Considering the fact that imported hunting weapons today cost a lot of money, and, moreover, are not always adapted to our climatic and weather conditions, hunters are increasingly turning their attention to products of domestic manufacturers. Moreover, recently a considerable number of quite worthy Russian developments have appeared on the market, deserving close attention. One of them, undoubtedly, is the Bekas hunting rifle and its modifications. What is this weapon, what are its distinctive features, advantages and disadvantages?
History of creation
Initially, the Bekas gun was developed at the Vyatko-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant chambered for a 16-gauge cartridge. The first pump-action model, which went on sale in 1997, was called “Bekas-16”. Like any pump-action shotgun, the new model was received, if not with hostility, then rather coolly by domestic hunting enthusiasts.
At the turn of the century, some changes were made to the design of the product. The concept of the model range itself has also undergone modification. In 2001, the Bekas 12 M multi-shot shotgun (for 12 gauge) appeared. In addition, one of the latest modifications of this family of hunting weapons was the Bekas-M auto version, in which automatic reloading replaced manual pump-action reloading. Almost the same samples, without any fundamental changes, are presented today. The main modifications of the Bekas, which will be discussed below, are presented on the market today. At the moment, the latest development is the VPO-201M modernized Bekas 12 Auto.
Various modifications of hunting rifles of the Bekas series and their characteristics
The production of Bekas hunting rifles is based on a modular principle. In this regard, the necessary modification can be easily made from the basic model of a pump-action shotgun. To do this, just change the required module or several modules. For example, if you need to turn a hunting modification of the Bekas-Auto into a gun for self-defense, which can be used as a powerful analogue of a pistol, it is enough to install a short barrel and remove the butt of the Bekas gun. Here is a list of the main parts of the Bekas gun, by changing which you can turn the gun into a completely new modification:
- The butt of a classic type gun. Having lost the weapon stock, the gun will become more convenient for shooting in confined spaces;
- Pistol grip;
- A line of interchangeable barrels of different calibers and lengths. The caliber can be either 16 or 12. Moreover, 12 gauge can also be chambered for Magnum cartridges. The length of gun barrels can be from 535 to 750 mm.
Despite these nuances, there are factory modifications that differ slightly from each other.
Specifications
Structurally, the Bekas family is a classic pump-action shotgun, in which reloading is carried out manually by moving a movable forend sliding along the tube of the under-barrel magazine. An exception is the Bekas 12 M auto shotgun, where a slightly different reloading concept is used due to the removal of the bolt by powder gases.
Shotguns produced under this brand are distinguished by the following main characteristics:
- smooth barrel without rifling;
- versatility of the ammunition used (shot, buckshot, bullet);
- high working resource reserve (up to 5,000-10,000 shots);
- reliable system of protection against accidental shooting;
- interchangeability of individual components.
The receiver is made of high-strength aluminum alloys, but the remaining parts - the butt, the upper part of the gun stock - are made of wood. This gives the weapon a certain heaviness necessary for a stabilized position when aiming and firing. However, he plans to create modifications in which wood will be replaced with plastic.
Shotgun "Bekas - 12M auto": description and review
Many hunters, after owning a gun with break-away and flip-up barrels, think about replacing it or buying it as a second gun - a self-loading semi-automatic device. Their choice is simply huge now. Almost all famous foreign arms companies are currently represented on our market.
They produce, undoubtedly, high-quality weapons in all aspects, but they have one, sometimes decisive, drawback - the high price. The cost of the cheapest foreign p/a starts somewhere around forty thousand rubles. Even knowing about their exceptional adaptability, high-quality assembly and combat, the hunter simply cannot afford to buy it. And sometimes they can be very capricious in terms of operation: their flawless operation, just like domestic ones, is negatively affected by dust, forest and field debris, transportation conditions, etc.
Considering all of the above, many hunters still trust the domestic manufacturer, buying automatic rifles designed and assembled in our country.
One of these options is the self-loading Bekas-12M car, produced in the city of Vyatskie Polyany (Kirov region) at.
Characteristics and equipment
1
This model belongs to the group of gas-operated guns; the operation of the automation is based on the use of the energy of powder gases. Currently, the plant produces several modifications of the Bekas, but the most popular is the one with a barrel length of 750 mm.
Main technical characteristics:
caliber -12, barrel length -750 mm, chamber length -70 mm, magazine capacity - 3 cartridges, + 1 in the barrel, weight -3.6 kg, permissible gas pressure no more than - 70 MPa.
This gun is equipped with three interchangeable choke tubes: a cylinder, a choke and a choke; it also comes with a spare parts kit consisting of a key and a drift.
2
Externally, the gun looks satisfactory; annoying shortcomings do not allow us to give a higher rating: the fit of the stock to the receiver leaves much to be desired, the forend does not fit tightly, and sometimes there is a shatter. The bluing of the barrel was done perfectly, what prevented it from being done on the box is also unknown - it comes off in places over time, well, this is of course a disease of many domestic guns.
The weight distribution is not very successful, but not critical, but many people like the adaptability.
If before purchasing a self-loading gun you owned a “vertical” or “horizontal” gun, then at first it will not be familiar. But it should be noted that addiction occurs quickly, the only thing is that the long barrel will distract for some time.
The cartridges are used in both factory and home equipment. In the latter case, you should be very careful about the quality of ammunition. Any discrepancy between the cartridge case shape will lead to weapon failure. The operation of the automatic when firing factory cartridges, as a rule, does not cause any complaints. The reason for its failure is rarely a manufacturing defect; most often the culprit is poor-quality cartridges, debris getting into the receiver, or the cartridge cutter flag spontaneously turning a few degrees. In general, hunters note that the automation is reliable.
The cartridges are used with 32g, 34g and 36g shot loads. It is not recommended to use a semi-magnum, although some experts claim that in this ammunition the powder gases do not develop pressure in the barrels above the permissible level. This may be true, but most likely they will significantly shorten the life of the gun. Such cartridges can be used only in certain cases, for example, on responsible hunts.
The combat is excellent, the recoil is not very high, the automatically adjustable gas outlet and the cut-off of powder gases have a positive effect on the sharpness of the gun's combat.
As mentioned above, it is equipped with a very useful device - a cartridge cutter. Thanks to it, if necessary, you can easily and quickly replace one cartridge with another. Although it is worth admitting that the flag is not very well positioned and over time it turns easily. Hunters note that while walking, the cutter sometimes moves and if this is not noticed in time, after the first shot the second cartridge fed to the tray will jam.
Also on the receiver there are standard four grooves, two on both sides, for attaching a bracket for optics.
Disassembling the gun
It's quite simple to do. For partial disassembly, you will need a key and a drift, and for complete disassembly, you will also need a slotted screwdriver.
3
It is advisable to carry out partial cleaning immediately after the end of the hunt.
When starting disassembly, read the instructions, pay attention to the paragraphs in large font and make sure that it is unloaded
4 (incomplete)
We remove powder carbon deposits from all removed parts and lubricate them; we do not disassemble the trigger mechanism, we just clean it of debris with a brush and lubricate it.
Complete cleaning is carried out in the event of the end of the hunting season, if it gets caught in the rain or falls.
5 (full)
Someone will notice that the disassembly of the gun is not complete. Yes, indeed the trigger mechanism is not disassembled, but this does not need to be done. The trigger is a complex mechanism for a simple hunter, in addition, it is a very important part of the gun, so you shouldn’t touch it unless necessary; it’s quite enough to just clean it as necessary (with a brush) from debris and lubricate it.
A short review
I became the owner of “Bekas-12M auto” RS-12M.00.00-02 in 2006, before that I hunted with IZH-27 12 cal. After a small and light IZh, it was unusual at first, but after about a month everything fell into place. It is easy to use, the action is good, and the shot pattern is even. When shooting from a distance of 50 m, the bullets go down (at seven o'clock) by 5-7 cm.
6
Failures in the automation occurred in two cases: when using low-quality cartridges, for some reason he disliked the “Fetter”, and if self-loading ammunition was used. Of course, it is very convenient to be able to fire 3-4 shots in a row when duck or goose hunting.
Among the shortcomings, I note that in the forest what causes inconvenience is not the ability to silently and quickly replace one cartridge with another. Well, when passing through a dense forest or thicket, a long trunk requires attention.
Generally speaking, I’m happy with the gun, and I’ve already gotten used to it.
I present to your attention a video clip, which is an advertising brochure for the plant.
Design features
But, perhaps, the main difference between the family of hunting weapons developed by NPO Molot is the use of a modular principle, which is quite uncharacteristic for domestic manufacturers. The simple and relatively inexpensive Bekas gun can easily be transformed into almost an automatic rifle! This is achieved by the interchangeability of individual structural elements.
That is, having a certain “base block” in your hands, thanks to interchangeable barrels, magazines and some other parts, you can increase or decrease both the destructive power of the weapon and its firing range, recoil characteristics, and many other parameters.
Among professional hunters, it is believed that the 16-gauge cartridge has insufficient power, which significantly limits the versatility of its use. "Bekas 16", which has a serious firing range, relatively low recoil and accuracy, quite successfully refutes this stereotype. At this time, the production of shotguns with 16 gauge has been completed, and Bekas shotguns are produced only in 12 gauge.
The process of disassembling and assembling Bekas pump-action shotguns
Disassembly of the Bekas pump-action shotgun occurs according to the following scheme:
- First you need to unload your weapon. To do this, you first need to press a special lever, which is located above the trigger, after which you need to move the forend back and remove the cartridge from the chamber;
- After removing the cartridge, you need to move the elevator inside the receiver of the gun, while the forend must be moved as far back as possible and empty the magazine of cartridges;
- After carrying out the procedure for discharging a pump-action shotgun, it is necessary to carry out a control release of the trigger. In this case, the barrel of the weapon must be directed upward;
- The next step is to remove the barrel coupling. To do this, you need to unscrew the figured nut on the coupling;
- Next, the forend is pulled back to separate the cylinder from the breech. After this, the barrel is removed;
- The impact mechanism is removed from the receiver and the rod lock from the bolt frame;
- Next you need to get the bolt frame itself;
- At the last stage of disassembly, the forend is removed and the bolt is taken out.
Assembling the weapon occurs in strictly reverse order. If you violate the algorithm, it is unlikely that you will be able to assemble the gun.
Pump-action shotguns have long gained popularity among those hunters who prefer to use pump-action shotguns for hunting. They note the accuracy and sharpness of the combat of this weapon, its “omnivorousness” in relation to ammunition of various calibers, but at the same time they complain about the strong recoil of 12-gauge shotguns. Judging by sales on the secondary market, the guns are more popular than Izhevsk pump-action shotguns, since they go on sale much less often.
Advantages and disadvantages
As mentioned above, the Bekas pump-action or automatic shotgun has a number of advantages:
- ability to work in extreme temperature conditions (-30...+50°C);
- immunity to excess moisture or desert heat;
- interchangeability of main components and elements of the “transformer” type;
- work with any type of charge (shot, buckshot, bullet);
- reliability and durability.
It would seem - the ideal weapon for any hunter!
However, almost any version of this family is accompanied by certain disadvantages:
- any Snipe gun has significant weight for a take-off shot;
- loud sound of cocking and reloading (which is a disadvantage of all pump-action and automatic shotguns);
- the pistol grip (replaceable) is not ergonomic enough;
- a stock that is not suitable for every hunter;
- there are production flaws;
Dimensions could also be added to this, but this family of hunting rifles allows you to transport any of them in a compact state.
Hunting with "Snipe"
Since our article does not promote any particular brand, we are based on reviews from real hunters. In this section, we are interested in how you can use a Bekas auto gun, or a modified armor of the same series, on regular hunting.
As research and experiments have shown, the Bekas family of shotguns has proven itself quite worthy in almost any type of hunting. Duck, goose, hare and even wild boar - all you have to do is choose the cartridge!
Thanks to the modular design discussed above, any weapon model can quickly transform into a hunting weapon, a weapon for self-defense, or even a “sniper” weapon! What is the reason for this diversity?
Firstly, versatility. Depending on the configuration and ammunition, even a relatively weak version of a 16-gauge shotgun cartridge with a “Snipe” shot will allow an experienced hunter to achieve his goal!
Secondly, the rate of fire. Obviously, 3 or even 6 rounds of ammunition in the “under-barrel magazine” provide a much higher rate of fire. However, this is where you need to understand the modifications!
Shotguns of the Bekas VPO-201 series
The new Bekas VPO-201 shotguns have a gas unit, which greatly simplifies reloading the weapon. The Bekas VPO-201M modification has a new design gas unit installed. Its difference from a standard gas unit is the use of a piston without adjustment, which increased the reliability of this unit and the shotgun as a whole. Snipe VPO-201 is designed to fire 12x76 Magnum cartridges. Shotguns with a 76 mm chamber length allow the use of shorter 70 mm cartridges.
Bekas-201M is a pump-action shotgun, which is made in a classic style using wood. As a rule, this is a nut. The butt of the gun is anatomically shaped, and the receiver has a Weaver rail, on which you can install a wide range of sights, ranging from simple optical sights to night sights.
The new Bekas-201M comes complete with two barrels of different lengths. The short barrel is intended for bullet shooting, and the long barrel is intended for shot shooting. Since the use of the new gas assembly allows the use of magazine extensions, 3- and 6-round extensions are included.
