"Almost as alluring as a Yugo that BSA XII."
That is a surprising remark coming from a gunsmith. We are obviously judging things from different points of view and apply different criteria.
Baker managed to make an action that can be made from flat stock, uses one single coil spring to power tumbler, trigger and give a rebounding action, and employs a safety bent to prevent accidental discharge.
In this you see a Yugo, I see genius. Doing more with less is an engineering ideal, or so I have read.
He is the same Baker that gave us the Lancaster 12/20, the Baker ejector, and numerous other patents that were employed by the big names without much recognition being given to the inventor.
Interesting that the Lancaster 12/20 comes from the same brain as the shotgun equivalent of the Yugo!
Yes, you are correct, different points of view and criteria.
Wonderful that he could do all that with a single coil spring but who cares really? It is just a machine made, ugly single shot gun designed so the least amount of overhead is incurred during the manufacturing process. No thought of fit, finish, balance or aesthetics. A Yugo of shotgun, goes bang for minimal investment but beyond that you really cannot say much for it. Certainly no skill was required on the part of the gunmaker.
Different viewpoints and criteria indeed.
