New addition to my growing SxS family

[J.Baker]

Snagged this gem from Fred this week - a one-year wonder only offered in 2004. It's a Stevens 411 Upland Sporter 12ga SxS made by Baikal, basically a dressed up version of their IZH-43.

Features include:

• European walnut pistol grip stock and splinter forearm with cut checkering
• 28" hammer forged chrome lined barrels with choke tubes
• Non-glare raised rib
• Brass mid-bead and red florescent front bead
• Single-selective trigger
• Automatic tang safety
• Automatic Ejectors
• Boxlock action with decorative side plates
• Decorative laser engraving on side plates, trigger guard and forearms iron.

The 2004 Savage catalog insert page (shown below) shows these were offered in 12ga, 20ga and .410ga, though I'm 99.9% sure the only ones ever imported were 12-gauges. I also don't believe very many of these were imported and sold as in the 21 years since they were introduced I've never seen one come up for sale on any of the main auction sites.



Savage listed the 12-gauges weight at 6-3/4 pounds, but according to Fred's scale this one's just shy of 7-1/2 pounds (7.47-lbs to be exact). Definitely not a lightweight, and quite hefty feeling in the hands compared to my sub-gauge SxS's.

The main reason these were a one-year wonder for Savage, and probably why only a small number of 12-gauges were imported is because the next year (2005) Remington started importing these same guns under their new "Spartan" line which were all made by Baikal in Russia. Remington offered that line up until 2008 or 2009 before dropping them - basically shortly after Remington got purchased by Cerberus along with Bushmaster, DPMS and others.

While doing a little internet sleuthing this past weekend it seems these Baikal SxS's are a favorite with the cowboy action shooters due to their robust build (many compare them to a T-72 tank) and low cost. Naturally they need a bit of slicking up for cowboy action play, but overall a very good and durable design. Biggest complaint most had was the fact that after ejection of spent hulls the barrels like to "rest" at a half-open position making loading another set of shells a bit more difficult. The CAS guys solved this one of two ways: 1) Replace the cocking arms with custom modified ones with a radius relieved in them to keep the barrels at full open position, or 2) replace factory hammer and cocking springs with 24#, 26# or 28# main (hammer) springs from a 1911 trimmed to be 1/4" longer than the stock Baikal lengths. Which spring rate to use depends on your gun and the shells you're using as the lighter springs may not be sufficient with light loads to trigger the auto ejector function.

I don't have any plans to modify this one in any way other than maybe stripping it down and polishing some things up as the internals are well known to be quite rough.





Unfortunately the choke tubes are good and stuck and I know this thing probably hasn't left Fred's safe since 2005 or 2006, so hopefully a day or two of soaking them with penetrating oil will allow them to break free.

Now I just need to find a 16-gauge and my SxS collection will be complete. Would really like to find a newer one that has choke tubes and can shoot steel shot, but I'm also drawn to the classics like A.H. Fox, Parker Bros, Ithaca, L.C. Smith, Lefever, or even a Baker.



Top: Browning BSS Sporter 20ga
Middle: Stevens 411 Upland Sporter 12ga
Cased: Grulla Armas 216 28ga/.410 bore set

[Robinhood]

Very Nice Jim. I am jealous.

[Blue Avenger]

where is the 10?

[J.Baker]

where is the 10?

I don't like shooting 3" 12-gauge shells, why on God's green Earth would I want a 3-1/2" 10-gauge?

Didn't really have a need for this one and planned on getting an O/U in 12-gauge since I sold my old Savage 30L pump gun last year, but the price was right and it was LNIB with just one pheasant hunt under it's belt some 20 years ago. Good news is I got the choke's to brake free today.

[Blue Avenger]

No one said you had to shoot it.
As to 12ga, I use 2"

[Robinhood]

As to 12ga, I use 2"

And I thought I was the only one