Russia has always been famous for its weapons industry. Therefore, it is strange that almost every self-respecting man has at least one such device.
Hunting rifles are the most popular weapons, which have always been in great demand. It was purchased not only for collections, but also directly to protect their families and homes from enemies and animals. This significantly affected the shape and characteristics of the devices.
Wanting to achieve better accuracy, reliability, and ease, the creators changed and transformed their creations. But the basic models remained, which at one time became the basis for a variety of guns.
Today there are a dozen well-known guns with which all gunsmiths began their hunting activities. This rating includes:
Tula gun brand TOZ-B
This option was rightfully considered the most popular and widespread in the first half of the 20th century. He is the progenitor and pioneer of all modern Tula trunks.
During the production of this model, all the craftsmanship of the manufacturers was honed to the maximum. Gunsmiths gave away the first models of such guns to hunters and shooting enthusiasts. Thanks to this, many could see for themselves the accuracy of the device.
TOZ-B is an external hammer double-barreled shotgun with horizontal barrels. Intended for various hunting.
Lateral release of the butt plate of a hunting rifle towards the aiming line.
The protrusion must exactly match the lower part of the face, otherwise it will only get in the way. For fast shooting, a straight and fuller comb is desirable. If the ridge is too high, the cheek will be pressed tighter, which means it will receive a stronger blow. At the same time, the hunting rifle will “raise.”
It is bad if, when shooting, the shooter tilts his head too much to the right or left of the aiming bar. It is necessary that the leading eye is located along the axis of the gun rail. A strong lowering of the ridge in the heel is disadvantageous. It is desirable that when moving the head back and forth along the ridge, the line of vision always coincides with the aiming bar (aiming line).
Some people remove the front and back of the ridge to achieve uniform cheek pressure. The comb should not interfere with the movement of the thumb back when firing the second shot from a double-barreled hunting rifle (with two triggers).
TOZ-BM
Due to its popularity and well-thought-out design, from the beginning of 1957 they began to produce a slightly modified model of the main type of gun - TOZ-BM.
The weapon differs slightly from its prototype. Its main characteristics have not changed, but the barrel itself has become stronger thanks to more modern materials. The caliber of such a barrel is not only 16, but sometimes 20.
TOZ-66
The model continued the dynasty of the prototype. This is also a 2-barreled gun, but 12 gauge. Produced at the Tula Arms Plant until 1974. This gun is equipped with a stronger receiver.
The length of each trunk is 700-720 mm. Special channel diameters make it possible to shoot paper and metal cartridges equally successfully. Due to the strength of the barrels, gunpowder shots are allowed. The weight of the device is 3.2 kg.
TOZ-80
Representative of hammer-fired weapons. Refers to 2-barreled hunting weapons with horizontally paired barrels. The caliber of the gun is 12 mm. Produced since 1986 in strictly limited quantities.
Outwardly it is very similar to TOZ-BM. Technical characteristics are similar to the 66: barrels are 711 mm long, barrels and chambers are chrome-plated. Has detachable barrels and forearm. Triple locking - on 2 under-barrel hooks with a frame and a cross bolt. The barrels are made for paper cartridges.
The triggers are equipped with a release and have safety cocks. At this time it is not listed in mass production. Thanks to the necessary changes, the model became a good replacement for all its predecessors, leaving only the positive features of the past.
There was another arms factory in the Soviet Union with a good reputation. We are talking about the products of the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. The advantages of this enterprise are the variety of products. Here they successfully produce single-barreled and modifications of 2-barrel shotguns with different bores.
Hunting rifle CZ Mallard
The CZ weapons company from the Czech Republic is quite old and has extensive experience in the development and production of high-quality firearms for the military, police, security and for citizens. This company, if we take into account only hunting weapons, has a wide variety of rifled carbines, semi-automatics and classic double-barreled shotguns, in particular the CZ Mallard over-and-under shotgun. CZ Mallard is far from new to the Russian market and has a good reputation.
Description and characteristics of the hunting double-barreled shotgun CZ Mallard
CZ Mallard double-barreled hunting shotgun of classic appearance, breaking type. The sighting bar is ventilated, there are models with one trigger. Caliber 12 for 76 mm sleeve. "Magnum". Barrel length 760 mm, weight 3.0 kg. Depending on the modification, there is either a shock absorber or a special pad at the end of the butt. The CZ Mallard is available with extractor (cheaper version) or ejector (somewhat expensive version).
Advantages and disadvantages of the CZ Mallard hunting rifle
The CZ Mallard is well-built and of high quality, reliable and durable, has a good sharp and precise action, is relatively light, has a wide selection of modifications, and has a reasonable price of 35,000 - 40,000 rubles. Disadvantages: the varnish coating is very sensitive to even minor mechanical stress.
Brief conclusion
This is a completely reliable and durable hunting rifle, perfect as a first gun. CZ Mallard is universal: suitable for game birds, animals and ungulates. Quite reasonable price, with good quality.
IZH-54
Representative of the plant's most famous devices. Many generations of hunting enthusiasts went hunting with such weapons. This is the very first weapon without a trigger, which is still produced in large series.
It has horizontally positioned 12-gauge barrels. The barrels are detachable, each of them is 730 or 750 mm, the length of the chambers is up to 70 mm. The choke constrictions are standard, without changes; their shape is parabolic. The bores and chambers are covered with chrome.
Triple locking. This gun became the first hammerless model to be put into large-scale mass production.
Butt
As the British say: “last, but by no means least important” is the choice of stock. It affects both the weight of the gun and the characteristic named after it: “buttability” - the ability of the weapon to fit equally clearly and accurately into the owner’s shoulder when firing offhand, while the aiming line should be aligned with the direction of view with virtually no adjustment.
Therefore, the choice of a stock is very important - it is a combination of three parameters: lightness, aesthetics and usability.
Now you have a checklist for choosing a smoothbore weapon:
- Weight and flexibility. The weapon should fit your hand and shoulder, be optimal in weight, you feel pleasure from its appearance;
- The reloading mechanism and caliber are determined by your experience, requirements for reliability and rate of fire;
- The barrel and drilling determine the possibilities for increasing accuracy and firing range.
- The last thing is the condition of the triggers and strikers. When cocking, sharp clicks should be heard, and the strikers should have a high impact force. This can be checked by placing a cartridge case on the firing pin and pulling the trigger. The sleeve should suddenly fly out at least half a meter.
Brand IZH-58
Quite a popular gun, recognized by many professionals and hunting enthusiasts. It is an easy-to-use tool that was especially popular in the mid-20th century.
We are talking about a standard 2-barrel hammer gun. The barrels are horizontal and come in 12, 16, 20 and 28 gauge. The most commonly produced weapons were 12 and 16 gauges. The 28-caliber gun was not mass-produced. The model was developed by Pugachev and went into production in 1958. Surprisingly, the device is still produced today, but in some modifications.
The model had a number of advantages, including: • the box is made of durable steel, which does not require additional heat treatment during assembly; • numerous external screws were replaced with convenient pins; • plates and springs are replaced by simpler screw designs.
Stevens 555 E shotgun
The Stevens 555 E break-type hunting double-barreled shotgun is one of the highest quality, reliable and easy-to-use shotguns. Stevens 555 E is manufactured in the USA, which is one of the leaders among manufacturers of civilian weapons. The Stevens arms company itself was founded in the 18th century and was a small family firm. Over time, thanks to successful samples of small arms, the company has won a worthy place among other firearms manufacturers. The Stevens 555 E double-barreled shotgun is well known in America itself, as well as in Europe. The Stevens 555 E is not yet popular on the Russian hunting weapon market, but it’s a matter of time.
Characteristics and modifications of the Stevens 555 E vertical
The Stevens 555 E is essentially a sideflint, as it is intended not only for hunting, but also for sports clay pigeon and trench shooting. The caliber is 28, but there are models with 12 and 410 gauge, although they are less common. Barrel length 710 mm. for versions with caliber 28 and 410, for the version with caliber 12 it is 730 mm. All modifications of the Stevens 555 E are designed for a powerful cartridge, that is, 76 mm. The Stevens 555 E is equipped with an ejector, as well as a firing order switching mechanism, since there is only one trigger.
Advantages and disadvantages of Stevens 555 E
The advantages include high build quality, reliability, reliability, excellent balance, as well as excellent ballistic performance. The Stevens 555 E is priced just above the budget segment with an approximate cost of around $900. But the obstacle to purchasing the Stevens 555 E may be not so much the price as its absence on the shelves in the store with the possibility of purchasing only by pre-order.
Brief summary about the gun
Stevens 555 E is perfect for any hunter; it is light, fits perfectly in the hands, looks well-assembled and looks quite expensive. True, it is difficult to purchase it in domestic stores, but with a strong desire, this task is doable.
IZH-43
It is a more modified and improved model IZH-43. A similar weapon is often used to this day. Therefore, amateurs with this gun are often found hunting.
Created in 1969. Weighs a little more than 3 kg. This weapon is a typical representative of a double-barreled shotgun with horizontal barrels. The barrels have a detachable structure and are connected by sighting and bottom rails.
Barrel and cartridge channels are chrome-plated. The expulsion of spent cartridges from the chamber occurs due to a common ejector. The final removal of the cartridges is done by hand.
IZH-27
This is the most famous gun of the brand. It is rightly called the pride of “Izh Mekha”. Everyone wants to get their hands on these premium devices. Having it in your arsenal is prestige for any hunter. The model was created under the leadership of Klimov and has been mass-produced since 1973.
Today it is the most modernized model. So, the shape of the stock and fore-end of the weapon was changed. For accuracy of shots, a ventilated aiming bar has been introduced. The shape of the box at the junction with the stock has been changed.
Over 30 years of production, over 1.6 million IZH-27 of all modifications were sold. This makes this model the most common model of hunting rifle in Russia. This is one of the reasons why it is often called the "people's gun."
MR-27M. Tenth place
Those who are interested in the best smooth-bore hunting rifles can be recommended to turn their attention to this model produced by Izhevsk craftsmen. A double-barreled shotgun of 12 x 76 caliber with 725 mm barrels with replaceable chokes costs 26 thousand rubles. The stock is made of walnut.
Previously, this model was listed as Izh-27 and broke records for the number of sales. Today, the MP-27M is no less in demand among the best 12-gauge smoothbore shotguns. The double-barreled shotgun was seriously modified. The budget option is presented with a plastic stock. There are also expensive products for which rich decorative finishing is provided. According to experts, this sideflint is considered the most affordable.
TOZ-34
The only over/under that is included in the list of popular shotguns in Russia. It is a popular device with a huge number of fans. Has low landing trunks. Produced individually since 964. In 1965, the model was awarded the Leipzig gold medal. The developer of the gun is N.I. Korovyakov.
No matter how popular or expensive a gun is, everyone chooses the option with which they are comfortable. Therefore, every self-respecting hunter always personally selects a barrel for himself, focusing, first of all, on his feelings, and then on the characteristics of the device.
Rule two - choose what you can afford
Having decided on the amount you are willing to spend on a new toy, you will immediately eliminate a lot of unnecessary options. For example, accept the fact that top models are beyond your means. If you have 50 thousand rubles, don’t look in the direction of Benelli, look instead for Turkish clones. And keep in mind that the original “fifty dollars” can melt away a lot even before the appearance of the gun: obtaining various certificates and the license itself, buying a safe, a case (a hard case for long-distance transport is also desirable), a belt, special lubricant, bandolier, etc. and etc. - all this can seriously undermine the budget. But then you still have to buy cartridges...
In general, up to a third of the planned costs can be made up of all kinds of “auxiliary aids”.
