onondaga
01-17-2011, 06:26 PM
I copied most of my post from another forum. Just purchased this rifle Saturday and would like to show it to you guys:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/lgsil_spr18.jpg
Net picture.
Gun show today, and came home with the imported Remington Spartan, from Baikal Russia. It is a single shot break open that looks much like a almost fancy rifle. Stainless looking receiver, hammer forged barrel with the external twist that actually looks better than the Ruger 10/22 Target with the twist. Mine is in 7.62 X 39 Russian and came with an inexpensive scope mounted for $250.00/new. It has checkering that is functional but not terrific, the action is very solid to open or close with a lever at the trigger guard. A surprising feature I didn't notice till I read the manual is a cocked or uncocked indicator than pops up or down on the receiver tang. This is an inexpensive rifle and I wouldn't hand the seller the money until he took the trigger lock and I tried the pull. I told him I wouldn't buy it if the pull was horrible as I stood there with cash in my left hand. He obliged. Pull wasn't horrible, A little creep, then crisp about 3.5 lbs.
I brought it home and immediately cleaned, lubed and slugged the bore to check groove to groove diameter left on a slug. It measured half a line less than .311" on my Starrett micrometer. That Russian caliber has a reputation for running all over the place. I had expected it to be bigger but am happier with .311" I only shoot cast bullets and have several molds that throw bullets large enough to gas check and size to .312" I scoped the bore and the finish was also better than I expected. It isn't mirror perfect like my Colt/Sauer but the finish looked honed and no turning marks or chatter were visible the length of the bore. My experience says this bore will like cast bullets and will never taste copper.
Sport open sight rear is screw adjustable for windage and front adjusts for elevation. Metal finish on barrel is superb, receiver also. Trigger is broad and smooth about 5/16 inch wide. with a cross trigger button safety. The opening lever actually cocks the internal hammer and takes a hefty squeeze but it has a dual finger curve that is easy to grip. The muzzle is more than a simple crown, it has an additional bevel also of about 30 degrees by 1/8 inch. That is a good touch rarely seen on American firearms, and very practical for protecting muzzles.
Worst feature of the Spartan is the stock finish. I could smooth wood gun stocks, stain and finish them better when I was in 5th grade. I will likely re-work the stock, that is no big deal for me personally as I have finished very many stocks professionally.-- Retired!
I actually went to the gun show looking for a throw in my Jeep .308, maybe an inexpensive sporterized Mauser. There were some at the show, but the prices were perverted and bores horrible.
The 7.62 X 39 Russian is one of those cartridges that is loadable with full capacity/compressed loads and lead bullets with at least 2 different powders and not be any where near high pressure with those specific powders. That is something that is a big plus for bullet casters like me--no ignition problems requiring fillers that large capacity cartridges sometimes require for good ignition with cast bullet loads.
Just ordered new dies, Lee Cutter Stud and brass. It will be a while before I shoot it, But I'd be really be surprised if there is any problems.
Any body else have a Spartan? Some internet snooping on this model says it is made to Remington standards unlike the identical looking Biakal rifles that are not marketed as Remington imports with the Remington logo and that the Spartan has much more attention to metal fit/finish.-- but obviously not the wood!
I can tell you that in searching the net, that there are Canadian videos 2 years old of the lower grade blued receiver and non checkered stock Biakal single shot rifle that do not have the
Remington logo.The gun show today in N. Tonawanda, NY had 2 dealers with the stainless receiver Remington Spartan IZH18MN with the checkered stock and scope package.I just learned the Spartan is imported by USSG ROCKLRDGE, FL.and importation is spotty. Double rifle versions are also available in 45/70 and a few other calibers.
My Midway order for loading stuff is expected the 24th. I'm waiting to get shootin.
I did remove the butt stock today to look at the action. The trigger return spring is a stout leaf type spring and held with a single screw. I didn't want to bend the spring to lighten the trigger pull, but it's retention screw was long enough that I removed it and placed a 3/64" thick spacer washer under the spring and that lightened the trigger pull to less than 3#. The creep is still there. There was gunky factory oil and grit in the action and I cleaned it out thoroughly and lubed the action with my favorite mix of non migrating Stop Leak oil, Slick 50 and Marvel mystery oil, 1:1:1
The action is smoother and it smells better too!
A little work was put into the stock as well. The crude checkering with no finish in it just looked way too raw. I brushed Old English staining scratch filler into it and it sucked it in so the checkering, at least, doesn't show raw wood. After that dried I gave the whole stock 4 coats of the old reliable Johnson Paste Wax and it filled the open finish of the wood pretty well and shined up nice. The whole rifle looks more expensive now. I'm a lot happier with it's appearance.
I did find reference from Biakal that the bore on this rifle is chrome lined.
Finished cleanup and used my homeboy bore polishing method with a Hoppe's .30 Cal Boresnake and chrome polish. I drop the Boresnake cord through till the rope starts then fill the chamber with chrome polish and take 10 pull throughs. That is repeated 6 times for 60 pull throughs with polishing. Then another 20 pulls without adding any more polishing paste. Yes the bore is really chrome lined. I wish my focus had more depth to show the sharpness of the rifling, but it is quite nice, sharp and polished full length. The rifling is 4 lands/grooves. I do this bore polishing with every new firearm I have purchased since the Bore Snake hit the market and I believe the polishing completely eliminates any need for the breaking in a barrel chore at the range.
MY RIFLE:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/CHBore.jpg
Some pix of the Remington Spartan:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/action.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/forarm.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/buttstock.jpg
You can see the color I added to the checkering and the many coats of Johnson Paste wax helped a bit for the looks of the wood.
Gary
Fine rifles are never really owned.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/lgsil_spr18.jpg
Net picture.
Gun show today, and came home with the imported Remington Spartan, from Baikal Russia. It is a single shot break open that looks much like a almost fancy rifle. Stainless looking receiver, hammer forged barrel with the external twist that actually looks better than the Ruger 10/22 Target with the twist. Mine is in 7.62 X 39 Russian and came with an inexpensive scope mounted for $250.00/new. It has checkering that is functional but not terrific, the action is very solid to open or close with a lever at the trigger guard. A surprising feature I didn't notice till I read the manual is a cocked or uncocked indicator than pops up or down on the receiver tang. This is an inexpensive rifle and I wouldn't hand the seller the money until he took the trigger lock and I tried the pull. I told him I wouldn't buy it if the pull was horrible as I stood there with cash in my left hand. He obliged. Pull wasn't horrible, A little creep, then crisp about 3.5 lbs.
I brought it home and immediately cleaned, lubed and slugged the bore to check groove to groove diameter left on a slug. It measured half a line less than .311" on my Starrett micrometer. That Russian caliber has a reputation for running all over the place. I had expected it to be bigger but am happier with .311" I only shoot cast bullets and have several molds that throw bullets large enough to gas check and size to .312" I scoped the bore and the finish was also better than I expected. It isn't mirror perfect like my Colt/Sauer but the finish looked honed and no turning marks or chatter were visible the length of the bore. My experience says this bore will like cast bullets and will never taste copper.
Sport open sight rear is screw adjustable for windage and front adjusts for elevation. Metal finish on barrel is superb, receiver also. Trigger is broad and smooth about 5/16 inch wide. with a cross trigger button safety. The opening lever actually cocks the internal hammer and takes a hefty squeeze but it has a dual finger curve that is easy to grip. The muzzle is more than a simple crown, it has an additional bevel also of about 30 degrees by 1/8 inch. That is a good touch rarely seen on American firearms, and very practical for protecting muzzles.
Worst feature of the Spartan is the stock finish. I could smooth wood gun stocks, stain and finish them better when I was in 5th grade. I will likely re-work the stock, that is no big deal for me personally as I have finished very many stocks professionally.-- Retired!
I actually went to the gun show looking for a throw in my Jeep .308, maybe an inexpensive sporterized Mauser. There were some at the show, but the prices were perverted and bores horrible.
The 7.62 X 39 Russian is one of those cartridges that is loadable with full capacity/compressed loads and lead bullets with at least 2 different powders and not be any where near high pressure with those specific powders. That is something that is a big plus for bullet casters like me--no ignition problems requiring fillers that large capacity cartridges sometimes require for good ignition with cast bullet loads.
Just ordered new dies, Lee Cutter Stud and brass. It will be a while before I shoot it, But I'd be really be surprised if there is any problems.
Any body else have a Spartan? Some internet snooping on this model says it is made to Remington standards unlike the identical looking Biakal rifles that are not marketed as Remington imports with the Remington logo and that the Spartan has much more attention to metal fit/finish.-- but obviously not the wood!
I can tell you that in searching the net, that there are Canadian videos 2 years old of the lower grade blued receiver and non checkered stock Biakal single shot rifle that do not have the
Remington logo.The gun show today in N. Tonawanda, NY had 2 dealers with the stainless receiver Remington Spartan IZH18MN with the checkered stock and scope package.I just learned the Spartan is imported by USSG ROCKLRDGE, FL.and importation is spotty. Double rifle versions are also available in 45/70 and a few other calibers.
My Midway order for loading stuff is expected the 24th. I'm waiting to get shootin.
I did remove the butt stock today to look at the action. The trigger return spring is a stout leaf type spring and held with a single screw. I didn't want to bend the spring to lighten the trigger pull, but it's retention screw was long enough that I removed it and placed a 3/64" thick spacer washer under the spring and that lightened the trigger pull to less than 3#. The creep is still there. There was gunky factory oil and grit in the action and I cleaned it out thoroughly and lubed the action with my favorite mix of non migrating Stop Leak oil, Slick 50 and Marvel mystery oil, 1:1:1
The action is smoother and it smells better too!
A little work was put into the stock as well. The crude checkering with no finish in it just looked way too raw. I brushed Old English staining scratch filler into it and it sucked it in so the checkering, at least, doesn't show raw wood. After that dried I gave the whole stock 4 coats of the old reliable Johnson Paste Wax and it filled the open finish of the wood pretty well and shined up nice. The whole rifle looks more expensive now. I'm a lot happier with it's appearance.
I did find reference from Biakal that the bore on this rifle is chrome lined.
Finished cleanup and used my homeboy bore polishing method with a Hoppe's .30 Cal Boresnake and chrome polish. I drop the Boresnake cord through till the rope starts then fill the chamber with chrome polish and take 10 pull throughs. That is repeated 6 times for 60 pull throughs with polishing. Then another 20 pulls without adding any more polishing paste. Yes the bore is really chrome lined. I wish my focus had more depth to show the sharpness of the rifling, but it is quite nice, sharp and polished full length. The rifling is 4 lands/grooves. I do this bore polishing with every new firearm I have purchased since the Bore Snake hit the market and I believe the polishing completely eliminates any need for the breaking in a barrel chore at the range.
MY RIFLE:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/CHBore.jpg
Some pix of the Remington Spartan:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/action.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/forarm.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/buttstock.jpg
You can see the color I added to the checkering and the many coats of Johnson Paste wax helped a bit for the looks of the wood.
Gary
Fine rifles are never really owned.