Baikal 7.62x39 price check/opinions?

[czvz]

Saw one for the first time, thought they looked kinda cute.  What is the going rate and how do they perform?
Are they comparable to Handi/NEF or Rossi?

[Airsporter]

Bud's Gun Shop still shows them in stock At $237 shipped.  They list by item and you may have to search different ways.  Here's a current listing:

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/20744

I'm quite impressed with the one I bought not long ago.  Just wish it would shoot cheap steel cased ammo.  But I'm going to work on that - maybe a stronger hammer spring.  I really like the clean receiver tang - no exposed hammer or barrel release to interfere with low scope mounting.  And, a walnut stock with a traditional forend release makes it handier than a Handi - yuk yuk.  I'm not bashing the Handi's.  I own several from .22RF to 45-70.  But the Baikal may become my favorite.

[anweis]

But the Baikal may become my favorite.

And the trigger pull is....?

[Airsporter]

Mine isn't bad at all, especially compared to the horror stories I've heard.  Haven't measured it but I'd guess it's about 5 lbs.  Comparable to most of the milsurp rifles I have. I just got the take-down manual today from Brownells and I'll likely polish things up a bit.

If it's any kind of further endorsement, I ordered another one in .308 from Bud's - $195 shipped!

 

[Airsporter]

Measured trigger pull today.  A hair under 4 lbs.

[anweis]

Measured trigger pull today.  A hair under 4 lbs.

Thank you. It does not sound too bad. Would a gunsmith work on these, to clean up the trigger pull a bit?

[Airsporter]

I would think so.  It's a fairly basic design.  Mine has a sort of 2-stage creep I want to deal with.  I got J. B. Wood's disassembly book the other day and the trigger/sear/hammer parts can be removed without marring anything up.  Some of the pins on these guns are polished over before the finish bluing (sort of like the ejector rivet on a Remington 870) and removing/reassembling them or removing the tightly fitted bottom plate will show.

[Airsporter]

Here's my current take, though it's still a 'work in progress' as I haven't had the opportunity for much shooting. The IZH-18's sold by Remington lack quality control.  I feel they are intrinsically solid rifles with better built quality than the H&R Handi's.  But, they are better only if you are willing to tinker with them or have them worked on by a smith.  If you have issues, I suggest you contact USSG (the true importer) and ask for a 'call tag' from UPS.