Characteristics of the IZH-38 air rifle, the pros and cons of the gun

Characteristics of the IZH-38 aircraft

The IZH-38 rifle is one of the best examples of Soviet weapons. The air gun absorbed all the engineering successes of that time regarding the creation of weapons of this type.

The undisputed leader is a rifle from Quackenbush

The LA Outlaw .458, produced by family-owned Quackenbush in Missouri, has truly broken power records. Its caliber of 0.458 inches corresponds to 11.63 mm, and the pneumatic type is PCP. This device operates in air under high pressure. Inflated by a pump manually or from a compressor (3000 bar). The 430 grain (27.9 g) bullet travels at 732 fps (223 meters per second). The power is 509 fpe (687 joules). If you take a heavier bullet (32 g), the power will decrease slightly - to 650 joules.

Dennis Quackenbush, who makes his own rifles, did not choose this caliber by chance. It fits many off-the-shelf standard rifle bullets.

The same feature is shared by the previous model of the same manufacturer - 0.308-inch caliber (equal to 7.62 mm), designed for long lead bullets with low speed but high lethality.

Note that Quackenbush weapons are often called “hellish things,” and most hunters with big game in the photo on the Internet have such rifles.

Equipment

Initially the barrel had 6 grooves. But the resulting launch speed of less than 110 m/s was insufficient for a weapon intended for training purposes. The design with 18 grooves was abandoned due to high cost and practical unreliability: the bullet's flight distance was unsatisfactory, and when using lightweight ammunition, the inner surface of the barrel was covered with lead dust. As a result, the IZH-38 rifle was equipped with a barrel with 12 grooves.

The barrel box was conceived from solid metal. But experiments have shown that the welded tubular version is better. Similarly with the piston cocking system: the designers preferred a welded version rather than a solid one. And also, for the purpose of production savings, they refused to process them using expensive turning and milling methods, and began to stamp and weld them using a spot method.

The knot where the rifle breaks was made of metal. But there was an option to use thick plastic. The stock of the IZH-38 models has two options: artificial with 2 internal cavities in the bend and butt, with a fixed butt plate, and also wooden. The plastic version has several types of notches, while the wooden version does not have any.

There is no safety lock in the IZH-38 rifle. There is only a blocker that prevents accidental firing when the weapon is loaded.

The sight is a front sight. Some models that went on the market in the early 1990s have the ability to install sighting optics.

Compressor springs are solid wire springs made of steel. In the early 1990s, some examples were equipped with twisted wire springs.

The rifle was sold in a cardboard box. The package included:

• compressor spring;
• ramrod;
• additional cuff with rubber rings;
• accompanying documents.

Design features

The choice of 4.5 mm caliber is not accidental. This is the minimum among the most popular calibers for air guns, designated by the British standards system as 0.177. Popularity and availability of appropriate production equipment are the main reasons for choosing this caliber. At first there was an idea to make a rifle for 4 mm caliber - for lead bullets or steel balls. But the value of 4.5 mm won, since there was a proven technology for the production of rifled barrels of small calibers.

Having overcome a long path of experiments and design changes, the IZH-38 single-shot air rifle, based on piston-spring technology, finally acquired the following features:

• forged 13mm barrel with 12 rifling and brass rail;
• trigger blocker of a loaded weapon;
• closed and fixed front sight, rear sight adjustable along the vertical and horizontal axis by a screw;
• cocking by breaking the barrel - moving down and back, then in the opposite direction;
• during the cocking process, a section of the barrel is exposed, into which a bullet is inserted manually;
• sight line length adjustable;
• metal surfaces with blued finish;
• the butt is made of dark plastic or birch.

How to assemble and disassemble

The rifle is usually disassembled when there is a need to clean it. The condition of the weapon must be constantly monitored. The barrel rifling must remain visible. Do not allow dark plaque to form on the inner surface of the trunk. Also, wooden parts should not be allowed to crack due to careless handling. Make sure that the wood does not start to split in the area where the side screws are attached.

Before starting work, be sure to install a lever stop to block the random ejection of a bullet.

Disassembling the IZH-38 rifle consists of several stages:

• Disconnecting the stock and the metal part by unscrewing the 2 side screws and removing the fastening located next to the trigger guard.
• Retracting the safety stop for convenient removal of the barrel and rod from the frame.
• Removing the block retaining pin for easy separation of the trigger system.
• Removing the piston and spring.

The rifle is assembled in exactly the same way, only the order is reversed.

Areas of use

The IZH-38 air rifle is used primarily at training sites, where the basics of shooting are taught. The gun is also suitable for professional purposes and sports shooting competitions. This is the optimal weapon for plunging - playful shooting of targets in shooting ranges or tin cans at your leisure.

Since the rifle's power is low, it is impossible to use it as a hunting weapon. The only acceptable option is to shoot a small animal from a short distance.

history of the company

Let's start from the end. At the moment, the company is an enterprise that deals with:

• Mechanical engineering;
• Instrumentation;
• Metallurgy;
• Microelectronics;
• Weapons (pneumatics/firearms);
• Power tools;
• Packaging equipment;
• Oil and gas equipment;
• Medical equipment;
• Steel industry.

The track record is impressive, isn't it? But once upon a time, in July 1942, when the plant was just founded, the political situation in the country did not allow thinking so broadly.

The plant was created for the mass production of firearms needed in the terrible war that was thundering throughout the world. Gunsmiths Degtyarev, Simonov, and Tokarev were then involved in the work. The first models to roll off the production line were anti-tank rifles and the aforementioned Tokarev automatic pistol. During all the years of the war, the plant produced more than 130 thousand anti-tank rifles, almost one and a half million pistols, and thousands of military equipment.

history of the company

Even before the end of the war, in 1944 , new workshops began to open at IZh, designed to help in the rehabilitation of the economy throughout the country.

The plant gradually began to come to the form we know it now only four years after the end of World War II - in 1949. Then the first series of sporting shotguns for hunting was launched. Of course, the first model was the legendary Makarov.

To date, IZH has produced more than 17 million copies of various guns in more than 100 models.

Read about IZH 46.

Since 1951, the plant began expanding production . In the same year, the mining tools industry emerged. It included pneumatic guns, hammer drills and rammers.

1953 became fateful - the famous TT faded into the background, and Makarov finally moved to the forefront. In 1958, the scientific sphere became involved and the company began manufacturing rocketry (anti-aircraft guns, etc.). Many people still ask the question: Which Makarov air pistol is better? Watch a video review of the Makarov air pistol here.

Two years later, the company began manufacturing motorcycles of the same name and over the years of its existence has produced more than 5 million copies.
In connection with the construction of the Moskvich automobile concern, IZH began creating parts for it - cardan shafts and rear axles. Since 1980, the company began developing its own infrastructure .
A sanatorium, a clinic, a sports and shooting complex were created. Moreover, a poultry farm, a pig farm, and an agricultural complex were built - livestock and poultry were raised at the enterprise and gardens bloomed. Ten years later, IZh started creating household appliances, and packaging shops appeared. At the same time, there was a real long-awaited breakthrough in the production of weapons - the number of models almost doubled, the plant reached a new level. Now IZH is a regular guest at international exhibitions, exports and international trade are being established with the USA, Italy, Germany, Argentina and even South Africa. A weapons testing center is opening. At the same time, the government awards many awards to the workers of the plant - the title of Honored Designer, Mechanical Engineer in the Russian Federation and Udmurtia. Yarygin creates a new pistol, which is included in the production base of the plant.

For those who do not know how to handle a pistol, we recommend watching the video: How to shoot a Makarov pistol correctly?

Information about the IZH 61 repeating air rifle can be found here.

See prices for pneumatics for hunting without a license at: https://pwpn.ru/p-oruzhie/vintovki/obzory/dlya-oxoty-bez-licenzii.html

Back in 1956, a school of weapons craftsmanship was opened under the patronage of the plant . Future specialists were trained there to work in weapons production. This is the only school in the Russian Federation that specifically trains gunsmiths: mechanics, assemblers, repairmen, stock designers, woodcarvers and engravers.

At the moment, IZH is in partnership with the American manufacturer Remington. Read more about the Remington air rifle. On the Internet you can study in more detail the stages that the Izhevsk Air Weapons Plant went through, the official website of which is: https://www.baikalinc.ru/.

The most famous models produced by IZH among pneumatic weapons remain:

Repair and replacement of parts

IZH-38 is a structurally simple rifle when compared with many other models. But its mechanisms often require repair, especially if the weapon is worn out and frequently used.

It is better to entrust repairs or replacement of parts without relevant experience to a specialist. Here are some parts that fail before others:

• spring - it gradually loses its elasticity;
• cuff - it will have to be replaced after 1200–1500 releases of the hook;
• sight - prone to breakage due to careless handling of the weapon;
• stock - gradually cracks, especially plastic, if the gun is often used in frosty weather.

Is it possible to use homemade

For a person who understands weapons and understands at least a little physics, it costs nothing to make a rifle with his own hands, and it can turn out to be a very good weapon.

To use such a homemade product, permission from the government authorities of the Russian Federation is required, especially if you want to sell the product.

Domestic military pneumatic weapons occupy not the last place in the world, in comparison with the pneumatic weapons of other countries.

It is important to know: to carry military weapons, you must have permission and serve in the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Rifle tuning

The great advantage of the IZH-38 air rifle is that it can be tuned. To increase the bullet's exit speed, you need to make the cylinder larger. This can be put into practice by lengthening the section where the piston extends. As a result, the gap to the fastening element of the cocking lever in the barrel block will increase.

You will have to disassemble the weapon and make an element with your own hands that transmits the cocking force to the pusher. The final size of this part must be at least 5 mm greater than the previous element. The material for work can be 3 mm steel. It is necessary to have a small recess in this element, this will increase the movement of the barrel during cocking.

Since the piston hook will be behind the groove in the cylinder body, it is also necessary to make a hole in the well of the release mechanism for inserting a pin. The work is completed by assembling the rifle and securing the 2.8 mm wire spring.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any weapon, the IZH-38 rifle has advantages and disadvantages.

The IZH-38 air rifle is a desirable purchase for many users, because it combines excellent engineering solutions, convenience and versatility of use, an affordable price and the possibility of tuning to increase power.

German

Walther 1250 Dominator

German guns are just as popular in Russia as domestic ones, since they are not inferior to them either in range or in the quality of the shot.

The most famous of them, the Walther 1250 Dominator, are considered an achievement of the German company Umarex.

The view from it is much wider than that of Russian rifles, which can be considered both a positive and, to some extent, a negative quality.

Expert advice: reviewing the prices and quality of German-made rifles when choosing for yourself is better to produce in a store, even in Russia, and not search on the Internet.