I bought one of the first ones to arrive - a 1st generation model in 30.06. Fire one shot and it was very hard to open. Fire 2 shots, and I had to break it over my knee to open.
We determined that the primers were flowing back into the firing pin holes due to excessive pressures - with factory loads! Tried several different types of primers, and some reduced loads, with the same issues, albeit not as bad with reduced loads. But if I had wanted a .308 I would be shooting a .308 not an .06.
My gunsmith determined that the chambers were baggy, headspace was excessive but within specs, and the bore excessively tight. He tried to open the bore a little, but without any improvement. I emailed Baikal several times and they ignored me. The dealer I bought it from (mailorder in the Maritimes) acknowledged that all 3 guns that he sold had the same issues, but that I had to live with it. My gunsmith contacted Baikal and they told him that everything was withing specs.
What we finally did was to fireform brass, and through trial and error, find a load which gave 30.06 performance, without the earlier problems. It is still harder to open than it should be, but not as bad as using stock factory loads.
Interestingly, about a year later I was reading on the net about the 45.70 models being delayed indefinately - until they could get the pressure issues addressed!!! So much for "nothing wrong".
One last point with these guns - your front hand or the sandbag must be right at the joint between the forestock and the receiver. If you hold the rifle in front of the receiver, or sandbag it under the forestock, it won't shoot worth s..t! Also, with mine the right barrel/front trigger shoots 2" higher at 100 yards than the rear trigger/left barrel. Maybe that's meant for close and far shots???
I would like to get a 45.70 model, but I want to hear from others first.
