Before they were Remington Spartans, they were FIE Baikals. Same gun, different name and price. I've owned a few Baikals--currently have Sideby's in 12 and 16 Ga. The Russian guns have stocks cast off for a right-hand shooter, but I was able to have my 12 straightened up a bit since I'm a lefty. I've shot that gun, trouble-free, for at least two rounds of trap nearly every weekend for about 5 Summers now-not a lick of trouble. It's actually my shotgun of choice for about everything. If I were to do it over, I'd have bought one with 26 inch barrels instead of 28--personal preference. They made one in 24 inch, and my brother has one. The Stoegers look nice--fellow club members like them--but the only ones I've seen were short ones. A couple of years ago the Shooting Sportsman, a magazine dedicated to very pricey double shotguns, did an article on what was then the Baikal--they put thousands of rounds through a 20 ga, with no troubles at all. Must have been a chore for them to do, given that this publication focuses on guns that cost in the six-figure range--beyond the wildest dreams of most of us. One thing about Spartan/Stoeger--you'll have money enough left over, if you buy one, to pay for some ammo.
