I've been thinking about getting one of the over/under shotguns made by IZH; I'd like to have a 12 gauge double with screw-in chokes to use for skeet.  

What is the quality like on these guns?  I'm not worried about having a the nicest wood and the prettiest metalwork, but I would like the thing to work reliably.  Are any of the other low cost imports worth a look?

BTW, I have an IZH pistol that's ugly but a great shooter.

IZM is a company that is in Russia right? I believe there was a story on them just recently in American Rifleman, I didn't read the whole story, but I think the reviewer was favorably impress.

Renamed - if you plan to shoot it a bunch I'd be suspicious - I don't have any first hand knowledge of these Over/unders. Most everybody I shoot skeet with is using Ruger, Remington, Beretta, or Browning. As you may know clays shooters wear out their guns from the inside out so you want something made with quality parts, including the trigger group.

Edited because I can't spell Beretta even though I own one.

I've got one of the 12ga. IZH (Baikal) Model 27 Stack barrels and love it.  My only complaint is that the vented rib is slighty crooked on the breech end of the barrel.  However, it doesn't affect my shooting in the least, and could be easily fixed with a file.  Fit, function, and finish are very impressive for a $385 stack barrel that includes auto-ejectors, single selectable trigger, hammer-forged barrels and screw-in chokes.  The block to barrel fit is perfect.  I've seen the side by sides advertized and if they are equal in quality to the stack barrel models, they would be nice to have.  One weird feature is that the barrel selector is located within the trigger mechanism - you push the trigger forward to select the first-fire barrel instead of moving the safety to the side as on a Citori.  Colonial Arms offers several screw-in chokes for the IZH models as well.  I've seen steel shot tubes, Tin coated competion tubes, and extended ported ones in everything from XX-full to IC and everything in between.  The Baikals blow away the Stoeger's in terms of quality, options, and price.  You'll be getting a good quality shotgun for less than $400 with the quality and options that you'll only find on $800+ guns.  I'm seriously considering getting another stack barrel in 20ga. but I might go with the side by side after I've seen one.

IZH27 Info: www.eaacorp.com

IZH27 Screw-in chokes:  www.colonialarms.com/products/eaabaikal.htm

Quoted:
I've been thinking about getting one of the over/under shotguns made by IZH; I'd like to have a 12 gauge double with screw-in chokes to use for skeet.What is the quality like on these guns?  I'm not worried about having a the nicest wood and the prettiest metalwork, but I would like the thing to work reliably.  Are any of the other low cost imports worth a look? /quote]


Why not buy a used Beretta or Browning for the same amount of money? You claim to not worry about wood fit or quality, then a used gun with a ding or scratch or two should be no prob. The problem I ran into while trying to do what you ask is I had to pay to fix the !@#$%^! thing, parts are a SOB to find & you take a helluva beating on resale.
Going with a used Beretta or Browning, you're already close to what you'll get on resale.

My .o2

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I live in a modest house with an immodest array of guns.

Thanks, all.

I wouldn't mind a used shotgun but I haven't seen many over/unders in sub-$400 price range.  I'll have to take a look at the next gun show.

By the way, I'm not much of a skeet shooter; I wouldn't be putting more than 500 shells a year through the gun.

Have you looked at any of the traditions imported shotguns? They are made in Italy by Fausti. I have hunted with one that belongs to my uncle and it is a nice shooter. they don't have the fine details of a Browning Citori or Beretta but they are made well and shoot good too. I did get a grouse with this one and it is a 28ga sxs with single trigger.

www.traditionsfirearms.com/shotguns.html
this one looks good...

I've got an IZH-43 "Bounty Hunter" that I use every weekend for Cowboy Action Shooting and I have put over 1,000 rounds thru it with NO malfunctions.
I took it apart to "slick it up" and lighten the springs and now it is really "slick".
It's a wonderful, tough shotgun.

Maybe it is a perfectly good gun, but I would spend the extra money and get a Beretta or a Browning because they are extremely durable and always command some market value.  Off-brand guns would be tough to re-sell (if you haven't joined the "I-never-sell-a-gun-club" yet).