesn't fit is worthless.
Click to expand...

Very true.
Baikal makes excellent quality and has for a long time. Them seem to always get their money's worth at auctions I attend.
Can't speak personally of the Canuck's even though they have caught my eye on a number of occasions.
I'd say Baikal personally.
 
Baikal shotguns are robust, but quality consists of more than strength. They are crude, with all the grace of a bridge timber.
Buying a Turkish shotgun of no established reputation is risky. Buying quality is a lifetime investment.
If you cannot afford a major brand new, buy used. Try before you buy. You need a shotgun that fits.
A used Browning or Beretta would be a good choice.
 
There are a handful of entry-level O/Us to consider. I have a couple of Baikals (shoot the SxS much more than the O/U) and haven't had any issues. And yes, I DO have a few 'higher quality' shotguns but that doesn't stop me from taking a Baikal out to the duck blind. Mossberg also makes an affordable O/U... Yildiz is an option (mu buddy has one and likes it), Savage/Stevens is another option and CZ is a bit more expensive and probably built a little better.
 
brybenn said:
Cz. Yildz. Stevens. Mossbergs. They're all built in Turkey. Some are good others like the tristar are not
Click to expand...

It's like getting stuff from China, you can pay for whatever level of Quality and QC you want. I've heard horror stories about the old tristar guns, but I've heard lots of good things about, and tried myself several Turkish brands that have worked just fine. FWIW though if I am thinking about a Turkish shotgun I assume it will have flaws and such ahead of time.

They're no "B" guns, but there's lots of people who buy Kias instead of BMW's and Mercedes and they all get to work the same.

As far as Canik goes, I haven't personally seen one up close, so I can't comment, but make sure the retailer is willing to replace it if necessary. Most of the Turkish guns I have tried have come through Martin at Corwin Arms, who is fantastic to deal with if you ever have any issues.
 
stubblejumper said:
Buy him a gun that fits. A shotgun that doesn't fit is worthless.
Click to expand...

Actually more likely with a Baikal, since one of the complaints about them is the short length of pull, since it is sometimes quite cold in Russia and people tend to wear multiple layers of clothing to keep warm! I have a 43KH-C hammer coach gun SXS and a 43E-1C SxS 12 gauge which I am satisfied with. In fact there are people who believe that are some of the best shotguns made in the last fifty years. The following are a few links that you might find interesting: There is never any question about the metallurgy of Baikal shotguns which have hammer forged barrels, unlike with some of the Turkish made shotguns which have had issues with the heat treating in the past (broken firing pins)

http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/reviews/shotgun/baikal-12-bore

http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/reviews/shotgun/baikal-mp43-e-1c-shotgun-review
 
Last edited:
I have two Baikals - a 12 gauge 2-trigger O/U and a 410 bore single trigger O/U. The 12 I bought used 30 years ago (it's stamped "Made in USSR") and it has seen over 10,000 rounds I'm sure. The bottom barrel pierces primers on Challenger ammo but that is the only brand I've found where that happens. Still tight and going strong. The 410 I got new six or seven years ago and no issues at all - it's stamped "Made in Russia". I'd give the quality nod to the USSR made, it seems a little better. The 410 has a fairly decent select trigger. They are not fancy but for the money, I have no complaints. Not pretty or refined, but durable.

But as earlier comments said, gun fit is what matters.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom