Single-barreled shotgun: description, device, firing range, photo

April 9, 2019
Weapons and ammunition
Natali Michaelis

On the territory of the Russian Federation, the classic version of a hunting weapon is a regular double-barreled shotgun with a vertical or horizontal barrel arrangement. Models such as IZH-27 and TOZ-34 have proven themselves only from the best side, which is why double-barreled weapons are so popular. However, in addition to double-barreled shotguns, some hunters also have single-barreled shotguns in their arsenal. What are these models and what characteristics do they have? Read on.

Description and history

Single-barreled hunting rifles have a rather rich and glorious history, which dates back to the middle of the last century. The greatest demand at that time was for samples of the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant IZH-5 and IZHK, as well as the 3K hammerless gun. To reload these models, you had to break the barrel and pull out the cartridge, which is not very convenient.

However, time passed and technology developed. Over time, such samples began to be improved with ejector mechanisms and automatic and semi-automatic reloading systems. Although this still did not save them from being ousted by their main competitor - double-barreled shotguns.

In addition to the ability to use two cartridges at once, double-barreled shotguns also had another undeniable advantage. The hunter could load two different cartridges at once and conduct aimed shooting at different distances. Do you urgently need to shoot at the birds in flight? We shoot with shot. Noticed a wild boar at a distance of 50 meters? We take aim and use a cartridge with a lead ball. Single-barrel models, unfortunately, could not boast of such a system.

1.5.4. Shot and buckshot range

In order for the game to be killed “cleanly”, the speed of the pellets at the moment of meeting the target should be about 230 m/s.
At such a speed, not only the tissues and bones of the animal are destroyed, but also a shock is caused, after which the game, losing consciousness, instantly falls and dies. At a speed of pellets of 190–200 m/s, the animal is only wounded and leaves or flies away like a wounded animal, and at a speed of less than 150 m/s the lethality comes to naught, since at a final speed of 80 m/s the shot penetrates only into the muscle tissue of the animal, but is unable to crush his bones. With this in mind, you should be aware of the shooting distance. Our modern smokeless powders give the shot an initial velocity of about 375 m/s. After leaving the barrel, the shot quickly loses speed and, as observations show, the destructive power of No. 9 is lost at a distance of about 20 m, No. 7 - 25 m, No. 5 - 30 m, No. 3 - 35 m, No. 1 - 40 m; for small buckshot (V) - 60 m ( Table 10

).
Therefore, with an ordinary standard cartridge, game can be reliably hit when shooting with small shot within a short shooting distance (up to 15–20 m); medium shot - within a medium distance (up to 30–40 m) and large shot - within a long distance (up to 40–55 m). However, it must be remembered ( Table 12
) that the maximum flight range of shot No. 9 is 200 m, No. 7 - 250, No. 5 - 300, No. 3 - 350, No. 1 - 400, No. 3/0 - 520, No. 5/0 - 600 m, and buckshot flies much further. The maximum flight range of different pellet numbers is easy to determine if you remember: their flight is approximately equal to the number of hundreds of meters that is the number of millimeters the diameter of an individual pellet has.

Depending on the weight, the final velocities of pellets, buckshot and bullets at the maximum range at the point of impact are proportional to their masses; they are close in absolute values and approximately correspond to the falling velocities when a shot is fired straight up. For shot they are 30–45, for buckshot – 45–50, and for round bullets with a diameter of 10 mm or more – 50–70 m/s. Small and medium shot at the indicated distances are low-hazard; large shot and buckshot are dangerous if they hit exposed parts of the body (especially the face, eyes); and bullets can cause concussion or injury to a person. In this regard, a projectile is dangerous when fired vertically, which should be remembered when such “harmless shooting”.

The use of low-quality shot and failure to comply with maximum shooting distances lead not only to massive misses and mutilation of game, but also to high lead consumption. This is important from an economic point of view, since scarce non-ferrous metal is wasted. However, what is even more significant is that lead shot that gets into the process of hunting, especially into water bodies, can cause poisoning of birds, fish and other animals. Waterfowl, swamp and other game swallow it whole, mistaking it for pebbles that facilitate the digestion process, or lead enters their body in dissolved form along with food. It is known that no toxic substance accumulates in the animal’s body as quickly as lead, and this obliges all hunters to take each shot very responsibly, because this is the only way to reduce the harm caused to wildlife.

Specifications

Despite the fact that a single-barreled shotgun is not the most popular type of weapon among modern hunters, there are still those who prefer to use them instead of double-barreled shotguns. Moreover, it is not always relevant to use multi-charged weapons for hunting.

So, if you look at the gun passport, you will see approximately the following technical characteristics of a single-barreled shotgun:

caliber – 12, 16, 20, 28, 32;
type – smoothbore gun;
barrel length - 575, 600, 625, 650, 675 millimeters;
number of cartridges - one;
weight – from 2.5 to 3.5 kilograms.

If you do not take into account the fact that single-barreled models can use only one cartridge at a time, then they even have an undeniable advantage over double-barreled guns - weight. After all, most models with two barrels weigh 3.5 kilograms or more, which is not very convenient, since the hunter will get tired faster while carrying such a weapon.

What type of action does your gun have?

When shooting a shotgun from a smoothbore shotgun on a hunt or on a shooting range, the shot will be effective if several conditions are met. Firstly, the sheaf of flying shot must cover the target, that is, the shot must be aimed (you must shoot at the right time and “where it needs to be”), secondly, the shot that hits the target must be capable of hitting it (killing game, splitting target, etc.). As you can see, in addition to shooting skills, posability and adaptability of the gun, the energy characteristics of the shot sheaf, its shape and the spatial arrangement of the pellets at the shooting distance are of utmost importance for reliable hitting of the target. Thus, we can define the hit of a gun as the ability to hit a chosen object when it is hit.

Unlike firing a bullet from a rifled barrel, a shot with a shot cartridge is characterized by the fact that each shell pellet that leaves the barrel flies towards the target along its own ballistic trajectory, which does not coincide with the trajectories of other pellets.
This phenomenon is somewhat similar to the scattering of billiard balls upon the first hit of a cue at the beginning of the game. As a result, the shot sheaf or its “picture” on the target—the shot sheaf—is characterized by great variability in all its parameters. The reason for this is non-standardized and high-tolerance barrels (their chambers, projectile inputs, channels and, especially, muzzle devices), as well as all, without exception, the constituent elements of shot cartridges and methods of equipping them. Here you also need to keep in mind the design features of the parts and mechanisms of the guns, for example the trigger, and the shooting conditions. Therefore, a shot sheaf fired, for example, from a Browning Gold Fusion 12 caliber self-loading shotgun with a bore diameter of 18.7–18.85 mm cannot be identical to the sheaf when fired with the same high-quality cartridge, but from a Fabarm Lion H 35 shotgun Titan with its Tribore Barrel System or from a shotgun designed by Benelli Armi with a bore diameter of 18.3 mm. A sheaf of shot will not necessarily have bad characteristics, but they will certainly be different. Therefore, a hunter’s knowledge of the basic performance indicators of his gun when using several stable shot (and slug) cartridges from well-known companies is a necessary condition for effective shooting while hunting. If you need to vary the combat performance, you can find other suitable cartridges or switch to creating a highly effective cartridge of your own making, as most experienced hunters do. Checking and assessing the impact of a shotgun is carried out using a 16-lobe target. The impact of
a shotgun, or rather, a “gun-cartridge” complex, is usually characterized using the following indicators: accuracy, accuracy, uniformity of scree, the degree of its condensation towards the center of the target, sharpness and consistency of the engagement . There are both qualitative and quantitative assessments of these indicators. For example, excellent accuracy, sharpness and constancy of the battle, a certain accuracy corresponding to the shooting conditions, and thickening of the scree towards the center are always highly valued. The uniformity of the scree, the absence of “windows” and failures are an indispensable condition for a good fight between a gun and a cartridge. Such a qualitative assessment of the combat of a shotgun is based on the conditions for reliable destruction of game, which were experimentally established at the beginning of the last century and confirmed by many years of hunting practice of several generations of hunters.

It is believed that the game hits cleanly and on the spot if 4-5 pellets, flying at a speed of at least 190-200 m/s, fall into its affected area, and their total kinetic energy turns out to be approximately equal to or slightly greater than the numerical value of the game’s mass. Then the mass of one pellet should be about 1/5000 of the mass of the game. Based on this, you can determine the required shot diameter for hunting specific types of game animals.

Since the end of the last century, first in Western Europe and then in Russia, somewhat modified and simplified rules for testing and evaluating the combat of smoothbore guns have increasingly begun to be used.
This was facilitated by the introduction of a 16-beat control target instead of the old 100-beat target, which was more suitable for in-depth studies. For in-depth research, a 100-section Zernov target is used.
On the other hand, it should be noted that even today many, even not very young hunters, do not attach sufficient importance to the combat of a gun, and do not check and evaluate it at all, or are satisfied with incidental shooting at “improvised” targets - scraps of plywood, cans, bottles, etc. Despite the fact that during a conversation you can almost always hear many stories from them regarding the number of ducks killed, objectively the combat of their guns remains unknown to the end for decades, its features are not taken into account during hunting, because of which some of the trophies are missing or, what is much worse, wounded animals are missed. The main reason for this state of affairs is the opinion or even the confidence of hunters that a “good” gun, and with a “good” cartridge, should provide a good fight. However, due to the action of the above factors of a shotgun shot, the combat of the “gun-cartridge” complex remains little predictable, requiring testing by practice - test shooting.

Before we begin to outline the simplest and most accessible test firing procedure for all gun owners, it is necessary to clarify two or three basic terms. The means for hitting a target when firing from a smoothbore gun is a shot shell, which is a collection of pellets placed in a cartridge case. In addition to shot, hunting shells also include buckshot and bullets. Depending on the parameters of the muzzle device of the barrel and the design of the wad - container, when fired, in the first 100-150 cm from the muzzle, the shot shell begins to dissipate and then turns into a shot sheaf. Thus, we can define a sheaf of pellets as the distribution of pellets in space during their free flight along ballistic trajectories. The shape and size of a shot sheaf at different flight ranges depend mainly on the effect of the muzzle device of the barrel on the projectile, the influence of the powder gases flowing from the barrel on it and the aerodynamic flight conditions of each individual pellet in the sheaf. As a result of the impact of the sheaf on a flat, perpendicularly located target, holes remain on it from the pellets that hit it. The special order of this distribution of pellets is usually called shot scattering. When checking the firing of a gun, it is the shot scree that carries the necessary information.

Test shooting is carried out subject to certain conditions:

distance, m…………………………………………………………….35 shooting position…………………………………sitting, from rest ambient air temperature, C° ………………+10-15 °C wind speed, m/s………………………no more than 2 control target…………………………… ………….16-lobe, typical number of series…………………………………………1 per 1 barrel number of cartridges in a series, pcs……………………….6 shot, No.………………………………………………………No. 7 or No. 3 cartridges…………………………………………………… …..standard shotguns

When checking the firing of a double-barreled shotgun, after a series of shots fired from one barrel, after the barrels have cooled to normal temperature, the same series is fired from the other barrel. Considering that the series includes 6 shots per barrel, you need to have 12 sheets of thick paper measuring 1.5 x 1.5 m and 15 standard, manufactured by a well-known company, cartridges with shot No. 7 (0 2.5 mm) or No. 3 (0 3.5 mm). The length of the cartridge case must necessarily correspond to the length of the gun chamber. Cartridges, in the amount of 15 pieces, are distributed as follows: 3 cartridges - for control testing and evaluation of their components, 12 cartridges - for test firing, one series of 6 shots for each barrel. This is done taking into account the fact that then, when processing the sighting sheets, one sheet with the lowest scree indicators in each series will be rejected. Thus, the average results are derived from five shots for each barrel.

To carry out a control check of cartridges, 3 of them are completely unloaded and all their elements are carefully inspected, and powder charges and shot shells are weighed with an accuracy of hundredths of a gram. The amount of pellets in each projectile is calculated, and pellets of inappropriate diameter, irregular shape, with fistulas, dents and other defects are selected from its number. The number of such pellets found in each projectile is recorded, since high quality pellets is considered to be one of the main conditions for obtaining an effective shot at a shooting distance of over 30 m. Any deviations of the pellet from the correct spherical shape lead to a rapid loss of density of the shot sheaf. It has been established that the presence of a gray oxide film on the surface of the shot reduces the accuracy of the shot by 10–15%. A mandatory procedure is to determine the actual size of the shot in these shells. This can be done using a normal caliber scale (measurement), designed to simultaneously measure 20 pellets. In the absence of a scale, the pellets are placed on the fold of the cardboard in one row, the length of which is carefully measured with a caliper and the resulting value is divided by 20. And the last thing about the fraction - if possible, you need to determine its specific gravity or the so-called “softness” or “hardness”. Currently, the indisputable advantage of hard shot, compared to soft shot, has been established in determining almost all characteristics of a gun’s combat.

Next, the cartridge case and plastic wad container of the cartridge are subjected to the same thorough inspection and measurements. Only after this can we have sufficient information about what we are shooting with. After all measurements, the components of these disassembled cartridges can later be used to equip other batches of hunting cartridges.

Before shooting, the bores must be wiped and grease removed. The channels of muzzle devices (replaceable or stationary) are wiped especially carefully until they are dry and clean. Then the necessary measurements of the diameters of the bores are made: first, 150–200 mm behind the chambers, then in front of their muzzle devices. The diameters and degree of narrowing of the muzzle devices of the barrels are also determined.

To determine the sharpness of a gun's strike, you need to prepare 12 small pieces of dry planed pine boards, each about 15×30 cm in size, 25–30 mm thick, preferably without knots, with the same wood texture. These boards are attached in any way, one behind each of the 12 sighting sheets of paper, opposite the drawn central aiming circles - the “apples” of these targets. The target and the board have the same serial number, which is applied with a felt-tip pen.

When everything is ready, test firing is carried out. The location for it can be a shooting range or shooting range, and during the open hunting season - any abandoned quarry, dam or other place that is convenient and safe for people and domestic animals. After shooting, all sighting sheets and plates are taken, tied and stored until such time as they can be slowly processed and the shooting parameters of the gun can be determined. To do this, you will need a felt-tip pen, a calculator, a pen and a ruler (or a block), 80–90 cm long. Three holes are made in the ruler or block: one for fixing, the other two for drawing two circles from the center of the scree of the sighting sheet - one with a radius of 37 .5 cm (external) and the second - 18.75 cm (internal). The resulting circle is divided into four parts, and each part of the outer ring is divided into three more equal parts. The control 16-part target is ready. To avoid drawing, you can make a template for such a target from thin plexiglass or rigid wire.

When processing sighting sheets, the first procedure is to determine the center of the shot scree on each of them. With sufficient accuracy for practical purposes, this can be done as follows. First, all holes located on the sheet area are counted and marked with a pen. Then, on the sighting sheet, 25% of the holes are counted from above, below, left and right and two horizontal and two vertical lines are drawn. The point of intersection of the diagonals inside the resulting rectangle will be the center of the shot scree. You can simply draw vertical and horizontal lines separating 50% of the hits. The point of their intersection will also indicate the center of the scree. When making approximate calculations, the center of the scree is sometimes determined by eye.

The shooting accuracy of each gun barrel is determined by the average deviation of the centers of shot showers of a series of shots from the aiming “point” - the center of the colored circle on the sheet.
The magnitude of this deviation is measured in all four directions and characterizes the accuracy of the barrel. According to the developed habit, I first check the accuracy of the battle by shooting bullets at a distance of 50 m, most often with sub-caliber bullets, for example, “Poleva-2” or “Poleva-3”, and then with shot in the general order. For a test shooting distance of 35, the normal average deviation of the scree center from the aiming point GOST 18406–79 sets the following standards (not more than) 15 cm up, 5 cm down, 7.5 cm to the left or right. The distance between the STP of barrels for double-barreled shotguns should not exceed 7.5–10 cm. An example of the distribution of shot scree over a 16-lobe target.
Each lobe indicates the number of pellets that hit it. Accuracy of combat. Accuracy of fire refers to the ability of a gun to deliver a certain number of projectile pellets at a standard distance to a control target of established sizes. In this case, the area of a target with a diameter of 750 mm is 4417.86 cm2. To determine accuracy, a circle with a radius of 37.5 cm is drawn from the center of the scree on the sighting sheet using a ruler with a hole, or a specially made transparent template of the control target is placed on the sheet. The accuracy indicator is expressed either by the number of pellets that hit the area of the control target, or by the percentage of the number of pellets that hit the target to the total number of pellets in the projectile. To some extent, the accuracy of a shotgun depends on the characteristics of the cartridge used, but mainly on the type of drilling of the barrels, the absolute value of the muzzle constriction, the shape and length of the transition from the bore to the narrowed part of the choke, the shape and length of the narrowed part itself, as well as the length of the barrel and some other characteristics. In this regard, it should be noted that knowing the degree of choke constriction does not yet give a complete answer to how tightly the gun will hit. This can only be established by checking his battle with control shooting.

In addition to absolute accuracy, it is sometimes more convenient to use the relative accuracy indicator, which compares the strike of the gun (barrel) being tested with the strike of a strictly cylindrical drill barrel, that is, it shows how many times the accuracy of this barrel will be greater than the minimum accuracy of the cylinder scree, which is considered equal to 30%. Relative accuracy is calculated using the formula:

CK = 3.34 * (n/N), where

Sk is an indicator of relative accuracy; n is the average number of hits on the control target from a series of shots; N is the number of pellets in a projectile of a given mass.

The relative grouping calculated using this formula can be in the range between 1.0 and 3.34, into which the groupings obtained from all types of existing table drills fit.

When assessing the impact of a shotgun, you need to know that high accuracy, equal to 80–90% and above, in itself is not an absolutely positive sign of shot flow, which contributes to achieving an effective shot while hunting. High accuracy reduces the size of the so-called lethal circle of a shot at a specific target and complicates shooting. Close-up combat is needed at long and close shooting distances during autumn waterfowl hunts, sometimes when tracking hare in frosty weather, for foxes, wolves and some other hunts. In summer-autumn hunts from under a pointer dog, with a self-top for ducks, in winter on small fur-bearing animals, on spring currents and drafts, too close shooting of a gun increases the number of misses or, conversely, when it hits the center of the scree, the game becomes unshowy and unusable. For these hunts, a combat accuracy of 45–60% is quite sufficient.

Shot uniformity is determined by comparing the largest number of hits on the control target with the smallest number of hits. The uniformity of the scree is determined separately for the outer ring of the target (12 lobes) and its inner circle (4 lobes). For example, if the share of the ring with the best result has 18 holes, and the share with the worst - 9, the indicator of scree uniformity in the ring will be (18:9) 2:1, etc. The largest indicator, therefore, will be the ratio 1:1 , but such uniformity does not occur often, especially in the target ring area. Therefore, up to 2.5:1 is considered an acceptable ratio. Lower indicators indicate an extremely uneven scree, in which concentrations of holes in some places alternate with the absence of hits in other parts of the target. It is also necessary to take into account that the nature of the uniform distribution of pellets over the target area may turn out to have little relationship with other indicators of the scree. It strongly depends on the quality of the muzzle devices of the barrel and the ratio of the masses of the powder charge and the shot shell in the cartridge used.

The degree of concentration of the scree towards the center of the target is determined by the ratio of the number of pellets that hit the inner circle of the target to the number of pellets that hit the outer ring. At the same time, to equalize the probability of a hit, it is necessary to multiply the number of pellets that fall into the circle by 3, since the outer ring of the target has an area 3 times larger than the circle. For example, if there are 70 pellets in the circle, and 182 in the ring, then the indicator of scree thickening towards the center will be equal to: 70?3=210; 210:182=1.15. It is generally accepted that shot fall at a combat check distance (35 m) has a good, normal distribution if the concentration index remains within 1–1.5. In our example, the figure of 1.15 fits within these limits, but is close to the lower limit. This means that the shotsheaf has expanded significantly, and as the distance increases further, the center of the scree will quickly lose its density. It can be expected that such a cartridge, when fired from this barrel, already at a distance of 40 m, will have insufficient effectiveness to reliably hit game. And, conversely, an indicator equal to 2–2.5 indicates a high potential for hitting game when shooting at long or close ranges. But then it is of little use for shooting at short distances of 20–25 m, since either there will be frequent misses, or the game will be badly damaged. The index of condensation to the center depends to the greatest extent on the magnitude of the muzzle constriction of the barrel and is within the following limits: cylinder and weak choke 1.0–1.5; pay and average chock 2.0–2.5; full choke and strong choke 3.0–3.5 or more. These indicators are to some extent conditional, since if the masses of the charges do not correspond to the masses of the projectiles in the cartridges used, the degree of thickening of the scree towards the center of the target can have results that are difficult to predict and inconsistent with the type of choke.

The sharpness of the battle is the penetrating power of the shot at the moment it meets the target. It can also be characterized as the ability of a shot to penetrate into the target environment and destroy it. The sharpness of the combat is determined simultaneously with the shooting for accuracy and accuracy of the combat; it depends on the speed of the shot at the moment it meets the target and is one of the decisive factors determining the combat of the gun and the effectiveness of the shot. The degree of damage to a bird or animal when 4–5 pellets hit them depends on the force of the blow that these pellets inflicted on their body. This impact force, called in hunting vocabulary the live force of the projectile or its energy, is determined by the formula EK = mV2/2g where Ek is the live force (energy) of the shot; m is the mass of pellets; V is the speed of the pellets at the moment of impact on the target; g is the acceleration due to gravity, equal to 9.81 m/s. In this case, the energy of the shot is expressed in kilogram-meters, the mass in kilograms, and the speed in m/s. For sufficient lethality, the remaining flight speed of the shot, as we have already noted, should be 190–200 m/s. Below this speed, wounded wounds begin to appear, and at a speed of less than 150 m/s, the lethality of the shot is completely lost. Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to accurately determine the sharpness of a gun's engagement. This requires special devices that are equipped in testing stations or laboratories. Therefore, in the past, in practice, it was customary to test the sharpness of the battle by shooting at sheets of cardboard 0.9 mm thick. They shot with shot No. 7 or No. 6 at a distance of 37 m (52 arshins). There were 40 such sheets per pood (16 kg). Sharpness was considered satisfactory if 18 sheets were punched and excellent if 23–24 sheets were punched. Currently, it is customary to shoot shot No. 7 or No. 3 from a distance of 35 m into a dry planed pine board, which is placed behind the center of the sighting sheet (target) before test shooting. Penetration of the central pellets of the scree into the board by more than three shot diameters means excellent sharpness, up to three diameters means good, one and a half to two diameters means satisfactory shooting sharpness. Measuring the depth of penetration of shot into wood is carried out with a special graduated probe, and for shot No. 3 (0 3.5 mm), a thin caliper probe is well suited. Although this method is far from perfect, with careful selection of uniform planks you can obtain fairly reliable estimates of the sharpness of the combat of the “gun-cartridge” complex. It is calculated that at normal initial pellet flight speeds of 375–400 m/s, at a distance of 35 m, the residual speed of shot No. 7 will be about 195 m/s, shot No. 3 - 228 m/s, and the impact force of an individual pellet will be 0. 18 and 0.66 kgm, respectively. The sharpness of the combat depends most of all on the ratio of the masses of the powder charge and the shot shell in the cartridge, as well as on the ambient temperature when firing. In the past, the Tula Arms Plant, when determining the sharpness of the battle, introduced a correction for each degree above or below the normal temperature (+12.5 ° C) by 0.5%, whereas when measuring accuracy it was only 0.25%.

The constancy of a gun's combat lies in its ability, when firing cartridges from the same batch, not to produce significant differences between individual shots in terms of accuracy, uniformity of shot scree, sharpness of the shot, and thickening of the scree towards the center of the target. Combat consistency is considered satisfactory if in a series of 5 rounds the difference in any of the indicators does not differ by more than 25–30% from the average indicator of this series.

In the hunting literature of the first half of the last century, the factor of constancy of combat was most often attributed to the parameter of the gun. Research in the post-war years has shown that it should still be classified as a “gun-cartridge” complex, and the higher the quality standards of guns become, the more this factor depends on the quality of the cartridges used. Abroad, it is considered the norm when mass-produced cartridges on ordinary shotguns show a consistency of fire within 10% in a series of 10 shots.

This basically ends the testing and evaluation of the combat of a smoothbore hunting rifle. After this, the next stage begins - zeroing the gun by selecting the best ratios of the masses of the powder charge and the shot shell, as well as all other components of the cartridge for specific types of hunting. Zeroing a gun is a long process and, interrupted for some time, when new components appear or new tasks are set, it resumes again for a long time.

Rimantas Noreika Kalashnikov 07-2004

Classification

Single-barreled trigger guns are usually classified according to the type of reloading. There are three main varieties:

semi-automatic (or self-loading);
single-shot;
store-bought

In addition, sometimes you can find single-barreled revolver-type guns, but in our country such weapons are considered truly exotic. Among domestic samples, only one model can be cited as an example - the five-shot hunting rifle MTs-255, which can still be found on sale.

Features of operation

Most single-shot models use the classic reloading scheme, in which the hunter must break the barrel, remove the used cartridge case, insert a new cartridge and close the barrel. This option cannot be called fast, so the hunter must have good shooting skills in order to be able to kill the prey with one shot. Otherwise, it is recommended to use models with an automatic cartridge feeding system into the chamber.

Even an experienced hunter is highly discouraged from using a single-barreled gun to hunt wild boar, bear or adult elk, since a wounded and angry animal can attack a person, causing serious injuries, which often lead to death. It is also not recommended to use single-barreled shotguns (IZH-16, for example) for novice hunters. A beginner must first learn to shoot well, and with a single-barreled gun it will not be possible to fire a large number of shots.

Modern smooth-bore weapons can be divided into the following types: single-barreled, single-shot, double-barreled, pump-action and magazine-operated, semi-automatic. For self-defense enthusiasts, pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns are primarily of interest. Below is an overview of common (mostly domestic) shotgun models that you should pay attention to.

Currently, you can find a wide range of ammunition for smooth-bore weapons on sale, from hunting shotgun and slug cartridges to traumatic cartridges specially designed for self-defense, equipped with rubber bullets or buckshot.

Keep in mind that the pellet or slug fired from a shotgun carries extremely high energy. The flight range of a bullet from a 12-gauge shotgun is up to 1500 meters.

Question: What is the range of bullets from service (long-barreled smoothbore) shotguns of 12 gauge? (6th category)

1. Up to 1500 meters 2. Up to 500 meters 3. Up to 100 meters 1

A sheaf of shot fired from a short-range twelve-gauge shotgun is capable of cutting down a not very thin tree. A shotgun blast provides sufficient shock value even when partially impacted by a shot or buckshot load. Shooting 8mm buckshot from a 12-gauge shotgun with a full hit is equivalent to nine shots from a .32-caliber pistol. A rifle bullet pierces the metal door of a house at a distance of about 20 m; from the same distance, it can easily penetrate a car door, trunk and back seat of a car. A bullet fired from a 12-gauge shotgun from 20-25 meters knocks off door hinges and knocks the door lock off a metal apartment door. A charge of large buckshot (diameter about 8 mm) pierces a car door, trunk and back seat at a distance of 15-20 m. Even a shot from a shotgun with a traumatic cartridge, intended for self-defense and implying inflicting a non-lethal wound on the attacker, can lead to death if hit in the torso at a short distance (about three meters). The demonstration of smooth-bore weapons can have a serious psychological impact on attackers, which can save the self-defender from actually using the weapon. No other type of self-defense weapon can provide such a psychological effect.

There are many modifications of the gun. Caliber - 12x70, 12x76; Barrel length 560/600/700/750 mm; Under-barrel tubular magazine for 4-7 rounds or box-shaped (for 5 rounds); Options with a permanent butt, with a pistol grip and a folding butt, with a pistol grip without a butt. Materials: walnut, beech, birch, plastic.

IZH-81 is the most popular domestic pump-action engine. The weapon is quite reliable, unpretentious, and inexpensive. A multi-purpose shotgun that can be used for self-defense and security purposes, as well as for hunting, however, exclusively security and self-defense modifications are also produced. In general, IZH-81 is a good option for a self-defense fighter.

Purpose

Multi-shot hunting shotguns IZH 81M and IZH-81KM 12 gauge are intended for amateur and commercial hunting. In this case, 12x76 hunting cartridges with an average maximum operating pressure of no more than 90 MPa (Magnum) and 12x70 hunting cartridges with an average maximum operating pressure of no more than 65 MPa are used. Shotgun versions: 1) IZH-81M - with an under-barrel tubular magazine. 2) IZH-81KM - with a box-shaped removable magazine. Depending on the design of the butt, the guns have the following versions:

with a wooden butt;
with a folding stock;
with pistol grip. Shotguns with replaceable muzzle attachments are available.

SPECIFICATIONS

Main parameters and their values:
Barrel material - High quality barrel steel
Caliber – 12
Barrel length, mm - 560, 600; 700
Chamber length, mm - 76.2
Channel diameter, nominal value, mm - 18.4
Choke, nominal value, mm - 0.0, 0.5, 1.0
Average value of the maximum gas pressure developed by cartridges during operation of the gun, MPa (kgf/cm2), no more than - 90 (918)
Butt and fore-end material - Walnut, beech, birch or plastic
Weight of the gun, kg, no more - IZH 81 M - 3.3; IZH-81KM- 3.5
Magazine capacity (cartridges): IZH 81 M - 4 or 2**; IZH-81KM- 5 or 2**

Notes: 1 The weight of the gun with a pistol-type handle is no more than 2.7 kg 2. **Container with a restrictive insert 3. Accuracy of fire - the ratio of the number of holes to the number of pellets of the corresponding shells that hit the circle of a target with a diameter of 750 mm, installed at a distance of 35 m , the aiming point is the lower part of the black circle with a diameter of 50 mm, located in the center of the target. Shooting is carried out with cartridges with solid shot with a diameter of 2.5 mm. According to the technical specifications, the accuracy should be: - for a 12x76 cartridge with an average maximum operating pressure of no more than 90 MPa.

PRODUCT COMPOSITION AND COMPLETENESS

Shotgun – 1
Box -1
Passport -1
Box magazine - IZH 81 M - no; IZH-81KM-2

Replaceable choke tubes: - pay -1 - choke -1 Box for nozzles 1 **Insert for magazine - IZH 81 M - 1; IZH-81KM-2 Notes: * - Replacement choke tubes are supplied when specified in the agreement (contract), ** - Magazine inserts are supplied when specified in the agreement (contract)

DEVICE AND PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION 1. The barrel is fixed, detachable. 2. The forend is movable, movement is carried out along the magazine tube, fixedly installed in the box 3. The forend is kinematically connected to the bolt using a rod 4. The bolt is longitudinally sliding, the cartridge is locked in the chamber by the combat stop of the wedge located in the bolt and rising in the extreme forward position using a slider connected to a movable forend, the wedge's combat stop fits into the corresponding ledge made in the coupling ATTENTION! The bolt and wedge are not interchangeable. 5. The trigger mechanism is mounted on a separate base and allows only single shots. 6. Moving the forend to its extreme positions should be done vigorously, without distortions or jerks. When the hammer is cocked, the handguard moves when the delay button is pressed up.

Question: How should a service (smoothbore long-barreled) shotgun with a pump-action mechanism be reloaded? (6th category)

1. Quickly move the forearm back, and without holding it in the rear position, quickly forward 2. Slowly back and quickly forward 3. Quickly back and slowly forward 1

7. The gun has a push-button safety, which prevents accidental shots when it is put in the “on safety” position, i.e. in the extreme right position. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SAFETY MEASURES 1. Any firearm, despite the presence of various safety devices in it, poses a known danger to the life and health of people if it is handled carelessly. Therefore, take all precautions and remember that neglecting safety rules can lead to tragic consequences. 2. Always consider the gun loaded and ready to fire. 3. Do not fire your gun with cartridges and charges larger than those recommended on the factory packaging of powder, or with a mixture of black and smokeless powder. 4. Do not shoot cartridges and powders that have been stored for more than 4 years. 5. The use of any non-hunting powders is strictly prohibited, as this can lead to swelling and rupture of the barrels. 6. It is prohibited to compress a charge from smokeless hunting powder. 7. Do not shoot a bullet whose body diameter is greater than the diameter of the bore in the choke area. The diameter of a round bullet should be 0.2 ... 0.3 mm less than the diameter of the muzzle constriction. The diameter of a bullet with external ribs should be 0.1...0.2 mm less than the diameter of the bore, and the diameter of the body of such a bullet should be 0.8...1.0 mm less than the diameter of the choke.

When loading cartridges for firing a bullet, DO NOT ALLOW THE BULLET TO PROTECT ABOVE THE END OF THE CASE to avoid inertial puncture of the primer of the cartridge in front.

Carefully secure the bullet in the cartridge to prevent it from falling out of the cartridge into the magazine cavity when firing. 8. Monitor the quality of the cartridges to avoid local, so-called “pea-shaped” swelling. It is recommended to calibrate cartridges with paper sleeves before firing. 9. When operating the gun, periodically check the free movement and return of the firing pin under the action of the spring. 10. When firing a gun, hold the fore-end with your hand, but do not allow the fore-end to be pulled back. 11. Before disassembling the gun, make sure that the gun is unloaded, the safety is on and there are no cartridges in the magazine. Unload the gun as follows: - lift the tray up and push the interceptor to the corresponding surface of the box, after which the cartridges are removed from the magazine under the action of a spring; — to remove a cartridge from the chamber without firing a shot, press the delay button and, moving the bolt to the rearmost position, remove the cartridge from the chamber. After this, the gun can be disassembled.

MAINTENANCE 1. Proper handling and timely maintenance increases the service life and guarantees reliable operation of the gun. The gun should always be cleaned and lightly lubricated, especially the gun mechanisms: bolt, trigger mechanism, barrel. If this is not necessary, you should not completely disassemble the gun. Before disassembling, make sure there are no cartridges in the magazine or chamber. 2. To ensure the necessary care (cleaning, lubrication, inspection), the IZH-81M gun is partially disassembled, for which it is necessary: 1) unscrew the barrel nut, move the fore-end back half the stroke length and separate the barrel from the receiver; 2) carefully moving the forend forward, remove the bolt with the slide and remove the forend from the guide tube; 3) use the barrel nut ejector to knock out the axes holding the base of the firing mechanism (Trigger Mechanism) and remove the trigger mechanism. 3. Partial disassembly of the IZH-81KM gun is performed as follows; 1) remove the box magazine; 2) using any sharp object (screwdriver, knife, coin) remove the magazine insert, then proceed in the same way as IZH-81M. 4. When completely disassembling and reassembling the gun, you must strictly follow the instructions in the passport.

Incomplete disassembly of the gun. 1. Separate the butt, and to do this: 1) unscrew the screws and remove the back of the butt; 2) unscrew the tightening screw and remove the butt: * For versions 1) with a folding butt - separate the folding butt together with the butt plate and the lock, knocking out the two axes that secure the butt plate with the center. Unscrew the tightening screw and remove the handle with the center; 2) with a pistol-type handle, unscrew the clamping screw and remove the handle. 2. To disassemble the trigger mechanism, it is necessary to: 1) release the trigger (preferably without hitting it in the extreme forward position); 2) use a hammer to knock out the hammer, sear, trigger, and delay axles; 3) push the safety button to the right; 4) knock out the axles of the interceptors and take out the interceptors.

Assembling the gun is carried out in the reverse order: 1. The connection of the handle with a folding butt or pistol-type handle with the box must be strong, without shaking 2. When assembling the gun, it is not recommended to use great force or forcefully hammer in moving and removable parts in order to avoid scratches and scratches on interacting parts surfaces.

Changing magazine capacity. To change the magazine capacity of products IZH-81M and IZH-81KM, special inserts are included in the delivery set. To install the insert into the magazine of the IZH-81M product, you must:

unscrew the barrel nut, move the forend back half the stroke length and separate the barrel,
unscrew the magazine nut, being careful when handling the pressurized magazine spring,
install the insert inside the magazine nut,
tighten the magazine nut,
install and secure the barrel.

To install the insert into the magazine of the IZH-81KM product, you must:

separate the box magazine,
use any sharp object to remove the magazine cover,
install the insert into the magazine, recessing the magazine spring,
install the magazine cover.

Removal of restrictive inserts in magazines of products IZH-81M and IZH-81KM is carried out in the reverse order.

Safety rules for handling hunting weapons The main condition for safety when handling hunting weapons is knowledge of the types and methods of using hunting weapons, solid knowledge and compliance with safety rules when handling hunting weapons. 1. Hunting weapons and ammunition must be stored in conditions that prevent access and use by other persons, especially children. Weapons must be kept in good condition and stored unloaded, preferably disassembled, and ammunition locked. It is best to store weapons and ammunition in a special metal box under lock and key. 2. Shooting and being with a loaded weapon in populated areas, as well as in the immediate vicinity of them, is prohibited (It must be remembered that bullets fired from a smoothbore gun are dangerous at a distance of one kilometer, buckshot at 400-500 meters, large shot numbers up to 200 -300 meters, as well as the fact that bullets and shot ricochets from trees or frozen soil) Being with a loaded weapon and shooting is allowed only at a distance that ensures the safety of people and pets in the populated area. 3. Sighting of hunting weapons should be carried out in places specially designated for this purpose, or in an organized manner in places with natural fencing (ravines, ditches, etc.), or in some cases in places that are clearly visible over the entire flight distance of the projectile (charge). If necessary, guards are posted. 4. It is prohibited to point a weapon at a person or pet, even if it is not loaded. The employee must hold the weapon so that the barrel of the gun is always pointed away from people, pets or buildings. 5. When loading or unloading, the gun should be pointed upward or at the ground, facing away from other people. 6. It is prohibited to transfer a gun to another person without first inspecting and unloading it. When picking up a gun, you must first make sure that it is unloaded. 7. It is prohibited to cock the hammers without the need to fire an immediate shot, and to hold a hammerless weapon with the safety open. 8. When shooting, especially with smokeless powders, in the event of a misfire, the employee should not immediately open the gun, as it happens that the powder from the primer ignites slowly and a so-called “lingering” shot can occur with the gun open. After a misfire, the gun can be opened within 3-5 seconds. 9. If a gun or an employee with a gun falls, you should immediately unload the gun and make sure that no earth, snow, leaves, or grass get into the bores. Otherwise, when fired, if the trunks are clogged with earth, snow, grass or leaves, the trunks may rupture or swell and even injure an employee. If soil or snow gets into the bores, the bores must be cleaned immediately. After firing, you should always check whether there are any wads, gaskets, or parts of a torn cartridge case left in the bores. This protects the gun from bursting barrels, and the employee from possible injury. 10. When traveling on all types of transport, weapons must be in covers or disassembled. During short journeys, it is permissible to keep the gun assembled, but always unloaded and with the barrels pointed upward or away from people nearby. When overcoming obstacles - ditches, fences, windbreaks, crossing treasures through rivers and streams, the weapon must be unloaded. 11. To avoid being shot at yourself, you should never pull assembled weapons by the barrels out of a car or other type of transport. 12. When approaching a car, the gun must be unloaded.

Arrangement of store samples

Single-shot magazine shotguns are models in which reloading is carried out by manual action on the bolt, while the cartridges are located in a special container called a magazine. The shooter first pulls the bolt back, thereby removing the spent cartridge from there, after which he moves the bolt to the reverse position, sending a new cartridge from the magazine into the chamber. Similar manipulations occur before each shot.

As a rule, the magazine capacity is two rounds or more. Containers are tubular or box-shaped. Box stores, in turn, are divided into fixed and removable.

How does barrel length affect firing range?

The caliber and purpose of the gun affects the length of the barrel. Also, the length of the barrel affects the combat of the weapon and its ease of movement. Shotguns with short barrels are more maneuverable than those with long barrels. In the thicket, where sometimes it happens to shoot offhand, it is best to hunt with short barrels. However, it is harder to aim with them, the initial velocity of the projectile is also slightly reduced, the muzzle pressure increases, and the accuracy decreases.

It is useless to create a weapon with a barrel that is too long, while using smokeless powder, as this does not give tangible results. For example: if you increase the barrel length from 700 to 725 mm, the initial velocity of the projectile increases by only 2 m/s. Also, excessively long barrels affect the weight of your weapon, as a result of which they can worsen its balance.

During the shot

During a shot, the muzzle of the barrel vibrates and deforms much more than other parts of the weapon. This affects the shot shell, increasing its spread. The quality of the combat deteriorates due to vibration, which occurs if there is no thickening of the barrel. In a smoothbore gun, the thickness of the barrel wall is not the same, but behind the chamber its thickness should not be much less than 3.5; in the thinnest places of the trunk - no less than 0.8 mm; in the muzzle section, if there is a cylindrical drill - up to 1.5 mm.

The barrel of your gun should have a minimum difference in the walls, as this difference can affect the weight and strength of the weapon. The barrel will be lighter depending on the smaller the difference in the walls, since its strength is calculated in each section based on the minimum wall thickness. Consequently, the weapon can be made heavier by the difference in metal mass between the minimum and maximum. A considerable part of mass-produced weapons have barrels with large or small differences in the walls. To some extent this has an effect on ballistics, this effect is so insignificant that when hunting you will not feel any difference. The influence of barrel length on firing range

A myth that has long been outdated, but widespread among hunters, is that the length of the barrel affects the shooting range. It is believed that the longer the barrel of your gun, the longer the shooting range and the better the accuracy. This statement is false and the proof of this, in its numerous sections, is the laws of physics.

Let’s say if you release two objects from sources of different lengths, but at the same speed and at the same angle, taking into account all adjustments to the trajectory and all other factors, such as air temperature and wind, then the objects will cover one and the same the same distance and will fly along the same flight line (the shooting accuracy of the weapon will not change).

Now let's change the sign in our equation and after such manipulations we can easily say that the following statement will be true: the longer the barrel of a gun, the lower the accuracy inherent in it and the shorter the range a bullet fired from it will travel.

Finally

Among hunters, especially those who are fond of hunting waterfowl, an unfounded point of view has been established that the longer the barrel of a gun, the better its action. Contrary to this statement, hunters who have studied weapons science have long known that when using smokeless powder, this barrel length is not the most convenient and practical. It is no secret that the longer the barrel of a weapon, the more it weighs, and the more the center of gravity is shifted forward, worsening the balance of the weapon. It is logical that subsequently, the accuracy of your shot shooting decreases.

Fans of impressive barrel lengths need to remember that if the barrel is 81 cm or more in length, the weapon will lower if fired with reinforced projectiles. This is especially true for long and light barrels, such as those found in many imported semi-automatic weapons. As for the influence of barrel length on firing range, this is a long-outdated misconception. Firing range has nothing to do with barrel length.

Construction of semi-automatic models

The semi-automatic single-barreled shotgun has a similar design to the previous version, however, reloading is carried out not using special mechanisms, but manually. The domestic manufacturer offers hunters a large number of similar models to choose from: MP-153, Vepr-12, Saiga and so on.

It is worth noting that semi-automatic single-shot weapons are rather poorly suited for novice hunters, since they have a rather complex design, so the hunter will not be able to independently repair and maintain such a gun. In addition, such samples are rarely suitable for commercial hunting, which is why they are most often purchased only for self-defense.