Even though the Cold War was starting to thaw while I was growing up, I never thought I'd see the day when an American firearms icon such as Remington imported Russian-made firearms. But Remington (Dept. ST, 870 Remington Dr., Madison, NC 27025; 800-243-9700; www.remington.com) announced last year its new and very affordable line of guns called "Spartan" made by Baikal in Russia.

There are several advantages to an arrangement like this. Most obvious is the opportunity for Remington to reach the entry-level firearms owner who either isn't ready to make a Remington-size financial commitment or who simply can't afford to own a more expensive rifle or shotgun. According to Linda Powell, Remington's press relations manager, despite the low Spartan price tags Remington will continue to offer American-made value-priced guns such as the Model 710. The Spartan line simply complements that end of the spectrum by letting Americans put a well-made, brand-name gun in their hands at the lowest price possible.

(Left) A ventilated recoil pad helps to take the bite out of 3-inch and magnum loads. (Right) A full complement of choke tubes comes with the SPR310.

Another thing the Spartan line does is provide Remington with a production component able to respond more immediately to market demands or to float new concepts to American shooters without the kind of money and time it takes to tool up over here and put a new gun into production. For example, if Biathlon suddenly becomes popular with Americans, Spartan could theoretically get a straight-pull .22-caliber rifle on the market quickly and hold that market for Remington while the U.S. factory tools up.

SPECIFICATIONS Spartan Gunworks Model SPR310 Sporting 20-gauge Over-Under Shotgun
Importer:	Remington Arms
Model:	SPR310 Sporting
Operation:	Over-Under Shotgun
Gauge:	20
Barrel Length:	28.5 inches
Overall Length:	46 inches
Weight:	7.5 pounds
Safety:	Automatic tang safety
Sights:	Vent rib with red plastic front sight and gold mid-rib bead
Stock:	Oil-finished walnut
Finish:	Blued steel barrels, nickeled receiver
Price:	$615

But why Baikal, especially since it seems that every other importer in the country is looking to Turkey as their source for value-priced guns, specifically shotguns? Baikal should be a well-known name to most readers. Baikal has had its share of importers, and with each change in importer, the quality of its guns has improved. The greatest improvements came when European American Armory (EAA) imported Baikals beginning in the mid-1990s.

Early guns showed some of the indifference to detail Russian gunmakers were known for, and the wood lacked much in the way of quality. Early Baikal guns were rugged but were wanting in engineering finesse. EAA turned that around, and though a Baikal-made gun will never compete in a beauty contest against a Faberge egg, they've come a long way cosmetically. Mechanically, there was also considerable improvement, with some EAA guns even offering advanced features such as quick-removable trigger groups. That continuous product improvement was probably no small part of choosing Baikal.

As of this writing, a complete line of Remington Spartan shotguns is available, and rifles are promised for the near future. Early samples of those rifles have been break-open single shots, double rifles, and combination guns in a variety of calibers. Shotguns include single-barrel break-opens, side-by-sides, and outside-hammer doubles for cowboy action shooting. Various models of double-barrel shotguns are available with single or double triggers, and a broad range of gauges (including 16, 28, and .410) and calibers are offered.