What are your thoughs on the Remington Spartan Single Barrel?

[240SX]

I've got an NEF single barrel 12 gauge and I love it. I use it for bird hunting and as a truck gun. I was looking as the Remington Spartan's and wonder if anyone had some experience with one. How does it shot? Is it a decent gun, because I'm thinking about picking one up. Thanks for the help/advice!

[blakem]

Stick with the NEF.

[240SX]

New England Firearms.

[jakemccoy]

The recoil is more because it's lighter.

Doubles are not an option.

[240SX]

Anyone else? Thanks to those so far who have contributed.

[Jason M]

All of Remington's "Spartan" line are made by Baikal (by-'call), a Russian manufacturer.

I've heard mixed reviews, but in the shotgun world, the white collars and blue collars will always say different. I've never owned one but have spoken to someone who has. The guns function well enough, but he has a semi-auto.

The Baikal is certainly not a "step-up" from the NEF if you are looking to upgrade. It would be a parallel move. RUssia has been making guns for a long time, though, so don't immediately discount it because of its foreign birth. EAA is importing Serbian pistols right now that look very nice (EZ9).

Your best course of action is to shoot one.

-Jason

[mtngunr]

I think the gun is superior to an NEF....steel frame vs. iron, no plastic trigger-group housing, no transfer bar subject to breakage (and NEF's are), extremely simple/strong lock-up, all parts machined from barstock or forging with no MIM/cast like NEF, STEEL forend knuckle instead of plastic, Deely forend latch, chromed bore, industrial strength extractor that cams with action opening.....only downsides the ugly angular wood forend and plastic trigger guard (but suspect the steel guards from the doubles would work, and the wood is easily dealt with), recoil pad doesn't have much give....I have one in 20ga youth guise living at my front door...looks like it will last several lifetimes and then some.....I wonder how many naysayers have ever owned/fired one....not many, I bet.....

[plumberroy]

Why would you buy an imported single shot when the best (IMHO) single shot made is made right here in the U.S.A. I am talking about reasonable price hunting guns not high end target guns . I am a dedacated single shot shooter and have tried about every single shot out there. I have 10 H&R singles. All though I am not real happy about remington moving H&R out of Gardener Ma.:mad:
Roy

[ArmedBear]

There are plenty of single-shot shotguns available for 50 bucks, used. I see no sense in buying a new one from Russia.

I'd probably lean towards a used pump gun, instead, if I already had a single-shot anyway.

[mejeepnut]

I bought a new Biakal 12ga single shot off Auction Arms back before Remington started selling them.It was around $35 if I remember correctly,add in $15 or $20 shipping and about $10 for FFL fee and it just was not worth it.The safety did not work,the wood is very soft and poorly fitted,sharp edges on the metel trigger guard,the action went from extreamly tight and stiff to sloppy in about 20 rounds,after the first 10 or so rounds and then a good cleaning the bore looked like it was a hundred years old and it kinda almost shoots where you point it.
Maybe Biakal cleaned up there act when they started selling to Remington.Mine does not have a crome lined bore,I wish it had a plastic trigger guard,the butt pad on mine is wood,and from the way the action got slopy and the looks of the bore I would say the quality of the steel they used was not very good!
Give me an H&R or NEF any day!They may not be pretty but they are solid and they work like they are supposed to and if you take care of them they will last more than a life time!

[mtngunr]

Baikals are the preferred working shotguns in places as widespread as Australia to Russia....NONE of mine have ever been anything but rugged/reliable....and this is from WAAAY before Remington....and the bores have been chromed for about 30yrs or more....

[mejeepnut]

I think you have me on the chrome.I just went and looked and there are patches in the barrel that look like it could have been chromed.I have not touched the gun in several years,its been put away for 4 years at least.I will try to get some pictures on by tomorrow night and you can tell me what you think of the bore of this gun thats had less than 50 rounds through it.

[mtngunr]

I'm just wondering where you got the turkey....plastic trigger guards on the guns predate Remington also....EAA had plastic....wood is generally sound, if plain, birch, stronger than walnut but perhaps dents easier, just like what Mossberg, Remington, Marlin and others put on their economy guns....the steels are generally excellent machined forgings, if a bit rough.....who imported the one you have? It sounds quite old, steel trigger guard, wood (not phenolic/bakelite?) buttplate.....

Having a chromed bore fail is equally mystifying....the Russians do know a thing or two about chroming bores.

My dealer has sold hundreds of Baikals, and has never had one brought back for any reason, and he stands behind everything he sells.

Anecdotally, in Australia of strict gun laws, where stations/ranches are limited to only a gun or two, with replacements hard to get, the Baikals are enormously popular because they don't break. And the O/U, SxS, and Single I own have been fired hundreds upon hundreds of times (if not thousands on the SxS) without loosening or experiencing a single problem.

[Onmilo]

Baikal single barrel is nothing more than a copy of the French made ManuFrance single barrel gun and they really are used all over the world, wherever France and Russia had a stake in things.

[mtngunr]

You know....I'd clean forgotten about the Simplex, only the name ringing a bell....thanks for the reminder....don't think I'd have ever remembered otherwise...and would have gone the rest of my life thinking it a Russian design.

It also puts to bed one of my favorite sayings, "The French imitate nobody, and nobody imitates the French."

http://www.naturabuy.fr/Fusil-SIMPLEX-MANUFRANCE-calibre-12-item-10683.html

[johnmcl]

240,

I was very happy with my Spartan SPR100 for the couple of years that I owned it. This was my first trap gun and it worked out fine with many rounds in the low 20's. The fit and function were great, giving me the sense of one solid gun. Keep in mind though that this is *not* an ambidextrous gun. There is s definite RH cast to the stock.

I eventually sold this gun to a growing teen shooter who needed it more than I.

In short, I think the Spartans are a great gun.

[Otony]

Aaaaand I will beat a different drum!

I have managed to buy three of the now SADLY discontinued Beretta single shots over the years, two 12 gauge and one 20 gauge. In a fit of stupidity I sold one of the 12 gauge versions. I have never managed to come up with a good deal on a .410 version, mores the pity.

These are very strong, very sleek, hammerless, fold almost in half, ALL steel, and have been sold in every common gauge over the years. Some have solid ribs, some have matted barrels, some have vent ribs.

Production ran from the 40s to the late 80s. Plenty were made. Older ones tend to have a nice amount of border engraving. Newer ones tend to have plain chromed receivers, and I believe may have chromed barrels (not certain on this last). All have nicely checkered walnut stocks.

Used ones in good shape can be found right at 200 bucks if you shop hard. Why would you want to spend that much on a single shot? Well, for one thing, it is finely made, well balanced, and should last a couple of life times with reasonable care. If you compare the price of the current higher grade H&R/NEF shotguns, you will actually find that these, although used, are the better bargain.

Shop around. VERY nice singles, probably the best ever made unless you want to trot out a Browning BT-99.

[mtngunr]

Hey, nice hijack (wink).....also, I'll have to look for one of those myself...thanks for the tip....hey, did you know .410 ammo currently costs more than cheap 12ga. loads?

[plumberroy]

hey, did you know .410 ammo currently costs more than cheap 12ga. loads?
28 cost more than 410:(

[Scoutsout2645]

To keep the thread on a related hijack...I'm looking for a good, reliable SXS coach gun or short O/U as a 2nd HD gun/general shooting that won't break the bank. I'd want it hammerless, prefer ejectors over extractors and would like to buy American if the quality-for-price is there. I've seen the Spartan and Stoeger names thrown around on the forums here but I have no experience w/ these and wonder what people's practical experience has been with them. Any recommendations of other brands in this general price range?

[mejeepnut]

OK,the stock is not birch,I have birch stocked guns and this just is not birch.The but plate is a bakalite type material,not wood like I thought.The trigger guard is I belive alumnium(or some pot metel) painted black.


Here are a few bore pictures,not great ones.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/mejeepnut/Baikal/Baikal006.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/mejeepnut/Baikal/Baikal013.jpg

[mtngunr]

I'm looking for a good, reliable SXS coach gun or short O/U as a 2nd HD gun/general shooting that won't break the bank.

The ejectors will be the hard part....under $500 limits you to Baikal (good, solid, reliable, stiff action, cast/toe-out for RH shooter), a Savage/Stevens 311, and last choice would be the Stoeger...someone else might chime in with some other decent econo guns. My experience is posted in this thread.

[mtngunr]

OK,the stock is not birch,I have birch stocked guns and this just is not birch.The but plate is a bakalite type material,not wood like I thought.The trigger guard is I belive alumnium(or some pot metel) painted black.



Well, I'm having trouble just agreeing it looks like a Baikal, but....

Like I said earlier, I'm just curious where the turkey came from....importer name, marks, model name/number....the pics could be fouling, rust, flaking chrome for all I know.....everyone makes a bad gun, but yours will be the first Baikal I've ever personally heard of....and I bet a search of the www will find actual turkeys pretty scarce....can't help but be suspicious of how new this NIB gun was, which is one of the reasons I'm pushing at importer, make/model marks, etc....for all I know, it's one from 30yrs ago....any further details on the gun?....earlier EAA import?...earlier than that?

[glazer1972]

If I were going to get a single shot I too would stick with H&R/NEF.

[mejeepnut]

Quote:
OK,the stock is not birch,I have birch stocked guns and this just is not birch.The but plate is a bakalite type material,not wood like I thought.The trigger guard is I belive alumnium(or some pot metel) painted black.


Well, I'm having trouble just agreeing it looks like a Baikal, but....

Like I said earlier, I'm just curious where the turkey came from....importer name, marks, model name/number....the pics could be fouling, rust, flaking chrome for all I know.....everyone makes a bad gun, but yours will be the first Baikal I've ever personally heard of....and I bet a search of the www will find actual turkeys pretty scarce....can't help but be suspicious of how new this NIB gun was, which is one of the reasons I'm pushing at importer, make/model marks, etc....for all I know, it's one from 30yrs ago....any further details on the gun?....earlier EAA import?...earlier than that?

Its a IZH-18M-M Basic.The bore was cleaned before it was put away but some of what you see is rust and probably flaking chrome.I looked quik and didn't see any import markings.I didn't think to take off the forestock at the time because I was in a hurry to get home for dinner.The gun is at a buddys because my brotherinlaw is staying with us and he is a convicted felon so I just can't go get it out of the closet and take a look,it involves a 40 mile round trip.

[mtngunr]

hmmm....doubt there's any Baikal collectors association website and forum, so until someone with more detail perhaps steps in, I'm just guessing....

Firstly, anything even remotely recent should have obvious importer mark, the more recent the more obvious...definitely not under the wood, so I suspect your gun is far from "new".

If you do find an importer name stamped on barrel or action, that would be the best clue as to age, as most import outfits didn't last too long.

Offhand, I know for a fact they were imported at least as early as 1980, and probably earlier...and yours might not have entered the country via normal importer channels.

I'll be quite interested in what you find out as you have time, as this is plowing new ground in trying to date a Baikal single, the model name/number changing during several spates of importing over the decades.

[461]

Well, I have two, a Baikal 12gauge that has had thousands of rounds through it with absolutely zero trouble and a 20ga. Remington version that has the same level of quality. The 20ga hasn't had a lot of ammo through it but seems for all practical purposes to be a stout and capable performer. Beauty, not a chance but serviceable no doubt. I've also got a few NEF's running around here that have never given me a moments hesitation. It's really hard to break a single shot shotgun if any thought at all went into its construction, there just isn't all that much to it and shotguns are low pressured to boot.