The IZh-18 (ИЖ-18) is a single-shot, break-action shotgun.

History

IZh-18 was designed in 1962-1963 as a successor to the

IZhK The IZhK (''ИЖК'') is a Soviet single-shot, break-action shotgun. History IZhK was designed in 1955 and it was based on previous ZK single-shot model. It was made by Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. Since 1961, a new varnish with improved chara ...

, since 1964 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 ...

.Отечественные ружья // журнал «Охота и охотничье хозяйство», № 11, 1964. стр.21Наши ружья. ИЖ-18 // журнал «Охота и охотничье хозяйство», № 1, 1987. стр.48-49 In November 1964, the price of one standard IZh-18 was 28

rubles 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 ...

. Since January 1979 began the production of IZh-18E-20M and IZh-18-410M variants In May 1981, the price of one standard IZh-18 was 22 rubles and 50

kopeck The kopek or kopeck ( rus, копейка, p=kɐˈpʲejkə, ukr, копійка, translit=kopiika, p=koˈpʲijkə, be, капейка) is or was a coin or a currency unit of a number of countries in Eastern Europe closely associated with t ...

s, the price of one standard IZh-18E was 37 rubles and 50 kopecks. Since March 2018 ZAO "Техкрим" began to produce a detachable 520mm barrel ТК600 for IZh-18 shotguns. With TK600 barrel this gun can shoot .366 TKM cartridges.Михаил Дегтярев. Перспективное вложение. Вкладной ствол ТК 600 калибра .366 ТКМ // журнал «Калашников. Оружие, боеприпасы, снаряжение», № 6, 2018 Unknown number of IZh-18 shotguns were sold in foreign countries.

Design

IZh-18 is a single-shot

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 ...

takedown shotgun. The

barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...

chrome-plated Chrome plating (less commonly chromium plating) is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. A chrome-plated item is called ''chrome''. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease o ...

and has choke at the muzzle end. The detachable barrel is made from 50A steel (''сталь 50A'').Отечественное охотничье оружие. ИЖ-18 // журнал «Охота и охотничье хозяйство», № 5, 1981. стр.9 Soviet shotguns had a walnut, birch or beech stock and fore-end.

Variants

* IZh-18 (''ИЖ-18'')ИЖ-18 // В. Н. Трофимов. Отечественные охотничьи ружья гладкоствольные. М., ДАИРС, 2000. стр.34-43 * IZh-18M (''ИЖ-18М'') - version of IZh-18, since January 1979И. Шишкин. Новые ружья на ВДНХ // журнал «Охота и охотничье хозяйство», № 1, 1979. стр.30-31 * IZh-18E (''ИЖ-18Е''), with automatic ejector * IZh-18EM (''ИЖ-18ЕМ'') - version of IZh-18E, since early 1980s * IZh-18E-20M (''ИЖ-18Е-20М''), export variant (IZh-18E chambered in 20/76 mm Magnum shotgun shells) * IZh-18-410M (''ИЖ-18-410М''), export variant (IZh-18 chambered in .410/76 mm Magnum shotgun shells) * IZh-18MK (''ИЖ-18МК'') - version of IZh-18M, since 1988 * IZh-18M-M (''ИЖ-18М-M'') - version of IZh-18M, since 1992 * IZh-18MN (''ИЖ-18МН'') - since 1994, single-shot rifle«''ружьё одноствольное с нарезным стволом ИЖ-18МН кал. 7,62х51 мм''»
Перечень служебного и гражданского оружия и боеприпасов к нему, вносимых в Государственный кадастр служебного и гражданского оружия (утверждён распоряжением Правительства РФ № 1207-р от 3 августа 1996 года)

Users

* - 1600 IZh-18 shotguns were bought for

zoological garden A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zool ...

s, animal parks and

wildlife sanctuaries A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

of the Soviet Union as auxiliary firearm for employees. Also, these shotguns were allowed as civilian hunting weapon * - they were on the territory of

BSSR The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор� ...

in Soviet times, now they are allowed as civilian hunting weapon * * * - they were on the territory of

Kazakh SSR ; kk, Қазақ Советтік Социалистік Республикасы) *1991: Republic of Kazakhstan (russian: Республика Казахстан; kk, Қазақстан Республикасы) , linking_name = the ...

in Soviet times, now they are allowed as civilian hunting weapon * - they were on the territory of

Latvian SSR The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Latvian SSR), also known as Soviet Latvia or simply Latvia, was a federated republic within the Soviet Union, and formally one of its 16 (later 15) constituent republics. The Latvian Soviet Socialist Rep ...

in Soviet times, now they are allowed as civilian hunting weapon * - they were on the territory of

Moldavian SSR The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic ( ro, Republica Sovietică Socialistă Moldovenească, Moldovan Cyrillic: ) was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union which existed from 1940 to 1991. The republic was formed on 2 August 1940 ...

in Soviet times, now they are allowed as civilian hunting weapon * - they were on the territory of

RSFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

in Soviet times, now they are allowed as civilian hunting weapon * - they were on the territory of

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

in Soviet times, now they are allowed as civilian hunting weapon * - unknown number of shotguns were sold as civilian hunting weapon * -

European American Armory European American Armory Inc. is a Rockledge, Florida based firearms company which imports a number of different handguns, shotguns and rifles to the United States. Products The company is best known for importation of the Tanfoglio T95 as the ...

began importing IZh-18 shotguns from Russia in 1998. In January 2004, a contract was signed between the

Remington Arms Remington Arms Company, LLC was an American manufacturer of firearms and ammunition, now broken into two companies, each bearing the Remington name. The firearms manufacturer is ''Remington Arms''. The ammunition business is called ''Remingto ...

(

Madison, North Carolina Madison is a town located in Rockingham County, North Carolina. At the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 2,132. Madison is part of the Greensboro-High Point Metropolitan Statistical Area of the Piedmont Triad metro region. It was h ...

) and the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant.Валерий Шилин. Российско-американский SPARTAN // журнал «Калашников. Оружие. Боеприпасы. Снаряжение», № 5, 2005. стр.40-43 In 2005

began import of IZh-18 shotguns from Russia, they were marketed and distributed by Remington Arms as

Remington Spartan 100 The Remington Spartan 100 is a single-shot, break-action shotgun. It is a variant of a classical Russian IZh-18 shotgun manufactured by Izhevsk Mechanical Plant for export under trademark "Baikal", in Izhevsk, Russia. It is marketed and distribu ...

and IZh-18MN were sold as Remington SPR 18

Museum exhibits

* one IZh-18EM-M shotgun is in collection of Tula State Arms Museum in

Tula Kremlin Tula Kremlin (russian: Тульский кремль) is a fortress in Tula, in the central area of European part of Russia. Monument of the 16th century. There are 2 Cathedrals inside the Kremlin: *Assumption Cathedral (1762-1766) *Epiphany Cat ...

"''Имеются... современные модели Ижевского механического завода – одноствольные ружья ИЖ-18ЕМ-М, МР-153, двуствольные ружья''"Оружие спортивное и охотничье
/ официальный сайт Тульского государственного музея оружия

References

{{Reflist

Sources

* Охотничье одноствольное ружьё ИЖ-18 // Спортивно-охотничье оружие и патроны. Бухарест, "Внешторгиздат", 1965. стр.16-17 * Л. Е. Михайлов, Н. Л. Изметинский. Ижевские охотничьи ружья. 2-е изд., испр. и доп. Ижевск, изд-во «Удмуртия», 1982. стр.97-118 * ИЖ-18 // А. А. Потапов. Всё об охотничьих ружьях. М., ФАИР-Пресс, 2011. стр.342-343 * Виктор Рон. Нарезная "переломка" из Ижевска // журнал "Оружие", No. 15/16, 2017. стр.64 - ISSN 1728-9203 Single-shot shotguns of the Soviet Union Single-shot shotguns of Russia Izhevsk Mechanical Plant products