Baikal IZh-18
Baikal (Izhevsk Mechanical Plant) · Shotgun · In Production · 1964
Also known as: MP-18, IZh-18, Remington Spartan 100, MP-18M-M
Overview
The Baikal IZh-18 is a single-shot, break-action shotgun built by the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant and introduced in 1964. Chambered primarily in 12 gauge (with 16, 20, 28, 32 gauge and later .410 bore also offered), it uses a hammerless internal-hammer mechanism, a chrome-lined barrel of 50A steel, a takedown design, an automatic cocking indicator and a hardwood stock and fore-end. Simple, rugged and inexpensive, it became one of the most widely sold hunting guns of the Soviet and post-Soviet era and the basis for the IZh-18MN single-shot rifle.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2600 g (91.7 oz) |
| Barrel Length | 730 mm (28.74") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Internal Hammer |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12 ga, 12 bore
- 16 Gauge — also known as 16 ga, 16 bore, 16/70
- 20 Gauge — also known as 20GA, 20 Bore, 20-bore smoothbore
- .410 Bore — also known as .410 Bore, .410, 410 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Cocking Indicator
- Features: Takedown, Chrome Lined Bore, Cocking Indicator, Extractor, Single Barrel
Variants
- Baikal IZh-18MN - Rifled
- Baikal IZh-18EM-M - Ejector
Service history
Operators
- Russian civilian hunters · adopted 1964
Production
Production years: 1964-present
One of the highest-volume Soviet/Russian sporting guns; produced in the millions across all IZh-18 variants
Origin
Country of origin: Russia
Notes
Base of the long-running IZh-18/MP-18 single-shot break-action family. Barrel length is typically 675mm or 730mm depending on chambering and market; overall length and some minor specs vary by configuration. Marketed abroad as the Baikal IZh-18, Remington Spartan 100 and (rifle version) Remington SPR 18.
Background
So cheap and durable that it became the archetypal Soviet hunting gun, the IZh-18 sold for just a few dozen rubles in the 1960s; its simple break-open action was later re-barreled with rifling to create the IZh-18MN, turning the same workhorse into an affordable single-shot hunting rifle.