The IZh-59 «Sputnik» (''ИЖ-59 «Спутник»'') is a Soviet
double-barreled shotgun
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...
.
[А. Климов. Ружьё "Спутник" // журнал «Охота и охотничье хозяйство», № 6, июнь 1961. стр.35-36]
History
In the mid-1950s in Soviet Union began work on design the first model of double-barreled shotgun in over/under configuration. In 1959, the development of the model was completed and since 1960
Izhevsk Mechanical Plant
Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (russian: Ижевский Механический Завод, ''Izhevsky Mekhanicheskiy Zavod'') or IZHMEKH (ИЖМЕХ) was a major firearms manufacturer founded in Izhevsk in 1942 for manufacturing small arms.
Histo ...
began its
serial production
Serial may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media The presentation of works in sequential segments
* Serial (literature), serialised literature in print
* Serial (publishing), periodical publications and newspapers
* Serial (radio and televisio ...
.
, the price of one standard IZh-59 was 120
roubles
The ruble (American English) or rouble (Commonwealth English) (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is the currency unit of Belarus and Russia. Historically, it was the currency of the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union.
, currencies named ''rub ...
.
In early 1960s, work began on creating a new model based on the IZh-59 design. In 1962, first
IZh-12
The IZh-12 (ИЖ-12) is a Soviet double-barreled shotgun.
History
IZh-12 was designed in early 1960s as a successor to the IZh-59 "Sputnik", in 1962 first shotguns were made. Since 1963 began its serial production.
In January 1965, the price ...
shotguns were made, since 1963 began its serial production. In 1964, production of IZh-59 was discontinued.
In total, 21 218 shotguns have been made.
Design
IZh-59 «Sputnik» was the first model of Soviet over and under shotguns.
[М. Галась. Первая ижевская вертикалка // журнал «Мастер-ружьё», № 8 (221), август 2015. стр.24-27]
It is a
hammerless
A hammerless firearm is a firearm that lacks an exposed hammer or hammer spur. Although it may not literally lack a hammer, it lacks a hammer that the user can pull directly. One of the disadvantages of an exposed hammer spur is the tendency to ...
shotgun, with
chokes
Choking, also known as foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO), is a phenomenon that occurs when breathing is impeded by a blockage inside of the respiratory tract. An obstruction that prevents oxygen from entering the lungs results in oxygen depr ...
at the muzzle end.
It has a walnut or beech stock and fore-end.
Some shotguns were equipped with rubber
recoil pad on its
shoulder stock.
Variants
The shotguns were produced in eight versions, which had minor differences between them.
* IZh-59-2 «Sputnik-2» (''ИЖ-59-2 «Спутник-2»'') - was equipped with a second pair of 650mm detachable barrels
* IZh-59-3 «Sputnik-3» (''ИЖ-59-3 «Спутник-3»'') - was the version of standard IZh-59 hunting shotgun with minor differences in
trigger mechanism
* IZh-59-4 «Sputnik-4» (''ИЖ-59-4 «Спутник-4»'') - was the sporting version for
skeet shooting
Skeet shooting is a recreational and competitive activity where participants use shotguns to attempt to break clay targets which two fixed stations mechanically fling into the air at high speed and at a variety of angles.
Skeet is one of the t ...
, also equipped with a second pair of barrels
* IZh-59-5 «Sputnik-5» (''ИЖ-59-5 «Спутник-5»'') - was the version of standard IZh-59 hunting shotgun with
ejector
An injector is a system of ducting and nozzles used to direct the flow of a high-pressure fluid in such a way that a lower pressure fluid is Entrainment (hydrodynamics), entrained in the jet and carried through a duct to a region of higher pre ...
Users
*
* - the import was allowed
[V/O "Raznoexport" export-import organization // "Guns Magazine", February 1962 page 51]
References
{{Reflist
Sources
* В. Лобас. Универсальный спусковой механизм к ружью ИЖ-59 // журнал «Охота и охотничье хозяйство», № 12, декабрь 1963. стр.38-40
* Л. Е. Михайлов, Н. Л. Изметинский. Ижевские охотничьи ружья. 2-е изд., испр. и доп. Ижевск, изд-во «Удмуртия», 1982.
* Ижевское оружие. Том 1. Ижевские ружья / Н. Л. Изметинский, Л. Е. Михайлов. - Ижевск, издательство Удмуртского университета, 1995. - 247 стр. : ил.
* ИЖ-59 "Спутник" // В. Н. Трофимов. Отечественные охотничьи ружья гладкоствольные. М., ДАИРС, 2000. стр.261-263
Double-barreled shotguns of the Soviet Union
Izhevsk Mechanical Plant products