IL-54 - popular in the Russian market double-barreled gun. This gun was produced from 1954 to 1969. Many of its copies have diverged not only in Russia, but also in neighboring countries.
Story
After the end of the Great Patriotic War in the USSR, drawings of the Zaeur 8th model gun and high-quality German equipment on which this gun was produced were taken out of Germany. Based on the drawings, the IZH-49 double-barreled gun was developed, which has become one of the best guns in the Izhevsk plant.
IL-54 was created on the basis of the 49th model, the gunsmith Pugachev was involved in the development. He made in its device a lot of structural improvements, while retaining all the advantages of the popular Soviet shotgun. In the mechanism of the gun used triple locking. To increase the strength of the pads were created new whispered. Thanks to innovations, IL-54 turned out to be a modern, high-class instrument, which retained German roots in its device.
The name of the model was given in honor of the year when its production began - 1954. The shotgun continued for 15 years. The quality of its assembly has always been high, because of this, IL-54 was in special demand throughout Europe and even on other continents.
IZH-54 device
For the manufacture of trunks model used weapon steel 50A. The trunks were subjected to thorough heat treatment. Such technology required labor and time costs - but this affected the quality. In the future, they switched to a simpler and cheaper method of manufacturing trunks, which has reduced the quality of subsequent versions of IL. The barrel IL-54 was made by drilling.
In copies issued from 1954 to 1960, the trunks were fastened with hard solder rations and cross-bar trunks along the entire length. In 1961, the fastening technology was changed: they began to use the barrel coupling. She was chosen because of the ease of installation and lower prices.
Outside, the trunks were chrome-plated, nickel-plated or chemically stained. The difference between the three types of coating is small: the effect of gloss is less noticeable during chemical staining, but the moisture resistance of the third variant is lower than that of the first two. It was used for all copies of the 60s.
In 1954, the chrome-plating of the bore channels was not used, this technology was introduced only in 1955. The first years of such processing were subjected only piece and premium copies, and in the passport guns it was not indicated. A mark about chroming appeared in the documentation since 1958.
The manufacturing process was interesting: before the heat treatment of the part from mild steel (the material was soft in the "white" form) all the spare parts were fitted. After processing by high temperatures, a strong and reliable detail was obtained. The process was completed by cementation - the heated material was placed in cold water without access to oxygen.
Specifications:
- For shooting, charges of 12 gauge are used;
- The length of the gun barrels is 730 or 750 millimeters;
- The total length of the gun is 1150 or 1170 millimeters;
- The mass of the unloaded weapon is 3.2-3.6 kilograms;
- The working resource declared at the plant is 7.5 thousand shots.
Production of IL-54 required a lot of manual work, which made its cost price high. But it had a positive effect on the quality of the product: the actual stock of the working resource of the IZH-54 rifle is several times higher than that indicated in its data sheet.
Reliability and Vitality
Proof of the reliability of the model were testing conducted at the factory. Shooting was carried out with cartridges, in which the mass of the Sokol powder gradually increased to reach 6 grams, while the fraction of the fraction did not change (35 grams). After active shooting, no damage was noted. Only with 7 grams of gunpowder in charge, when the pressure when fired exceeded three times the standard indicators, defects of trunks appeared.
The second and third generation IL-54 were "not killed." Even with regular firing without cleaning and lubrication, the mechanic of the IZH-54 hunting rifle did not break, the shotgun worked as “after purchase”. But this does not mean that you could forget about the care of weapons.
Exterior design
The focus was on the quality of the gun, so its appearance was not refined. For decoration added stamped images of animals, supplemented with coarse patterns. All necessary technical information was engraved.
On piece copies the master-specialist was engaged in the design, but even this did not save the tool from some roughness in the external design. Many said that it would be better if there were no engravings on the gun. Premium versions were also made by hand, but their quality also left much to be desired. Successfully decorated copies are rare.
The design of gift rifles was at a high level. Notches of gold and silver were used, the engraving was high-quality and deep. In marching conditions, this approach did not justify itself, but if you keep the IL-54 as a souvenir, it looks beautiful.
Butts IL-54 from beech and walnut look almost the same. Wood processing is of high quality, even after many years of use of the gun in different conditions, the tree does not crack or crack. The fitting of the IL-54 butt for metal parts is well done.
Modifications IL-54:
- IZH-54-Sh1 - accuracy and accuracy of fire were higher than standard rifle. Design has also been improved;
- IZH-54-Sh - the details of the trigger are covered with a chrome layer. Butt and handguard are made of walnut;
- IL-54-Sh2 - improved ergonomics and balance. Indicators of accuracy and accuracy improved.
Butt rests comfortably in the hands, especially if it is an instance with a straight lodge. When the standard "730 millimeters" was adopted, rifles with a straight butt were no longer produced. IL-54 with a 750-millimeter barrel is one of the most successful in the entire Soviet era of the rifle.
Recommendations for storage IL-54
The service life of any gun depends on the conditions of its storage. To IL-54 served for a long time, you must follow these rules:
- You can store the disassembled or unassembled in a dry room (for example, in the storeroom);
- In the mechanisms IL-54 should never be dirt and foreign objects, the active parts must always be covered with a thin layer of lubricant;
- To combat the springs were not planted, for the period of storage of the trigger is required to lower;
- After firing, cleaning should be carried out at the earliest opportunity. In the cold season, it can only be done in a warm room, when the gun warms to room temperature;
- It is required to carry out cleaning of the gun within 4-5 days after firing, until traces of dirt and soot remain on the rag;
- The barrel canals can be cleaned only with soft rags and napkins. Do not use abrasives for cleaning;
- After intensive firing, the trunks are recommended to be rinsed in warm water in order to get rid of a large amount of soot. After washing, they must be thoroughly wiped using cloths and napkins. In the process of wiping them need to constantly change to clean and dry;
- The lead is cleaned with a soft metal bristle brush with gun grease applied to the ramrod;
- Cleaning IL-54 is disassembled.
Regular care of the gun extends its service life. Without regular cleaning, small mechanical failures can occur, which in the future can lead to serious defects, which will take a lot of time and money to eliminate.
Conclusion
IL-54 - the gun of high quality and reliable. This is facilitated by manual assembly and German roots. The high reliability is indicated by the protocols of numerous factory tests conducted in harsh conditions. Due to the high reliability, IL-54 was in great demand in many foreign countries: more than 70 thousand copies were sold.
Nowadays, the popularity of the 54th Izhevsk rifle has not disappeared. Many hunters use it regularly: they use them for hunting birds, small and medium animals. The quality and reliability of IL-54 bypasses many modern domestic and foreign rifles.
