Recently, among fans of hunting rifles, there has been an increase in interest in ordinary non-collection domestic models made in the sixties and seventies. One of the most popular representatives of these products is the IZH 59 "Sputnik" gun.
History of the creation of weapons
IZH 59 "Sputnik" was produced under the direction of chief designer A. Klimov from 1959 to 1962. Over this period, over twenty thousand units were collected. This gun gained wide popularity among hunters and received the title of "national". This is due to the fact that IZH 59 "Sputnik" is the first double-barreled hunting rifle available to the general consumer, equipped with smooth trunks placed in a vertical plane one above the other.
Many gunsmiths know such a thing as “boxflint”. It is used to designate various hunting rifles with a similar vertical placement of trunks. IL 59 "Sputnik" opened a whole line of "vertical bars" created by Soviet gunsmiths. As a result of their design work, such very popular bench bocflints as IZH 12, 27, 25 and 39 were presented to consumers. The base of the main gun IZH 59 "Sputnik" was used to create these models.
What is a product?
This model is a double-barreled shotgun hunting weapon containing vertical folding trunks. They are attached using two couplings. In the design of this model, gunsmiths do not provide for the presence of connecting (interbarrelated) slats. In the production of channels and chambers, the chromium plating procedure is used. To attach the detachable forend, a special latch is used. Extraction of shot shells from two barrels is carried out using special ejectors. They are located in the coupling in special lateral grooves.
Aiming is carried out using a special aiming strip. It is soldered to the upper barrel of the IZH 59 "Sputnik" gun. The characteristics that this weapon received indicate a 50 percent accuracy of its lower trunk. Accuracy, which provides during the shooting of its upper barrel, not less than 60%. A wide wedge is used to lock the gun. He clings to a special spring-loaded hinge hook that contains the breech shaft coupling.
To make a bed, a beech or walnut tree is used. The shape of the box can be straight or pistol.
The stock on the back has a plastic or rubber shock absorber. Covering the side surfaces of the trunks is carried out using special wooden linings. As evidenced by the numerous reviews of the owners, sport hunting and sport shooting are those areas for which IZH 59 "Sputnik" is ideally suited. The photo below presents the features of the external design of this hunting weapon.
How are barrel pads arranged?
The breech of the receiver is located in the receiver, in which for this purpose a special cutout is provided. They are also equipped with two windows for the front and rear underbarrel hooks. On the inside of the wall of the barrel pads are equipped with inclined grooves for the pusher. There are two holes on the pad guards for the strikers. The shank is the end of the back of the receiver. On the shank are a sear and a fuse system.
TTX
Distinctive features and characteristics:
- By type IZH 59 "Sputnik" is a firearm.
- By designation, this model belongs to the hunting group.
- The weapon is equipped with smoothbore barrels.
- The number of trunks for one gun is 2 pieces.
- Trunks are located in a vertical plane.
- In the manufacture of trunks, the craftsmen use standard drilling: payday - lower trunk, full chock - upper.
- Combat nutrition is not carried out automatically.
- Barrel length is 75 cm.
- Weight - 3.5 kg.
- The weapon is designed for the use of ammunition of the twelfth caliber.
- The size of the cartridge is 12/70.
- Manufacturer - Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (USSR).
Trigger mechanism
USM data guns placed in the pads. There are separate grounds for the mechanism, which are also called “masks”. The trigger is equipped with cylindrical spiral war springs, as well as return hammers, which are located separately from the striker. With the help of hinges and cocking levers, the cocking of the hammers is carried out in IZH 59 "Sputnik". Owner reviews indicate that the trigger mechanism of this gun is uncomplicated. If necessary, it is easy to disassemble and assemble. To perform these works, it is not necessary to use special tools.
How is a weapon disassembled?
In order to disassemble the gun, you must perform the following steps:
- Disconnect forend.
- Turn the locking lever all the way to the right.
A shotgun can be considered disassembled if in it the receiver is separated from the receiver and the bed.
USM types
Trigger mechanisms in this model represent three different systems:
- The construction of two triggers. Each of them is designed to work with any one of the two trunks.
- A system of two triggers. Each of them can sequentially act on two trunks.
- Design containing one trigger, designed to work with two trunks. For this type of trigger, any sequence of trigger connection with trunks is characteristic. Its use was made possible through the use of a special switch. This mechanism is considered the invention of Russian gunsmiths, as it is structurally implemented in Russia.
A characteristic feature for all three trigger mechanisms is the ability to perform a smooth trigger release.
How is the fuse in the gun IZH 59 "Sputnik"?
Owner reviews on the design of fuses in this hunting weapon are positive. Using an automatic fuse during cocking, the sear is locked. Thus, the sear remains closed only when cocked. If it is lowered, the fuse button is in idle mode: it does not lock its whisper with its flag. Its closing is carried out thanks to the automatic fuse mode immediately after opening the trunks and cocking the triggers in IZH 59 "Sputnik". Responses of the owners of these guns indicate that the safety system copes with its task successfully:
- With the open position of the trunks, the probability of unplanned shooting is completely eliminated.
- Due to the special design of the fuses, the owner has the opportunity to produce an unstressed trigger trigger located on a combat cock. To do this, fully open the trunks and move the safety button forward. Then you should press the triggers. Only after performing these actions do the trunks close.
Ammunition
To equip cartridges for this gun, we apply both smoky and smokeless gunpowder. "Shirts" of sleeves are made of paper or metal. The gun is designed to use ammunition only twelfth caliber.
Distinctive design feature
These guns have no connecting bars. The connection between the trunks is performed by two couplings. In order to eliminate excessive tension that occurs during firing, the developers of this gun in the muzzle for the lower barrel provides a sliding landing. As a result, according to many owners, any changes in the powder charge lead to a change in the angle of departure of the bullet. Therefore, the use of enhanced charges is undesirable for firing from IZH 59 "Sputnik". Owner reviews indicate that during the firing of enhanced ammunition, the barrel of the gun vibrates significantly, as a result of which the weapon begins to "baptize": a bullet fired from the upper barrel falls below its target, and from the lower - on the contrary, higher. According to the owners of this gun, the distance between the trunks is very large: if you take this weapon in the hand by the trunks and squeeze it, they will touch each other.
This feature, characteristic of IL 59 "Sputnik", was taken into account by the developers in the process of creating new hunting and sports models of guns. As a result of improvements, it was decided to solder the trunks between themselves. In the future, a similar solution was used to create the IL 12 gun. According to the owners, the IZ 59 Sputnik was created in the years when hunting ethics were respected: any increase in powder charge or strong rolling of cartridges was unacceptable. According to experts of hunting weapons, it was for skillful shooters, and not for those who like to shoot ammunition reinforced with 50 g shots, the IZH 59 "Sputnik" gun was created.
Foreign counterpart of the Soviet boxflint
Merkel is one of the most expensive and very sophisticated vertical models that has gained wide popularity in Germany. This gun for generations of German hunters has become a fetish, and the possession of these weapons was a matter of particular pride.
High applicability, excellent balance and ease in controlling the gun made this German bokflint one of the most popular among sports and hunting models in the arms markets in Germany. Exactly the same popularity among experts on smoothbore guns in the Soviet Union is also used by IZH 59 "Sputnik". An analogue of the Russian model consists of three parts: a receiver, a barrel block and a forearm. According to the reviews of the owners of the German "Merkel", the fore-end attachment to the trunks in these guns is quite strong. Shotguns are equipped with very strong locking parts.
Strengths and weaknesses of German and Russian bokflintov
Judging by the numerous positive reviews of the owners of the verticals, the following are considered to be the advantages of shotguns with vertically placed trunks:
- Improved visibility during shooting.
- High "survivability" of guns.
- Comfort during operation (models with vertical placement of trunks are convenient for grip).
- The absence of a connecting strap between the trunks provides light weight guns. Due to this, it has increased maneuverability and is easy to control.
- The design features of the fuse allow the owner of this gun to shocklessly pull the triggers mounted on a combat platoon.
The disadvantages of IZH 59 of the "Sputnik", like most of the bocflints, include:
- In different trunks, the hammers hit the capsules with different strengths. According to some owners, the lower trunks are characterized by frequent misfires.
- Intensive use can lead to loosening of stocks. The owners of these rifles note that the butt “stabs” along the cutout in the upper and lower parts. This is due to the fact that over time the coupling screw on the butt weakens. Also, loosening can be caused by a weak tapping of the metal into the wood. Owners recommend checking and tightening these coupling screws periodically.
