The IZH-17 shotgun is an example of a simple and trouble-free weapon from the last century, and it is still in demand among hunters.
A bit of history
For the first time, the IZh gun model was made at IZHMEKh in the first years after the war, and was released until 1970. There is an opinion that IL-17 and IL-49 were made according to drawings brought from Germany. It was produced until the 70s, until it was replaced by other models. For all the time it was released about half a million copies.
The gun IZH-17 was very popular. Photo below.
Predecessors
In 1940, a mechanical plant in Izhevsk produced a gun, which was called the ZK ("Zlatoust-Kazantsev"). The weapon was single-shot and single-barrel, intended for hunting medium-sized animals. It was suitable for both amateur hunters and for fishing. It was also produced by the Zlatoust machine factory. This gun is considered the progenitor of all ILs, because they are not too different from him in their design.
The characteristics of the gun IZH-17
The IZH-17 shotgun has a single barrel, single-shot, with an external trigger. Type of loading - mechanical. It is available for calibers from 12 to 32. IZH 17 16 caliber shotgun was also produced. Now it is quite difficult to find this model and cartridges for it.
Barrel length and weight are caliber dependent.
- A 32-caliber shotgun weighs 2.4 kg. Length - 675 mm.
- The 28th caliber has a rating of 2.5 kg / 675 mm.
- The 20th weighs 2.6 kg and the length is also 675 mm.
- The model for the 16th caliber with a barrel length of 730 mm weighs 2.6 kg.
The fore-end and butt of the IZH-17 gun are made of wood, in the factory versions - of birch and beech. Compared to its predecessors, it has less weight, better balance, and the design of the weapon is improved. The wear resistance of the mechanisms is also higher: the warranty shot of the IZH-17 rifle is equal to eight thousand shots.
The optimal firing range is 50 meters. With a larger cartridge power, a range of up to 100 meters can be achieved, however, this will greatly increase recoil.
Isolated, “gift” copies of IZH-17 were also made. Such a gun was executed carefully and better, the details were artistically finished, and the butt was made of walnut or beech wood. In addition to appearance, a single instance was distinguished by a greater accuracy of the battle, and the build quality predetermined its high reliability.
Barrel and mechanism
The drill hole corresponds to the type of "cylinder with pressure." For the 12th gauge, the magnitude of the muzzle narrowing is 0.25 mm, and for the 32nd, 0.1 mm. This type of barrel is also called a weak choke or an improved cylinder. It is not too different from the cylinder in combat qualities, but when shooting it is no longer possible to use a round bullet.
The gun does not have a fuse, like other IL models. The lower part of the trigger has a protrusion that prevents cocking in case the barrel is not fully locked. The same mechanism works in the opposite direction: when cocked, it is no longer possible to open the barrel. The force required for the shot is 1.5-2 kg. The role of the whisper in the mechanism is played by the trigger.
The sleeve can be used both metal and paper.
Stock removal
There are times when you need to disconnect the butt. The reasons can be different, from restoration and refinement, to replacement. For beginner hunters, a hitch may occur here. First remove the back plate of the stock. To do this, you just need to unscrew the two screws. After removing the bar, a hole in the butt will be visible. With a cylindrical key, you need to unscrew the nut from the main screw, after which the butt will be removed.
Care
Like all weapons, this gun needs periodic lubrication and cleaning after firing. Since the age of any IL-17 is more than forty years, improper storage can cause various problems caused by time. If the gun was not used, the mechanism may rust, and cracks may appear in the butt and fore-end tree. Rust is usually cleaned with dehydrated or clean aviation kerosene. USM is soaked in kerosene for a period of not less than a day, then cleaned with cotton wool. After firing, firing is also easy to clean with kerosene. Places where rust could not be cleaned are advised to be buried.
Causes of cracks in the butt
Wood has been and remains the most popular material for making stocks, despite the fact that many new materials have appeared. Part of its popularity is due to the fact that such a butt is easy to modify under the anatomical features of the shooter. However, there are also disadvantages - low resistance compared to polymers.
Most often, cracks appear on the upper part of the neck of the IZ gun barrel. Ahead is the upper shank of the receiver, it is with it the appearance of cracks. If the end part of the groove on the neck fits too tightly to the shank, as a result of operation, the tree splits along the fibers. The gap may disappear as a result of natural wood changes due to lower or higher humidity. With a large shot, the butt cheeks are compacted and shortened, which also leads to the disappearance of the gap. It may also be the result of the general friability of the wood of which the butt is made.
The second common cause of cracking is an insufficiently tightened clamping screw that pulls the butt to the receiver. In this case, the “backswing” of the shank is greater, which with a probability of one hundred percent will lead the neck into disrepair.
How to avoid cracks
Periodic inspection of the IZh gun for the presence of a gap is guaranteed to protect the weapon from cracks in the upper part of the neck. In case the shooter detects the gap disappears, it is necessary to remove the butt and cut the end of the groove. For this, a semicircular chisel of the appropriate size is suitable. It is also necessary to regularly check the clamping screw.
Sometimes cracks do not appear on the neck, which can be caused by rejection of the workpiece. According to the rules, wood fibers must go along the neck of the butt and parallel to its lower part. In other cases, splitting can be expected.
