IL-12 is the old representative of domestic guns. Production began in 1962, and ended in 1972, when a new version came to replace the popular weapon - IL-27.
general information
IL-12 is an intracranial smooth-bore instrument with vertical trunks. The design and production of a rifle involved the company IZHMASH. The main of these weapons was IL-59.
Their main difference is the approach to bonding trunks. At the 59th rifle, the trunks were fastened with a clutch, and in the 12th they were soldered, and this was done carefully and efficiently. Due to this approach, two trunks became a single block.
IZH-12 design
The length of the rifle barrels is 720-730 millimeters, and the length of the chamber - 70 millimeters. To protect against corrosion, they are coated with a chrome layer. As mentioned above, the trunks are soldered to each other, which provides high strength and reliability. The sighting mechanism with a front sight is attached to the upper barrel. For each barrel, a separate extractor-extractor is installed.
Barrel made of durable metal. To accommodate part of the trunks on it there is a deep cut. Underhead hooks are placed in special windows at the bottom of the barrel block. Pushers are placed in inclined grooves, which are made on the sides of the barrel pads - they put pressure on the trigger pins when the rifle opens. There is a tail at the back of the barrel pad, which includes a sear and a fuse.
Reliable fastening of the box and the barrels during firing is ensured by a locking system. It works by locking the bar, the axle and the locking lever. Locking occurs when the bar fits into the corresponding back trigger groove.
The percussion mechanism is implemented on the kurk type. After hitting the primer, the trigger is responsible for the exit of the strikers for the shield pads. Martial springs are made at a high level: they break the primer even at low temperatures, which is an indisputable advantage for hunting in Russia.
The trigger mechanism is implemented by two triggers - one hook is responsible for a shot from one barrel. The design feature of the IZH-12 hunting rifle was the presence of an interceptor. It increases the safety of the use of weapons, eliminating the possibility of accidental firing in the event of a disruption of the trigger without pressing the trigger. Before IL-12, such a constructional solution was found only in premium-class rifles.
A safety fuse is responsible for safety, which reliably locks the sear. The latest serial batches of the IL-12 weapons included in their design an automatic fuse, which was later implemented in the IL-27. However, to find such instances is difficult.
Butt IL-12 consists of a pistol-type box and forend, which are made of walnut or beech. Some variants of rifles were made with a thickened forearm, which increased its reliability. In general, the weapon turned out comfortable and balanced, easily controlled in the hands of a hunter.
What ammo to use?
Engineers designed vertical trunks for the use of cartridges with folder sleeves. It is also permissible to use charges with plastic sleeves, however, maximum efficiency will be achieved precisely with paper sleeves.
Metal sleeves are not recommended. The use of such cartridges reduces the accuracy and speed of shooting. Such ammunition increases recoil, which makes it necessary to spend extra time on aiming before the second shot.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantages of this tool are its design, which we described above. In a nutshell and merits, they are:
- Simple construction. There are no difficult weapon knots, everything is simple and clear. This makes it easier to take care of weapons, great as a first rifle for hunting;
- High reliability. It follows from the first advantage. The absence of a complex construction provides the tool with durability and a large supply of working resource;
- Appearance. Despite the fact that IL-12 is over 50 years old, it is still attractive in terms of appearance: a beautiful wooden case goes well with metal parts;
- Low price. Such a gun can allow any average citizen of Russia.
IZH-12 has its drawbacks, which are better to know before you buy:
- Fragile handguard. It often cracks and breaks due to its shape. Here it is represented by a single part, in contrast to the main competitors, where the forend is composed of two parts;
- Close proximity of triggers. Because of this, the rifle has to get used to for some time in order to learn how to quickly move a finger to another hook;
- Oblique aiming slats. The aiming mechanism goes to the butt at a certain angle. The first time after purchase, this may cause low accuracy of shooting offhand. Over time, such features get used to shooters and show good shooting efficiency.
The advantages of IL-12 more than disadvantages. It is more popular than the IL-27, which became the next generation of the 12th Izhevsk rifle.
What can be concluded?
IL-12 is a tool with a long history. During its half a century of existence, the vertical line has gained immense popularity, despite the fact that it has only been produced for 10 years. During this period, 312 thousand copies were released, 129 thousand of which were sold in Europe. That is why the gun is valued not only among domestic hunters, but also among hunters from around the world.
