From an e-mail that I received from a friend in the UK on the Baikal double rifles - the gentleman is a leading dealer of fine guns and has a collection of black powder express rifles to die for.

The Russian firm of Baikal are making a double rifle on their side-by-side boxlock shotgun frame. It`s imporeted into the USA by EAA ( European American Armory ) as the model MP221. The rifle is available in .306 Win, 30-06 Springfield, .270 Win, .223 Rem and 45-70 Govt ( .270 or 30-06 would be my choice. )The best price I can find for it is $454.54 with a beech stock and $556.16 with a much more handsome walnut stock. The same rifle is also imported by Remington ( along with several other shotguns and rifles by Baikal ) as the SPR22 under their `Spartan Gunworks` label. Remingtons` MSRP is $559 but they only have it available in 30-06 and 45-70 - and with the beech woodwork only. Baikals are not the prettiest guns around ( `though there finishing has improved dramatically in recent years ) but they are extremely reliable and as `tough as old boots`. ( An acquaintance once tried to dispose of an old and tatty Baikal 12 bore single barrel by putting a 20 bore cartridge up the tube and loading a 12 bore cartridge behind it. He connected a long piece of string to the trigger, retired to a safe distance and pulled - the gun fired both cartridges and spat the 20 bore out of the barrel with no damage to the gun whatsoever - even the ( full ) choke stayed as new.) He had to cut the thing up with a hacksaw to dispose of it.

Good hunting!