New Russian Break-Open .357 Mag

[jimmy]

I gather that Baikal is the trade name used by the Izhevsk Mechanical Works. FWIW, I have a Nagant revolver made by them in 1944. Fifty-seven years old and still smokin'!

 

[Kernel]

Da! Russian guns built strong... like tractor.

-- Kernel

 

[PreserveFreedom]

Seems that a polymer wheelgun would be nice and cool to the touch in a hot car.

 

[Salt]

I hope that H&R or some other American gun manufacturer would get around to making a decent top-break revolver.

It would be nice too if the Bush administration would allow these Baikal top-break revolvers to be imported.

 

[RogerC]

I bet 4 or 5 boxes of 158 grain full power loads would knock it out of whack. Top break design cannot be as strong as full frame around the cylinder.

I hope Ivan offers a decent warranty.

 

[444]

Very nice looking. I would like to see one in person. I own a Baikal Makarov and have seen several of their shotguns. I also own a top break revolver; Webley Mk V.

I wonder if a polymer revolver would catch on. Revolver shooters seem to be the type that like steel and wood. At least I do.

 

[C.R.Sam]

Been about nine months since it was shown......suprised there hasn't been more info coming down the line.

Sam

 

[Jack O'Neal]

I'm not scared of a little beating but 200 grain full house handloads need some steel around them to keep things tame. They are lively from my 4" 686 S&W but managable. I just like my trucks and guns made out of steel ( '84 Chevy K-10 4x4 with a massive whinch bumper) Just my op.

 

[Hemicuda]

Deakon G...

I take that DARE...

Dan Wesson

There, I named one...

wanna go for 2? Thompson-Center...

3???

High-Standard...

would you like me to go on with naming AMERICAN handgun manufacturers not making plastic handguns?

Savage... (Stryker) that's 4! and I have yet to work up a sweat!

 

[Meowhead]

What was the last American break-open revolver made? I can't think of any (except .22s, maybe anemic .32s) past the S&W Schofield. Anyway, I think the field of metallurgy might've seen some advances since then. The design just might be viable for modern, more powerful cartridges.

Now I want someone to make a Schofield clone - with the Russian 'saw-handle' grip frame and trigger - in .45LC..

 

[striderteen]

Sweeeet...I'll get one for my twenty-first birthday if I have to move to Russia for it!

 

[gumshoe4]

I want one. I like topbreak revolvers.

Can you imagine this with a 3" barrel chambered in .44 Special or .45 ACP? It'd be a modern Webley!!!

Hey, say what you will, but at least the Russians are trying something different. When was the last innovative revolver design to come out of American gun manufacturers?

Bob

 

[C.R.Sam]

What was the last American break-open revolver made?

Don't know but do know that the Iver Johnson safety hammerless (break top) was made untill 1950 in .38 S&W.

Sam

 

[warhammer357]

evolution

The reason you don't see much "revolution' in wheelgun designs is because of EVOLUTION. The modern revolver is pretty much darn near perfect. Reliable, durable, accurate, superior to other guns in so many ways, why would it evolve? Take a long barrelled 629 and load it with 180 grain ammo. You have ballistics aproaching deer rifle status in a safer, faster and more versatile package.
Take the real needs of a basic self defense piece. Speed, power and accuracy. What is quicker into action and more final than a big bore snubby?
Firepower? When the high cap nines failed in Miami, Agent Morales ended the fight with a revolver and a shotgun.
Innovations that would make the revolver more technically complex would rob it of reliability. Therefore, as we have seen over the past couple of years the main changes have been metalurgical and in capacity. Thats about it. The modern revolver evolved over a century into the ultimate in dependable, safe, field proven life saving equipment.
Top breaks had one advantage only, simultaneious ejection. Trust me, had they been an improvement they, and not side ejectors would have been the mainstay for the past century. There is a very good reason that the basic design of the revolver has only changed cosmetically over the past 100 years. It didn't need to be improved.

 

[Arcadian62]

Been about nine months since it was shown......suprised there hasn't been more info coming down the line.

I don't know what the original G & A article contained, but here is another source of info I stumbled upon:
http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg49-e.htm

Think about this for a second. If a polymer frame revolver was do-able, don'tcha think S&*, Colt or Taurus would have at least done one in .22LR by now?

Well, with a little revision, I bet this sounded familiar (before H & K and then Glock) at one time:

"Think about this for a second. If a polymer frame pistol was do-able, don'tcha think rest of the industry would have at least done one in 9mm by now? "

O.K., so it might not be the best idea, but at least it's a breath of fresh air like many in this thread have mentioned.

...we'd find a relatively conventional steel frame beneath that polymer, probably with a Dan-Wessonesque single attachment point for the grips.

From the link, at 0.9 kg (~ 32 oz.), it kinda looks that way.