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Value of Russian MU-8 or MTs-08 1960s O/U with 2 barrels?

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8K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  oyeme  
T
#1 ·
Value of Russian 12g MU-8 or MTs-08 1960s O/U with 2 barrels?

Coming up for sale, but don't recall having ever seen one sold, has skeet barresl with tula flares and trap barrel with fixed chokes.

Wood is quite plain, and this gun appears well looked after.

As far as I can tell this is the model that once the small take down latch is unhooked, you strike the breech area with the heel of your hand to take the barrels off, forearm doesn't move away from the knuckle.

Have only ever seen a couple on the ranges and they were rumoured to be the same as the guns the Russian Olympic shooters used back in the day.

Any ideas on value, or even a link to one for sale?

Thanks

Below is a pic from a shotgunworld contributer Aresam in Norway which shows a fairly similar gun (thanks for the pic!)

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#2 ·
The Standard Catalog of Firearms lists the Model MC-8-0, which I believe is essentially the same as the MU-8, as valued at US$1,250.- (Exc.) and US$2,000.- (NIB). Those values seem low considering its the same model used by the USSR's Petrov in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Check the international online auctions for current real-life prices being PAID for the same model in like condition. I suspect that very few were sold in the States.

The MC-8-0, while not a bespoke gun, was certainly a very well made, limited production competition grade O/U. Back in 1972, Frankonia Jagd offered the MC-8-0 as the Model Krim at a price of DM1.385,-. An extra set of barrels could be had for an additional DM600,-. Due to the very high import duties imposed on imports from most Soviet Bloc countries at the time, the price in the States would have been significantly higher. IIRC, the gold in the Skeet event at the 1970 ISSF World Shoot in Phoenix was won with the MC-8-0.The skeet versions came standard with Tula chokes, trap versions were choked full and full.

DF

Montani Semper Liberi
 
T
#3 ·
Thanks DF, good info. Values may be about right, they are not well known guns and they are a bit of an orphan as far as parts go. Couldn't find any for sale/or sold anywhere on the net, but heres some info on Petrov the Russian skeet shooter, those tula flares didn't do his scores any harm!
Thanks

One of the finest performances at Phoenix came from Evgeny Petrov of the U.S.S.R., who scored a world record in international skeet by knocking down 200 pigeons out of 200. In 1968 he took the Olympic gold medal with a score of 198-the first time that international skeet had been shot at any Olympics. International differs from U.S. skeet mainly in the delayed release of the target after the "pull" order (up to three seconds), a longer distance for the target to be thrown (71 yards, as opposed to 55 in the U.S.) and the fact that the competitor must keep the gun butt at his hip until the target appears.

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B
#5 ·
There were a few around the UK in the early 70's. Joe Neville, probably our best olympic skeet shot to date used one for a number of years and I believe set the record for 200/200 under the new ISU ( Olympic) skeet rules with it. At the time, the way the tula chokes broke clays was far superior to anything else around, bearing in mind the cartridges available at the time. There was one being sold late last year near York for around £600. This was the skeet model and I later regretted not buying it, as it is one of those guns which were a bit of a legend when I first started out. I remember seeing the Russian ISU Skeet team using them around 1973/4 at Blandford and Dorchester GC ( now Southern Counties) and each shooter had a different cartridge for each stand. Their coach would get in a bit of a pickle if the shooter had a misfire and would rush in with another cartridge to replace it.
 
T
#6 ·
Bought the gun in the weekend, price was okay. Slight rust in places meant it had to be stripped to check, not too bad under wood.

There is no stock bolt retaining the frame, and 2 of the chromed butt/forearm screws are false, identifiable by the shallow screw slot. Inside is certainly well made, simple and easy to work on, but as the pics show there is no high polish and inletting is serviceable rather than elegant. Spare parts as pictured came with the gun, trigger and mainsprings can be removed with finger pressure only, no tools required, but bottom plate has to be removed with screw drivers.

Took it for a shot, triggers are very nice (being a simple non selective mechanical system means a minimum of extra parts) crisp 2.5lb. I felt the extractors didn't lift the cases quite high enough for easy removeal when compared with my Browning skeet, where the ejectors hold the case out a bit more.

Shooting with the tula choked skeet barrel was a joy, broke a lazy 25 gun down first time up, and on at least 2 targets I felt I should have missed, but it still broke ther target, and recoil seemed less than my Browning, but I haven't shot for a month so sometimes your mind can play tricks about that sort of thing.

Over to the DTL for 25, and put the Trap barrels on, bottom .043" constriction, top .048"!, missed one, the others were powder, seemed very easy to use.

Verdict: Should have bought one years ago!!

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R
#7 ·
The value of a gun basically depends on 2 factors: how much is someone willing to pay for it and how much is the one who has it willing to let it go for? Personally, I think these guns are priceless - they were created as the "perfect" gun for the Soviet Olympic teams and made for just a few short years. The most authoritative article I've seen on them is here: http://www.clayshootingusa.com/html/arc ... 20Star.pdf
 
R
#8 ·
doppelflinten said:
IIRC, a few MC-8-0/MU-8's were imported by a Canadian firm and sold on the Canadian market. Perhaps one of our Northern friends may know the name of the importer. Maybe some spare parts are gathering dust in the importer's stock room.

DF

Montani Semper Liberi
Click to expand...
I don't remember the importers name, but not very many came in AFAIK. 2 skeet guns came into Manitoba, I have one. I did see a trap gun. They are built well, a real bear to take apart. I had a tough time removing the auto safety. I remember once after shooting the fellows in my squad were laughing, I had to ask why. "you shot behind the target and still hit it". I wasn't very good. It works best with old style fiber wads. The chokes will get a good layer of burnt plastic, which is a real bear to remove.
 
#9 ·
That "Tula" skeet choke was also used with great effect on the IAB Record and C300 O/U's.
I never had an opportunity to measure the bores and chokes of either the MC-8-0 or the IAB but, its my understanding that both employed a jug choke with a flare at the muzzle. The MC-8-0 won Olympic gold and the C300 amassed a staggering number of European medals. Strangely, IAB abandoned shotguns to produce Sharps rifle replicas, then went out of business.

Since the MC-8-0 has a fixed forearm, what is the proceedure to separate the barrels from the frame?

DF

Montani Semper Liberi
 
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