Baikal MP-156

About the Baikal MP-156

The Baikal MP-156 is an inertia-operated semi-automatic shotgun chambered in 12 gauge with a 76mm (3-inch) Magnum chamber, produced by the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant under the Baikal brand. Introduced in 2017 as the company's first inertia-driven design, it shares its receiver, stock, trigger group, barrel and bolt with the gas-operated MP-155, differing chiefly in its recoil-driven inertia module. It feeds from a tubular magazine holding four shells and is marketed as an affordable hunting and sporting shotgun capable of cycling standard and Magnum loads.

The MP-156 was Baikal's first attempt at an inertia-operated semi-automatic shotgun, sharing the majority of its parts with the gas-operated MP-155 to keep the design affordable for the hunting market.

Baikal MP-156 specifications

The inertia module is mounted where the MP-155 places its gas piston rather than inside the bolt as on conventional inertia shotguns. Early production lots suffered high defect rates; reliability was substantially improved by 2019. The owner's manual specifies a minimum 32-gram shot charge for cycling and recommends break-in with heavier high-velocity loads.