Nowadays, there is an increase in the popularity of Soviet-era shotguns produced four to five decades ago. Honored “veterans” are distinguished by their quality and efficiency not only among domestic, but also foreign modern weapons. An example is the IZH-58 model, which enjoys well-deserved respect among hunting fans. The 16-gauge shotgun is considered a true legend; it is distinguished by its simplicity of design, high strength, and during operation it has managed to prove itself from the best side. The IZH-58 hunting rifle, which has retained its performance characteristics, is difficult to find today, but sometimes you come across functional specimens, for which there is a real pursuit.
History of weapons
IZH 58 is a classic version of a horizontal hunting weapon. High quality materials were used in production, including the unique steel alloy from the Izhevsk plant. To give the product good strength, it was processed using special equipment.
The history of IZH-58 begins in 1958. A group of engineers under the leadership of L. Pugachev began designing inexpensive hunting weapons. The main task was to minimize the costs of the new model, the basic basis of which was the well-known at that time IZH-54. The design of the existing sample was slightly simplified, and other materials were partially used. As a result, the IZH-58 weapon turned out to be more technologically advanced and structurally simpler to manufacture, which entailed a reduction in costs.
But this did not mean at all that the new model surpassed its predecessor - the quality left much to be desired. For example, previously a lot of time and financial resources were spent on the production of certain elements, but now spare parts are produced on a production line with lower quality characteristics. But the developers were able to design an affordable gun that does not require special knowledge from its owners.
Initially, the plant produced a 16-gauge version of the IZH, the barrel length of which was 73 cm. In addition, in parallel, production was launched for the 20-gauge, the length of the barrel part of which did not exceed 67.5 cm. A variant was envisaged for the 28 cartridge, but no one saw it in implementation . Further, the main IZH model was slightly modernized, the list of calibers was expanded, and since 1971 the IZH-58M has been produced in 12 and 16 gauge. The weapon block has been slightly modified. Four years later, an ejector is installed on such a sample, adding the letter “E” to the marking. 1975 was marked by further modifications of IZH, in which the letter “A” indicated the presence of a fuse operating in automatic mode.
Production of the IZH-58 was stopped in 1986, even though the gun was awarded a gold award at the Leipzig Fair. This is how its design solutions, high degree of reliability, and solid resource capabilities were noted. Over the entire period, the plant produced more than one million copies of IZH, which included various versions and modifications.
Today it is difficult to find an IZH 58 in good condition.
Description
In terms of external decoration, the IZH 16 caliber is no different from the hunting weapons of those times. It looks simple and nice, is convenient for hunting, and helps improve shooting skills at the shooting range. The weight of the IZH product is slightly lower than that of its 12-gauge counterpart, which gives it an additional advantage.
Wood, pleasant to the touch, was used to make the butt and fore-end. The stock neck is thin, the forend is completed with an unusually shaped end. The block and butt in the IZH-58 are connected with a screw, the forend is secured with a latch. The slightest inaccuracies made in the joining of the block and the butt will be reflected in the appearance of the wood - the bolt lever will cause damage to the stock over the operational period.
For decoration, hand engraving was done, and text information containing information about the model was applied to the block. Polishing in hard-to-reach places was not done very well.
Prestige and price
Legends can truly be made about the reliability of this gun. After all, these weapons are now being passed on to the third generation, and no one has any complaints about the quality of operation of the IZH-54. Reviews from owners in a number of cases indicate that they have never lubricated their gun or looked after it, but by all criteria they do not see any malfunctions.
It is no secret that ancient weapons radiate a special, almost magical, attraction. An ancient hunting rifle of good quality, perfectly preserved, is much more attractive for both collectors and hunters than modern weapons of fantastic appearance, made on CNC machines from duralumin and plastic.
Today, among people who are seriously interested in hunting, it is considered a sign of good manners to own an IZH-54 gun, the price of which ranges from 7 to 250 thousand rubles. and depends on the following criteria:
- condition of the weapon: new or used;
- presence of defects on the barrel and butt: stains, scratches, chips, etc.;
- weapon firing volume;
- availability of documents;
- type of muzzle constriction: choke, payload;
- the presence of individual or exclusive (gift) finishing;
- manufacturing option: export or for domestic consumption;
- presence of original parts, such as a cover;
- model, year of manufacture, design features.
There is no need to even talk about the cost of rare specimens, but the truth is, when a true connoisseur is driven by passion, the price does not matter.
Design
Based on the location of the pair of interchangeable barrels, the 16-gauge double-barreled shotgun is classified as a horizontal shotgun. Structurally, the trunks are different - the right trunk tapers by 0.5 mm, the left one - by 1 mm.
The barrel channels, like the chambers, are chrome-plated. Initially, a 16-gauge shotgun of the IZH brand was produced with a barrel length of 75 cm, but since 1961 this parameter has decreased by 2.5 cm. Note that the barrels of the early releases of IZH-58 differed in length by 1 cm from different batches. At the time of mass production at Izhevsk This was the norm at the arms factory.
The outer surface of the barrels was coated with protective paint or chrome plated. Since 1961, the technology has been simplified - the coating was applied with an inexpensive chemical composition.
The processing option was indicated in the passport attached to each copy of IZH-58. The diameter of the channels was stamped on the barrel coupling. Information about the year of manufacture, the permitted pressure in the channel was also displayed here, and a serial number was affixed, which was duplicated on the plane of the locking hook.
The barrel block is fastened with a strap and hooks, two of which are installed under the block, the third - on top of the barrels. The mechanism is locked with a rotary lever. For firing from the IZH-58 model, the use of smoky and smokeless powder is permitted.
All IZH 58 shotguns were fired tested at the factory
A bar with an aiming front sight is installed on top of the barrels. Until 1960, a high bar protruding above the barrel surface was used.
The trigger for the IZH-58 16-caliber shotgun is mounted in a special block on a base riveted to the lower block plane.
The trigger design consists of a striker and a safety cock. At the moment of fracture, the hammers are cocked and the mainsprings are compressed.
If an automatic fuse is used, it is retracted, fixing the sear. It is possible to turn off such a device by turning its thrust one hundred and eighty degrees.
After firing, the cartridge cases are removed automatically from the barrel channels of some models, but there are options when the semi-automatic mode slightly pushes them out of the barrel channel, and then it is removed manually. The installed machine gun will eject only the spent cartridge case, and the cartridge will extend up to three millimeters. The device for automatically removing cartridges is called ejector; it is turned off by turning the middle lever.
Early examples of 16-gauge shotguns were characterized by a rotating swivel screwed onto a bar separating the barrels. Later it was replaced by a fixed structure.
All guns were subjected to fire testing at the factory, for which three cartridges were allocated to each barrel. The fire was fired from thirty-five meters into a target whose diameter was 75 cm. The weapon was considered suitable for further use if one of the three shots met the following parameters:
- reached the target at least half of the shot from the right barrel;
- the same parameter for the left barrel was at least sixty percent.
These checks were noted in the product passport, which also indicated the type of gunpowder used, its mass, and the type of shot.
MAKSIMOV.SU
Y. Maksimov and V. Valnev
photo by the authors Nowadays, there is an increased interest among hunters in old guns produced during the USSR.
In addition to the nostalgic factor, the attraction to 'pre-perestroika' weapons is due to the decline in the quality of modern domestic weapons.
Classic horizontal lines
in the USSR they were represented, in addition to the trophy and reparation “Germans”, by the famous hammer “tulka” and the no less famous family of Izhevsk hammerless ones.
Shotgun Izh-58 16 caliber 1966
Between 1950 and 1995
The Izhevsk Mechanical Plant produced about 2.5 million hunting rifles with horizontal barrels. Of this amount, more than 1.36 million were modifications of the IZH-58 model, the production of which began half a century ago.
Shotgun Izh-58 16 caliber
1966
The evolution of
Izhevsk hammerless horizontal planes
Great Patriotic War
demanded incredible efforts from the country. But long before the last salvos died down, the question arose about establishing normal life in the country. Among many other things, the need for a large number of hunting weapons was obvious.
Don't forget
, that the USSR received a significant part of its currency from the export of fur produced by fishermen. It was for them that the bulk of the planned production of guns was intended.
Shotgun Izh-58 16 caliber
1966
Works
to resume the production of shotguns in Izhevsk resumed in 1944. There is very little information about this in the accessible press. Probably, at first, guns were assembled from the remaining pre-war stock of parts, usually the IzhB-36 and IzhB-36M models.
These same
the guns, with minimal changes, later received the indices IzhB-46 and IzhB-47, but they were no longer produced by IZHMASH (plant 74), but by the Izhevsk Motor Plant (plant 524), where in 1942 the production of Maxim machine guns, evacuated from Tula, was launched.
Shotgun Izh-58 16 caliber
1966
But already in 1947
The motor plant switched to the production of the first batch of Kalashnikov assault rifles mod. 1947, which could not but affect the production of guns. The above-described models of horizontal guns, which had locks on full boards and good workmanship, were very decent and inexpensive guns to produce.
That's why
It is completely incomprehensible why the government decided not to further modernize the IzhB-47, but to stop its production and produce a more expensive and labor-intensive copy of the German Sauer-8 instead.
Diagram of the Izh-58 gun
According to rumors
Exported German gunsmiths and designers also worked in Izhevsk. It is reliably known that Hugo Schmeisser worked at Izhmash. The factories used captured German factory equipment. One must think that if all these resources were used, then they did not end up in the production of hunting rifles.
At least
, at Izhmekhzavod captured machines already in the early 80s. haven't met at all. But it is known that Izhevsk engraver L. Vasev studied in Germany immediately after the war.
Shotgun Izh-58 16 caliber
1966 in its original form
New
The Soviet gun, which received the index Izh-49, is still an excellent gun today, hardly inferior, by any criteria, to the Izh-54 model, which is nothing more than a further greatly simplified and revised modification of the “49”.
From 1947 to 1954
In Kyiv, the "Metiz" artel assembled "Kyiv" rifles from Izhevsk parts, which were structurally similar to the Izh-B-47.
Shotgun Izh-58 16 caliber 1966
In 1949
, in connection with the repurposing of the motor plant, it was decided to concentrate the production of smooth-bore weapons at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (plant 622), which had previously been tasked with mastering the production of the single-barreled ZK system of the Kazansky system. The transfer of shotgun production to the mechanical plant was carried out by order of MV N421 dated 10/31/49.
Shotgun Izh-58 16 caliber
1966
Izhmekhzavod
arose almost in a vacant lot, on the territory of the hunting gun factory of Izhgorpromkombinat, which began to be built before the war, and was supposed to provide the army with some types of weapons in the shortest possible time. The basis was the individual production of Izhmash, as well as people and equipment evacuated from Tula and Kovrov.
Impeccable bore of
the Izh-58 16-gauge shotgun
Actually,
Izhmekhzavod was founded in July 1942 and was mainly engaged in the production of the Nagan revolver, the TT pistol and the Dyagterev and Simonov anti-tank rifles. In the first post-war years, due to the liquidation of military production, the plant produced hunting traps, steelyards, dial scales, pneumatic sports guns and various consumer goods.
Brand on the side of the receiver
of the Izh-58 shotgun
In 1945
L.I. Pugachev was appointed leading designer for civil production. Since 1946, intensive industrial construction began at the plant. The temporary wooden barracks were replaced by brick buildings, some of which are still in use today.
In post-war conditions
mastering the production of hunting rifles took place with considerable difficulties. But from the speech of the plant director N.I. Palladin, it is clear that already in 1950 the plant produced 185 thousand ZK guns and 25,420 Izh-49 units, and at the Moscow hunting dog breeding exhibition the Izh-49 gun was about.
Original passport and instruction insert for the Izh-58 16 caliber shotgun (1966)
At the end of 1951
the production of shotguns was discontinued - the plant began production of the SKS carbine, and in February 1952 the development of PM began. As part of the competition for a new type of combat pistol, announced in mid-1946, the plant created a 7.62-mm self-loading pistol by G.V. Sevryugin and a 9-mm self-loading pistol by AA by Klimov and Lobanov.
This year
pneumatic sports pistol SPP and shotgun PSR, developed by A.A. Klimov, were developed and manufactured in the form of prototypes, tested and accepted for production.
Shotgun Izh-58 16 caliber
1966
However
the guns were not forgotten - work continued to simplify and reduce the cost of the Izh-49 gun. As a result, the Izh-52 gun was developed, which later turned into the famous Izh-54 model. This gun, developed under the leadership of L.I. Pugachev, was produced from 1955 to 1969.
Shotgun Izh-58 16 caliber
1966
Besides
L.I. Pugacheva, the head of the double-barreled shotguns bureau A.A. Klimov was directly involved in the development of both models. In 1957, Pugachev's team developed a new model, the Izh-57, which differed from the Izh-54 by the presence of an upper locking bar instead of a Greener bolt and the introduction of a hammer release mechanism.
Trigger release
, tested in the Izh-57, was also used in the modified Izh-54. Samples of the Izh-54, which have a hammer release mechanism, are especially valued today.
Shotgun Izh-58 16 caliber
1966
It should be noted
that the lion's share of the production of hunting rifles in the USSR has always been concentrated in defense factories.
And, of course, this share has never been at least somewhat decisive. Although it did not go completely unnoticed - mainly because our guns have always been quite competitive abroad and provided the country with hard currency. Izh-58 16 caliber
Post-war
The conversion of defense plants was not very long and far from complete. Nevertheless, this experience allowed, for example, the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant to avoid complete disaster even in the context of the shutdown of military production in the most difficult 1990s for the entire country.
State
and changes over time in these political and economic conditions decisively determined the appearance, design and quality of the guns produced. However, even such a deservedly renowned gun as the Izh-54 could not completely satisfy all hunters of a huge country.
Quite heavy
and often overly powerful and expensive, requiring heavy and expensive ammunition, it was more suitable for the conditions of amateur hunting and did little to meet the requirements of running hunting, and even more so of fishing in the taiga.
Plastic butt plate
of the Izh-58 shotgun
in the atmosphere
During the post-war planned economic recovery, the government paid quite a lot of attention to hunting issues. Hunting not only provided the people with meat, but also brought the country “soft gold,” which was easily convertible into much-needed currency.
That's why
in 1958, production of the heroine of our article began: a light fishing “horizontal gun” of 20 caliber. Subsequently, it became the most popular model of the Izhevsk shotgun and received an index based on the year of development - the Izh-58 model.
Developed
again by L.I. Pugachev, the Izh-58 model had a significant advantage over the Izh-54 and Izh-57 in cost and weight, since it weighed almost half a kilo less and cost a third less.
Seems
It is incorrect to compare guns of such different classes and purposes, however, the design features and reserves originally incorporated into the Izh-58, which also determined the technological simplicity, eventually completely ousted the Izh54’s “descendants” from production.
Izh-58 shotgun,
safety
For lovers
conspiracy theories and questions like “which German created the AK”, we inform you that the Anson-Delay type scheme with cylindrical mainsprings placed in the box cushions in front of the triggers was somewhat earlier implemented in the famous “Model 21” of Winchester.
In that
You can be convinced by looking through E. Steingold’s book “Everything about the hunting rifle”, published by the “Forest Industry” in 1967. Just take into account that this did not prevent Leonid Ivanovich from obtaining an author’s certificate for the design of the rifle as a whole.
Izh-58 shotgun,
lower part of the receiver
Model Izh-58,
Constantly improving, it was produced for almost thirty years, becoming one of the most popular models of Soviet hunting smoothbore rifles.
Her
the closest direct relative, the Izh-43 model, is not only still in production, remaining the only serial horizontal gun produced in the country, but also served as the basis for many modifications, ranging from the external trigger version to the rifled double-barreled fitting MP-221 'Artemis'.
In 1969,
In parallel with the ongoing production of the Izh-58, production of the Izh-26E model began, developed on the basis of the Izh-54 and having an ejector. The presence of the ejector is directly explained by the export purpose of the Izh-26. In Russia, ejectors, like automatic fuses, are still not very popular.
Izh-58 shotgun,
triggers and protective guard
Parallel to Izh-26E
A unified ejectorless version of the Izh-26 gun is also produced. A little later, a single-trigger version of the Izh-26E-1S was developed, which, despite the positive results of comparative tests with imported analogues, unfortunately, never went into production.
Reason
This is exactly what happened with the appearance of the Izh-58M 12-caliber gun, which had the same shot power as the Izh-26 at a lower weight and price.
Shotgun Izh-58 16 caliber,
hammer cockers
Soon
Again, with the intention of export, an ejector version of the Izh-58ME appeared, which had a unique ejector design - with one working spring for both barrels.
A little bit later
, after deep design and technological development and unification, modifications with a switchable automatic fuse Izh-58MA and Izh-58MAE appeared.
Izh-58 shotgun, new handguard
But the works
with a single-trigger mechanism lasted quite a long time, and several rather interesting options were rejected. As a result, they chose a universal double-trigger mechanism, which went into production in the mid-1980s on a once again simplified version of the gun, designated Izh-43.
Single trigger mechanism
and a slightly modified ejector, modified by V.D. Zagrebin, were tested on a prototype - Model Izh-85. The Izh-43-1S series went into production already in the early 90s.
From the general
of the number of hunting rifles (almost 9 million copies) produced by the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant over the period 1950-1995, more than a third were shotguns with horizontally located barrels, second in number perhaps only to the single-barreled Izh-18 (with modifications).
Section of the barrel block of the Izh-58 shotgun. Note the neat mesh, hand-cut with a serger
"Model IZH-58".
Technical Description
Supplied
For production in 1958, the Izh-58 is a classic double-barreled hunting shotgun with horizontally paired barrels. Remarkable, very easy to use, suitable for both sport and commercial hunting, the Izh-58 was produced in 16 and 20 calibers.
Lung
, elegant, flexible, accurate and accurate, with good balance and weight distribution, this gun had nothing superfluous in its design.
Shotgun block Izh-58
Barrel tubes
and the breech coupling are made of high-quality Izhevsk steel 50A. The IZH-58 block is processed on specialized machines, followed by heat treatment and finishing of the basic dimensions and surfaces.
Manufactured
it is made from normalized forgings made of durable structural steel 50, which did not require subsequent carburization and, due to its properties, did not require separately made chrome-plated fire pipes.
Restored block of the Izh-58 gun
Exactly these
design features made it possible to significantly simplify the production and assembly of guns, which made it possible to significantly reduce the price of the gun compared to the Izh-54, the block of which, made of low-carbon steel 15, required lengthy and complex heat treatment, followed by additional manual adjustment, during the final assembly of the gun .
Izh-58 block assembly
Design
Izh-54 chrome-plated fire pipes created quite a lot of difficulties, since they required exclusively low-tech operations during their processing and especially the installation and adjustment of the Griner bolt, after cementation of the block.
The firing pins in the Izh-58 were installed in the triggers, and not in the box. Diagram of the Izh-58 gun
This is
not only simplified and made the gun cheaper, but also made it possible to increase the survivability of the firing pins and their springs (the latter simply disappeared from the Izh-58, since with such a design there is no need for them).
To be fair
It should be noted that such placement of the firing pins requires enlargement of the holes for them in the box shield and increases the risk of destruction of the butt and injury to the shooter in very rare cases of through penetration of the primers.
When
the use of domestic Zhevelo capsules and should be understood as “exceptionally rare.” Such cases are very rare even now, when using thin-walled imported capsules.
Screws
in the Izh-58 block, they were mainly replaced by pin connections, the attachment of the butt to the block was simplified, and the combat leaf springs were replaced by simpler, cheaper and more reliable cylindrical screw (spiral) springs.
Izh-58
Izh-58 barrels
, like the Izh-54 barrels, are made of hot-rolled steel using the deep drilling method. The Izh-58 barrels are connected using a barrel coupling, into which single barrel tubes are pressed. This is their difference from the Izh-54 of the first years of production, where the barrels were connected in the breech by soldering with hard brass solder, which due to annealing somewhat weakened the barrels.
Izh-58
By the way,
on Izh-54s produced after 1957, the barrels were also pressed into the breech coupling. This design, so criticized today, however, only further strengthens the trunks (based on the lining principle). In addition, with this method the breech coupling remains heated.
Besides
functions of connecting the breech of the barrels, the Izh-58 barrel coupling carries the main critical locking elements - under-barrel hooks and a stepped rear protrusion.
Guns Izh-58 (below) and Izh-54
Barrel block
, consisting of two tubes with a coupling, a sighting and lower bar, as well as a hinge post, soldered by the lower and upper sighting bars with lead-tin solder POSSu-40-2. The angle of convergence of the trunks is about 0?36?. The apex of the toe angle, designed to neutralize the torque at the moment of firing, is located approximately 1885 mm from the muzzle ends of the barrels.
Sighting bar
solidly milled, from breech to muzzle, soldered to the coupling and barrels. The bottom strip is soldered end-to-end to the hinge post. On the bottom bar, to strengthen the fastening of the base of the front swivel, a reinforcing plate is welded from the inside. Usually a hole was drilled on the bottom bar to check the quality of the soldered seam using compressed air.
Guns Izh-54 (left) and Izh-58
Choke constrictions
They have a drill close to parabolic, and the tapers are traditional choke and half. The choke constriction has 2 cones (2.5? and 5?, half - 1 cone. The chambers and bores of the barrels are chrome-plated. The outer surfaces of the barrels are coated with rusty varnish, the pads are chemically painted (oxidized).
Hard to tell,
Was the Izh-58 equipped with black chrome and black nickel barrel plating, which is occasionally found on the Izh-54?
Work to replace the 'rusty varnish' with another, cheaper and chemically resistant coating continued until the end of the 80s. Already on Izh-43 and Izh-27, black chrome, alkali-free barium oxidation and, finally, alkaline hot (nitrate) oxidation were successively introduced. Guns Izh-54 (left) and Izh-58
None of them
did not have the phenomenal mechanical strength of 'rusty varnish', but almost everything, even simple alkaline oxidation, has somewhat greater chemical resistance. As a result, economics (or rather, economy) won and for many years the parts of Izhevsk guns have been oxidized in hot nitrogen-salt baths.
Unfortunately
, including trunks soldered with lead-tin solder. Why "Unfortunately? Yes, because such an environment has a bad effect on the solder, soldering and dissolving the connecting seams.
Shotguns Izh-54 (top) and Izh-58
In Izh-58
Triple locking was used: on two under-barrel hooks with a Perde frame and with a bolt lever on the upper hook of the barrel coupling. USM - intra-hammer, modified 'Anson-Dilley'. The mainsprings are cylindrical screw springs, cocked by the forend hinge, pushers, when opening the gun.
Strikers
are pressed into the triggers and have a release mechanism. There are no cocking indicators. The trigger mechanism is mounted on a separate lower cover and has two triggers. A smooth trigger release is provided. The design of the trigger does not allow firing with the barrels unlocked.
Shotgun Izh-58 16 caliber
When triggers fail
from combat cocking, they automatically engage the safety cock, preventing the initialization of the primers in the cartridges. Extraction is carried out by advancing the cartridges using a common extractor, while the ejector hook captures a quarter of the rim of the cartridge case.
Fuse
non-automatic, slider type, locks only the sear, located on the upper shank of the block, and the design of the fuse made it possible to smoothly release the triggers even without turning it off.
Izh-58
Many samples
Izh-58 20 caliber models have a recessed stamped barrel rib, similar to that found on Izh-26 barrels. 16-gauge shotguns (and subsequent modifications of the Izh-58) had a conventional rib made by milling.
To one of the authors
There was an experimental Izh-58 20 caliber shotgun with an aluminum frame reinforced with a steel pin and barrels without connecting strips, on 3 couplings (the middle one is for the front swivel). Moreover, the aiming bar was made of wood. A very light, comfortable and stylish looking gun, which never went into production.
Izh-58, extended trigger guard shank
Stock and detachable forend
made of beech or birch, varnished. The forend is attached with a latch to a hook located on the interbarrel strip. Pistol stock or (less often) English stock. Piece guns had a walnut stock and more careful assembly and finishing. Izh-58 20-caliber had 675-mm barrels and weight in the range of 2.7-2.9 kg. In 16 gauge (since 1960), guns had 720 mm barrels and weighed up to 3.2 kg.
Effort n
and the descent was set by the drawing within the range of 1.5-2.5 kg, although there are guns with great effort, but, if desired, this can be treated by re-sharpening and grinding the sear. The gun hits well with both bullets and shot and buckshot.
Efficiency
The 16-gauge, especially when shooting with shot, is practically no different from the performance of the 12-gauge. And the recoil is significantly less, even taking into account the absence of a shock absorber. The gun itself is noticeably lighter than many domestic 12-gauge guns, which is a definite plus for outdoor hunting.
Izh-58 swivel
At the end
60s-early 70s. At Izhmekhzavod, instead of deep drilling, hot rotational forging (so-called reduction) of shotgun barrels was introduced on Austrian-made vertical forging machines. In the first half of the 80s, the production of blanks for reduction using the hot piercing method was introduced.
However,
If reduction can be clearly recognized as a progressive process, then hot flashing is clearly not the most optimal and quality-assuring operation. (It seems more correct to make a billet from a rolled seamless pipe to size.)
Izh-58, handguard
In 1971
production of the Izh-58M-12 began, developed on the basis of the Izh-58 16-caliber shotgun. The new modification guns had 720-730 mm barrels and weighed between 3.2-3.3 kg. The fuse is also non-automatic. Among the external differences, it is necessary to note the striking difference in the front contours of the butt - on the Izh-58 the end of the butt had a straight vertical section, on the Izh58M this end was already formed with a single radius.
Exactly
the change in the contour of the butt, due to changes in box processing technology and the introduction of new semi-automatic machines (author I.V. Anisimov), made it possible to realize the power of 12 gauge on a box originally designed for 20 and 16 gauge.
In the mid-1970s
gg. An ejector version of the gun with the index Izh-58ME was produced in a small edition. With the advent of the 12-gauge version based on the Izh-58, the fate of the much heavier, more expensive and labor-intensive Izh-26 and Izh-26E guns was sealed. Even in the export version and with the already tested single trigger version.
Izh-58 in hands
Already in 1977
The following were put into production: a version with an Izh-58MA fuse that automatically turns on when the gun is opened, and an ejector version of the Izh-58MAE, both 12 and 16 calibers, on a single unified box, and the fuse also locked the triggers.
Despite
For many users who prefer a non-automatic safety, the automatic option should be considered somewhat safer, since it is clearly better not to shoot at all than to get an unintentional shot.
Even
in case of hunting a dangerous animal. Both options require habit, and the presence of an automatic fuse does not replace the constant check of the fact that it is turned on. It should be taken into account that the Izh-54 and Izh26 had an automatic fuse initially.
The Izh-58 shotgun
has excellent balance
Hunters' wishes
, already accustomed to the non-automatic version, were taken into account - the automatic fuse on the Izh-58MA could be turned into a non-automatic one by simply turning the locking bar rod 180 degrees. Moreover, the thrust blade, which moves the button when opening, was located below and did not participate in the work.
Respectively,
an equally short time was required for the reverse transformation. Already during the development of the Izh-43, a proposal from assembly mechanic A. Shlykov was implemented, which simplified both the mechanism and the implementation of the “transformation”, according to which, to disable the automatic fuse, it was only necessary to shorten the button pin a little and move it to the left, removing it from the path of the upper thrust blade, moving in a groove on the lower surface of the box shank.
Izh-43 safety mechanism
differs from the similar Izh-58MA in the shape of the fuse (frame), in addition, an additional button fixation with a ball has been introduced, which was not present on the Izh58MA.
Often enough
You can hear advice on disabling the automatic fuse by removing the rod completely. Therefore, it should be noted that it is impossible to completely remove the thrust - when cocking the triggers, the safety must ALWAYS release the sear, whether it is on or not. That is, you can remove the thrust and walk and shoot for a long time, until you decide to break the gun with the safety on.
Izh-58 triggers and mainsprings (before restoration)
Because on Izh-58MA (MAE)
, as on the Izh-43, the safety locks not only the triggers, but also the sear, and in order to cock the hammers, the sears must turn and let the hammers cock; at the moment of cocking, the sears must be released. If the sears are locked, they will still be released when cocking.
But at the same time
either one of the parts will be broken or deformed, after which either the triggers will stop cocking, or the safety, regardless of the position of the button, will completely stop locking the sear. In the latter case, the shooter will be confident of safety until he pulls the triggers.
Piece Izh-58
Except
turning on protection against a shot when the trigger is accidentally pressed; other functions are usually associated with automation, for example, the impossibility of firing when the barrels are not completely locked, which turns out to be much more accurate.
Surprisingly,
Izh-43KN has the same automatic fuse. Initially, they were going to, if not remove it, then make it non-automatic, but the main customer (and it was developed for deliveries to the USA) demanded that it remain automatic.
Ejector Izh-58MAE
had a truly unique design with a single working spring operating on both barrels, and if only one shot was fired, then only the spent cartridge case was ejected.
Since 1979
, again for export, the Izh-58MA-20M model was produced, having 76-mm chambers, chambered for a magnum cartridge, which at that time was not yet produced in the USSR. This gun had a box unified with 12 gauge, 670-680 mm barrels and weighed about 3.3 kg.
Piece Izh-58
Izh-43 and other “descendants”
In 1984
A.N. Kalinin’s team developed, on the basis of the Izh-58MA, the Izh-43 and Izh-43E models, which differ from their predecessors primarily in the design of a universal two-trigger trigger, which allows firing both in normal autonomous mode and in single-trigger mode, with a choice of order the barrels could be operated by simply moving the finger to another trigger.
However
During the production process, it quickly became clear that the assembly capacity simply did not allow the production of all guns with a universal mechanism, so the Izh-43M and EM variants with a mechanism closer to that of the Izh-58MA with conventional autonomous triggers were developed quite quickly. A little later, the documentation was reworked into a single one, the letter M completely disappeared from the designation.
Already
the following year, V.D. Zagrebin developed a gun, which received the Izh-85 index. It differed from the Izh-43 by the presence of a single trigger mechanism, which was later used on the Izh-43-1S, and a slightly modified ejector.
Piece Izh-58
Impossible
track the history and evolution of weapons in isolation from the history of the country. In this case, the influence of time resulted in the fact that as a result of a landslide conversion, hunting weapons became vital for the plant, they began to pay more attention to it and allocate more funds.
Especially,
that it brought not rapidly depreciating rubles, but hard currency. And within the country, the demand for guns has increased very sharply. As a result of the constant demands of large wholesale buyers, primarily foreign ones, the first version of interchangeable choke tubes with thread Sp.M20x1 and a small base box for small caliber shotguns (box for 20, 28, 32 and 410 cal. has a center distance of 25 mm, instead of 27 mm for 12 and 16 cal).
All
earlier attempts, even those made under pressure from the all-Union foreign trade association Raznoexport, were hindered by a lack of production capabilities.
Now
in production are not only Izh-43 20 caliber, but also 28 and even 410, including single-trigger and with interchangeable choke nozzles. Intended primarily for export to the USA, the design of the choke tubes was changed; Florida nozzles with a two-start fine inch thread were taken as a basis.
Were
Samples of 12, 16, 20, 28, 32 and 410 calibers have been tested, most of these calibers are produced, of course, in accordance with bulk orders.
Naturally, 12-gauge shotguns are the most produced, significantly less than 20, 28 and 410, and 16-gauge guns are produced only in very small quantities. In addition to
the smaller distance between the axes of the strikers, the Izh-43 20-caliber box has a recess along the hinge axis and the transition from the pads to the shield is chamfered instead of radius. A little later, a version of the 12-caliber magnum shotgun was developed, for which the box was widened by about 4 mm, the center-to-center distance remained the same.
Izh-58
Every,
whoever could compare the Izh-58 and Izh-43 guns, especially in disassembled form, could not help but Fr. The ejector has been changed quite seriously. Instead of a single working spring placed at the bottom between the barrels, two springs were placed in the upper part of the coupling. On the ejector version, the sector of coverage of the cartridge case by the ejector was sharply increased.
On the ejectorless version
The sleeve coverage sector and the position of the ejector-based pin changed several times. Based on the results of the analysis of complaints, the ability to disable the ejector was removed. Since it was found that most of the complaints about ejector failures are simply the result of its accidental shutdown when wiping with a rag: now for most users, reading a passport is especially hard and wasted work.
To date
Izhevsk horizontal planes finally received external triggers. This design idea was embodied in the Izh-43K model (designer V.D. Zagrebin), originally intended for the American market. In fairness, it should be mentioned that on the Izh-43K it was not the hammers themselves that were external, but only their cockers, hammers and strikers were used the same as on the Izh-43.
A little bit later
A.E. Popovich developed the Izh-43KN gun, which already had real external triggers and firing pins in fire tubes. Although the mainsprings had to be strengthened, they remained cylindrical screws and were still located at the front in the box cushions.
Americans
They ordered the Izh-43K mainly for “cowboy shooting” competitions (in the USA the model was supplied mainly with short barrels, was called “John Wayne” and had an image of a cowboy on false boards).
That's why
The gun was subject to increased safety requirements: an automatic safety (which has never happened anywhere on trigger guns) and additional blocking of the firing pin from firing when the trigger hits a hard surface as a result of the gun accidentally falling from the hands of a shooter sitting on a horse.
More likely
, the last requirement was born from the experience of using a revolver, but on guns, due to the increased mass, such blocking is much more difficult. However, the blocking was quite successfully installed.
Izh-58, extended trigger guard shank
Unfortunately
It should be noted that recently Izhmekhzavod has been paying less and less attention to the quality and properties of hunting weapons. For example, weighing modern Izh-43 barrels of the 12th, and even the 20th, shows that they have 200 grams more mass than, for example, Izh-58MA 12-gauge barrels.
Box Izh-43
20 gauge, differing from a 12 gauge box by a smaller center distance and a smaller thickness along the axial bolt, has the same mass as a 12 gauge box. Compared to even ordinary guns produced in the 60s and 70s, “newly made” domestic weapons, including improved, expensive versions, look more than pale.
Despite
Due to the increase in the living standards of the people and increasing quality requirements, as well as real competition, the level of production of guns is constantly decreasing. Trends towards simplification of design and fitting, and the elimination of hand filing and finishing, are to a greater or lesser extent observed throughout the world, and not only in hunting weapons.
But for some reason
In our country these tendencies manifest themselves most acutely and uglier. Moreover, unlike the others, in Russia they are practically not compensated by improving the quality and accuracy of machine processing and coatings. This is all the more disappointing because there are real opportunities for improvement.
conclusions
"Model Izh-58"
- a wonderful gun, suitable for both sport and commercial hunting. Light, graceful, flexible, precise and compact. Nothing extra. It hits well with both bullets and shot and buckshot. The weight distribution and seating position of the gun are quite satisfactory. The forend is a little narrow, although this is a matter of habit.
Because of
With a somewhat narrow butt ridge, when shooting handheld, the gun tends to hit slightly to the right of the aiming point. The force on the triggers is high, but this can be cured by re-sharpening and grinding the sear. The effectiveness of the 16-gauge, especially when shooting with shot, is practically no different from the effectiveness of the 12-gauge.
And the return
significantly less, even taking into account the absence of a shock absorber. The gun itself is noticeably lighter than many domestic 12-gauge guns, which is a definite plus for outdoor hunting. The gun can easily be called an analogue of the TOZ-63, in 16 gauge. The only differences are in the design of the trigger and the absence of a Greener bolt in locking the Izh-58.
Standard chokes
(1 mm and 0.5 mm) meet any requirements of classical hunting in Russia. The author has not yet thoroughly studied the features of barrel engagement with parabolic drilling of the choke, but judging by the preliminary shooting, this drilling is very effective and versatile.
Piece Izh-58
Non-automatic fuse
absolutely reliable and seems to be the right solution to the handling safety aspect of classic hunting weapons. The fact that many hunters disable the automatic safety on their shotguns argues in favor of a non-automatic safety.
Some design features
, such as integral firing pins and hammers, as well as the absence of chrome-plated firing pin bushings used on the Izh-54 and Izh-26, in the opinion of many hunters, do not add any advantages to the gun. But even without this, the gun, which is one of the most common among hunters in the USSR, perfectly fulfills its direct function - it shoots regularly and hits well.
Piece Izh-58
Plus,
The guaranteed (confirmed by annual factory tests) survivability of the Izh-58 reaches 15,000 rounds, without the use of spare parts, which is by no means unimportant. And on long journeys, the lack of colored pads on the commercial Izh-58 and the more significant image of the 26 and 54 Izhaks will seem like absolutely insignificant little things, compared to the additional 300-400 grams (depending on the caliber) 'excess' metal driven into the less technologically advanced Izh-54 and Izh-26.
I must admit
that these more prestigious, but also significantly more expensive guns, originally conceived specifically for amateur hunting, do not always have any significant operational advantage that can justify the extra weight, high cost and technological complexity in manufacturing.
It can be argued,
that the legendary and so praised today Izh-54-57 and Izh-26, in the eyes of the fisherman, cannot compete with the Izh-58.
That's why
there is every reason to assert that the “Izh-58 model”, based on a set of criteria, can lay claim to the title of the best Izhevsk (and perhaps Soviet) gun with horizontal barrels. And each reader can make the final conclusions himself, based on his own experience and preferences.
Shotgun Izh-58
16 caliber
The article was published in the magazine “Master-Rifle”
Advantages and disadvantages
The IZH-58 is considered a well-balanced double-barreled shotgun that does not create strong recoil. Shooting is carried out equally effectively with bullets, buckshot and shot. The design is simple and reliable.
The presence of a non-automatic safety creates a high safety indicator, minimizing the likelihood of an accidental shot. The manufacturer stated a working life of up to seven thousand shots, but if proper care is provided for the gun, this figure increases at least twice.
As a disadvantage of the IZH-58, the significant effort required to release the hook is noted, but such a defect can be easily eliminated by fine-tuning. Another disadvantage is susceptibility to corrosive formations, since the metal parts are treated with a low-quality chemical composition. So you will have to remove moisture from the gun after each use.
IZH-58 is considered a well-balanced double-barreled shotgun
Specifications
Let's continue the description of the 16-gauge shotgun by listing its technical characteristics:
- caliber – 20; 16 and 12;
- weight – 3.2 kg. There are models whose weight varies between 2.7 – 2.9 kg;
- maximum pressure – up to 750 atm;
- components of IZH-58 - barrels, forend, block;
- material for the butt and stock – birch. For the piece sample IZH-58, walnut was used;
- the block and barrels are made of steel;
- trunk length – 67.5 and 72.5 cm.
Modifications
During the entire production stage of IZH-58, the Izhevsk plant produced a number of modifications manufactured for specific purposes:
- IZH-58MA-20M - designed to fire powerful Magnum ammunition, cartridge caliber - 76 mm;
- IZH-58 16k – standard version with two barrels, designed for 16 gauge;
- IZH-58-12 - this weapon is designed for 12-gauge cartridges. The model is equipped with a non-automatic safety and a grooved aiming bar;
- IZH-58MA - a more advanced version, equipped with an automatic fuse, designed for 16 and 12 gauge;
- IZH-58MAE - a complete repetition of the previous model. The exception is the ejector, which is responsible for ejecting spent cartridges.
The Izh 58 shotgun requires care after each use
History of creation
When developing the IZH-58 model gun, weapon designer L.I. Pugachev intended to use only 20-caliber cartridges. Before the start of serial production, an option appeared for smaller 28-caliber cartridges, which were not popular among commercial hunters.
In the series, weapons chambered for this cartridge were not produced, but were produced in single copies only upon order. As production increased, which began in 1958, new modifications began to be introduced.
This is how variants of the IZH-58 shotgun chambered for 12- and 16-gauge cartridges appeared, which became the most popular weapon options.
Modifications chambered for 20-gauge cartridges were produced under the index 58-20 until the mid-60s.
The bulk of products chambered for this cartridge were produced between 1958 and 1959. Early Izhevsk Model 58 guns were exported in limited quantities. The maximum share of foreign orders did not exceed 10% of the annual output.
The first serious modernization was carried out in 1971, after which the index of the basic version of the 16-caliber changed to IZH-58M. The difference between the modernized weapon was the use of structural elements from the IZH-48 model gun.
A new version of the weapon chambered for large-caliber cartridges began to be designated 58M-12. The design used a non-automatic fuse. The modernized versions were successfully exported, and in some years up to 50% of the output went abroad.
In 1977, an automatically activated fuse was introduced into the design of the gun, which was triggered when the barrels were broken. The second innovation was an automatic ejection system for spent cartridges, which was installed on some of the products.
Weapons with such modifications began to be designated IZH-58MA and 58MAE, respectively.
Two years later, a sample of the IZH-58MA-20M shotgun was presented, created for a reinforced cartridge with a sleeve extended to 76 mm. This option was intended for export abroad, since the USSR used cartridges with a 70 mm sleeve.
All variants of IZH-58 were produced only at the Izhevsk Arms Plant. The last batches of weapons were shipped to customers in the late 80s of the last century. Numerous changes were made to the design during production, some of which will be described below.
Rules for the use of IZH-58
It is used for hunting and clay pigeon shooting. The cartridges are loaded with shot of different diameters, buckshot, and solid lead bullets.
The combination of a choke and a payload in the IZH-58 made it possible to improve the accuracy of fire at different distance ranges.
To make it easier to carry and store, IZH-58 can be disassembled into its component parts. This way it takes up less space.
Having fired with the right barrel while there is a charge in the left, experienced experts advise moving the cartridge from the left barrel to the right, and placing a new charge in the vacant space.
In most cases, the automatic type fuse is turned off, since removal from it is accompanied by a loud click that scares away animals.
Let's shoot
To test the gun, the following cartridges were loaded: with a Polev-1 bullet without rolling the barrel of the case, shot cartridges with shot number 5 and number 8 in plastic sleeves, using a wad-container, and shot cartridges in brass sleeves on a felt wad.
In addition to shot cartridges, several 6.2 mm buckshot cartridges were also loaded. All attachments are standard for 16 gauge. Factory cartridges were products from the Vetter factory with shot number 5. 10x15 cm photographic cards and 50x50 cm pieces of wallpaper were used as targets. The cartridges were fired at distances of 20-25 and 35 meters. Weather conditions: rain, sometimes heavy, air temperature about +12 Celsius.
To level out errors when aiming, shooting bullet cartridges was carried out while sitting, from a rest. The “bullseye” of the target was a square of 8x8 cm, aiming was carried out classically, “in the center.” Shot 3 series of 2 shots, alternately from both barrels. During shooting, an excessively high trigger force was noted, which was of little use for aiming “rifle-style.”
Of course, we have a classic shotgun in our hands, but when hunting animals, you can’t just shoot shotguns offhand. The force on the front descent is within 3 kg, on the rear - about 5 kg, which is 2 times higher than the standard values.
The nature of the triggers is hard, without pulling, as befits a shotgun. And while handling the right trigger was still quite acceptable, the rear trigger had to be literally torn off, which initially affected the results. In general, the results of bullet shooting can be considered quite satisfactory. The photo shows the first target, which most clearly displays the trigger feature of the gun.
The right half-choke barrel, the same one driven by soldering, disproved the theory by sending 3 bullets just above the aiming point in a neat group of less than 60 mm. From the left barrel there were 2 side-by-side separations down and to the right and, taking into account the errors when releasing the “heavy” left trigger, the 3rd bullet hit the aiming point. The subsequent series of shots clearly hit 3 doublets in a square of 8x8 cm.
Overall: with excellent accuracy, the barrels turned out to be perfectly shot, if this term can be applied to large-scale production. With some training in hand-held shooting, you can successfully shoot an animal “in place” up to 50-70 m. The recoil when shooting is moderate. It is convenient to aim along the bar; the front sight is clearly visible against any background. Shooting of self-loaded shot cartridges was carried out from the same 35 meters, standing, handheld.
The results, even when using standard attachments, were very good. When zeroing and using, for example, sprinkling the projectile with starch, you can increase the firing range to 40 m. The Fetter cartridges produced slightly worse scree.
When shooting at 30 m on a damp pine board 18 mm thick, the “five”, in most cases, pierced the board right through. So the sharpness was also okay. The weight of gunpowder when loading shot cartridges can be experimentally reduced somewhat.
Buckshot cartridges using uncoordinated buckshot produced a somewhat chaotic scree, which is understandable. But even so, when shooting at 35 m at, for example, a roe deer, the animal’s defeat will be 100%, if it hits 3, and even more so 4-6 buckshots.
Shooting with snipe was carried out from the most typical distance - from 20 m, both with cartridges with a plastic sleeve and with the use of brass cartridges, shot weight - 25 g. These cartridges were fired from a semi-choke barrel. The results showed that at standard shooting distances, the quail's chances of surviving were close to zero.
