Report from Australia on the Biathlon Basic

Last year we did a quick field test of the Izmash Biathlon Basic. You can read the report in the Daily Bulletin Archives, or on the main website. We concluded that the gun was a true bargain. It will outshoot most rimfires in the price range, it has a smooth trigger, it comes with a built-in Weaver-style scope rail, and the toggle action is fun to use, if a little stiff at first. This writer concluded that the gun would be an nice short-range varminter.

Australian reader David from Canberra agrees that the Izhmash Biathlon makes a great varmint exterminator. Here is David’s report:

“We have [a Biathlon Basic] on our farm in NSW (near Sydney). It has given four years of faultless service in vermin control so far! We have two 5-round and two 10-round mags and have fitted it with a quality 4 x 44mm scope. The only problem I identify is that with lubricated Winchester sub-sonic ammunition a build-up of lubricant on the front lip of the mags can cause feed difficulities.

There is no one who has used this firearm who does not rate it as the most user-friendly and ‘marksman hero’-making rifle they have ever used. The rifle remains on the sighting plane while the action is cycled… [a quality we miss] from the now-prohibited self-loaders. [Editor’s note: most semi-automatic rifles, even rimfires, are now banned in Australia.]. The Izmash is a rugged, modern, good looking, easy to use, and UNFAILINGLY accurate … rimfire farm or target rifle that costs about $1200 in Australia. The CZ452 would be farm choice #2 (I reckon if you ask me)! You cannot do better than the Izhmash [considering] the low price in America of this Soviet-Legacy gem.”

The Biathlon Basic is offered by MTGuns, (805) 720-7720, for about $395.00 (call for current pricing and availability). The current U.S. distributor is Russian-American Armory, RAACFirearms.com, (877) 752-2894.