Baikal IZh-18
- Category
- Shotgun
- Barrel
- 730 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.60 kg
- Introduced
- 1964
About
What it is, and why it matters
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.
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.
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.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Baikal (Izhevsk Mechanical Plant)
- Category
- Shotgun
- Country
- Russia
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1964
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 730 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.60 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Break action
- Firing mechanism
- Internal hammer
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 1
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 40 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Takedown
Chrome lined bore
Cocking indicator
Extractor
Single barrel
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 622 12 Gauge shotguns | 2.60 kg | 3.29 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 650 12 Gauge shotguns | 730 mm | 711 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 647 12 Gauge shotguns | 1 | 3 | Among the smallest capacities |
Answers
Questions about the Baikal IZh-18
How much does the Baikal IZh-18 weigh?
The Baikal IZh-18 weighs 2.60 kg (5.73 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Baikal IZh-18?
The Baikal IZh-18 is chambered in 12 Gauge, 16 Gauge, 20 Gauge, and .410 Bore.
How many rounds does the Baikal IZh-18 hold?
The Baikal IZh-18 holds 1 rounds.
How long is the Baikal IZh-18?
The Baikal IZh-18 has a 730 mm (28.7 in) barrel.
Who makes the Baikal IZh-18?
The Baikal IZh-18 is made by Baikal (Izhevsk Mechanical Plant) (Russia).
When was the Baikal IZh-18 introduced?
The Baikal IZh-18 was introduced in 1964.
How does the Baikal IZh-18 operate?
The Baikal IZh-18 uses a break action, and its firing mechanism is internal hammer.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Russian civilian hunters
- 1964
Provenance
Confidence in this record
62%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/baikal-izh-18' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "baikal-izh-18", "name": "Baikal IZh-18", "manufacturer": { "id": "baikal", "name": "Baikal (Izhevsk Mechanical Plant)", "countryCode": "RU", "foundedYear": 1942, "website": "https://baikalinc.ru", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:42", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:40", "version": "61dc96f12f8cfe1b00c6e617c85af74517fd02103102194d8bdf3970f8b70294" }, "category": { "id": "shotgun", "name": "Shotgun", "description": "Smoothbore firearms designed to fire shot or slugs" }, "country_of_origin": "RU", "year_introduced": 1964, "barrel_length_mm": 730, "weight_empty_g": 2600, "action_type": "break_action"}