Russian factories have gained extensive experience in designing and manufacturing such specific products as hunting weapons. Smoothbore and rifled equipment, manufactured today in large quantities, is of a fairly high quality.
Casual visitors to specialty stores are delighted with the variety of goods on display on the shelves, envious of the owners of these items of real male addiction.
general information
Not everyone knows that it’s the smoothbore hunting weapon that is the direct descendant of the antediluvian cannons from which our great-grandfathers fired nuclei. Moreover, it subsequently itself became the basis for others - more complex types of small arms.
It is the hunting smoothbore carbines that are part of the arsenal of every person for whom such an interesting and fascinating activity as shooting prey becomes a favorite pastime.
Kinds
This type of weapon is widely used to organize different hunting options. A similar feature of the application is directly related to its technical characteristics. According to the designation, domestic-made smoothbore carbines are subdivided into those that are used for fishing and for sport hunting, as well as those that are intended for firing at a flying and moving target.
Classification by design features
Shotguns equipped with a non-rifled barrel are considered the most numerous subgroup in the list of firearms for hunting weapons. They are designed for shooting with shot or buckshot, and with special bullets.
Five main varieties stand out. It:
- single-shot single-shot gun;
- double-barreled with a horizontal location of the trunk;
- the same, but with a vertical installation;
- single-barrel pump-action, rechargeable by hand;
- self-loading.
The first category is intended for hunting small animals and birds. Such smooth-bore rifles involve the implementation of one accurate shot from the smallest possible distance. Such "trunks" in the central part are equipped with a hinge, which makes it possible to swing down the barrel to insert a cartridge. In the role of the locking mechanism they use a rotary latch. It is located across the breech.
How to buy
The sale of any smoothbore weapon, including hunting weapons, as well as storage and its use, is regulated at the legislative level. It is under the control of a special police department, which issues a license and permission for smoothbore weapons.
Each copy owned by a citizen of the Russian Federation must be registered with the LRO and stored in accordance with the rules established by this department in a special metal safe at the place of registration of the owner.
Permission for smoothbore weapons is issued for a five-year period, after which it - in the prescribed manner and after conducting an examination of the medical condition of the owner and storage conditions of the carbine - is extended.
To do this, you need to submit the following documents: copies of your passport and hunting ticket, as well as licenses for storage and carrying, a medical certificate in the prescribed form, a district police officer report on checking the conditions in which the rifle is stored, a receipt for paying the duty, a statement and two photos.
Caliber
Unlike rifled, where the size of the cartridge is tied to a metric value - to inches, smoothbore carbines are determined by a completely different standard. In their calibration, the classification based on those times when the bullet was round was taken as the basis. It is established that twelve pieces with a diameter of 18.5 millimeters are cast from one pound of lead, which is about 450 grams. That is precisely how the caliber was obtained, according to which today the models of the most common hunting weapons are classified. Accordingly, the number is determined by the number of cast bullets from a pound of lead, but provided that they are all the same and have a spherical shape. From the above formula it can be seen that the diameter of the barrel of the gun of the twelfth caliber is 18.5 millimeters.
In our country, this standard is in the range from 4 to 36. At the same time, the lower border is the largest diameter (36.5 mm), and the upper one is the smallest. However, extreme values are not found in practice. Russian smoothbore rifles for hunting have the following calibration: “12”, “16” and the smallest - “20”.
The story of the Saiga gun
These smoothbore carbines are created on the basis of a Kalashnikov assault rifle. Initial models were produced by the original AK developer - Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant. The first smooth-bore carbine "Saiga" appeared in the late seventies of the last century. The impetus for this was the appeal of the leadership of Kazakhstan to the Secretary General Brezhnev with a request to create a weapon with which it will be possible to shoot saigas - animals that played a significant role in choosing the name of this carbine. The fact is that the migrating herds of these artiodactyl antelopes trampled down and ate the crops to the root, and the hunters were not able to fight them.
And although in the seventies about three hundred experimental specimens were made, nevertheless then the saiga smoothbore carbine was still a rarity.
Production
But already since the mid-nineties of the last century, the Saiga smooth-bore self-loading carbine began to go off the assembly line of the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant . And now this name has become a household name, because under this brand the concern produces a huge assortment of weapons, which includes purely hunting options, and compact smooth-bore rifles used for protection, as well as sports-applied and training models.
The stock and the forearm of the carbine - depending on the version - can be made like a classic hunting rifle. Most often they are made of plastic or wood.
Saiga Design
Initially, this weapon was produced on the basis of the design of AKM assault rifles, but over the years it underwent a number of changes aimed at improving its characteristics. The Saiga smooth-bore hunting carbine, which starts at seventeen thousand rubles (the 410 K model ), differs primarily from the fact that it is impossible to fire bursts from it. In addition, the node for securing the magazine was changed in it, so that it was impossible to insert cartridges from a military machine. "Saiga" "works" due to the powder gas, which is discharged using a side hole located in the wall of the barrel channel. Smoothbore variants have a completely redesigned engine with a short piston stroke.
Under the influence of gas pressure, the bolt frame moves to the desired distance, and the spent powder masses themselves enter the atmosphere through holes in the tube. The barrel trunk channel is locked by turning the bolt, during which two of its fighting protrusions enter the corresponding grooves of the box. The bolt frame, being the leading link in automation, sets the direction for the movement of the moving parts of Saiga carbines. In addition, she perceives most of the shock loads.
Cost
Smooth-bore weapon "Saiga-12K" of execution 030, which has a store receiver and a hinged lid on the box, as well as a folding butt and a fore-end made of plastic, can be bought for thirty and a half thousand rubles. On models that have gone out of production, or options that have been developed for a long time, lower cost is set. For example, the Saiga-12K Tactics 12/76 caliber is sold for twenty-nine thousand.
Boar
These smoothbore carbines are manufactured at the Molot factory, located in Vyatskiye Polyany. At its core, they represent a further development of the Saiga. Initially, the hunting "Vepr" was the fruit of conversion production - self-loading rifled weapons developed on the basis of the 7.62-mm RPK light machine gun. It is intended for commercial or amateur hunting, with medium and large animals.
Since when creating the Vepr carbine, to the maximum, parts and components from the Kalashnikov light machine gun, which was produced at the same factory, were used, many design solutions of this weapon coincide with those of his famous ancestor. For example, it has the same heavy barrel, the same powerful box, the rear sight, which has a mechanism for introducing lateral corrections, etc.
The changes relate mainly to some retention elements, for example, stock and forend, as well as trigger, from the design of which the self-timer is excluded to prevent bursts of fire. In addition, the shape with the dimensions of the sear and the trigger differs. The stock has an orthopedic "dragoon" type and is equipped with a rubber butt pad. The forend is made according to the civil standard - without an upper protective pad. It has a significantly greater length compared to a combat model. The height of the crest at the “Vepr” butt allows the hunter to equally comfortably use not only mechanical but also optical sights.
Design
Vepr carbines are manufactured under the ammunition of 7.62 × 39, 7.62 × 51 and 5.56 × 45 NATO - .223 Remington, as well as 7.62 × 54 and 7.62 × 63 millimeters in various versions and modifications . The automation of this weapon is arranged according to the same scheme as that of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. In addition, it has a relatively high degree of reliability and is virtually trouble-free during use in a wide variety of operating conditions.
Automatic reloading in the carbine is carried out by using the energy of gases arising from the ignition of gunpowder. They are diverted from the barrel to the camera during the shot. Self-loading is also carried out due to the large energy generated from the return spring. At the same time, in order to increase durability, the chamber and the bore of this hunting carbine are made chrome-plated. In addition, to minimize the burst of flame during a shot, a muffler is installed on the muzzle of its barrel, which is non-removable.
To exclude the possibility of inertial tilt of the capsule on the cartridges, the bolt of the shutter is spring loaded. And to increase the level of safety, the Vepr series is equipped with a flag type fuse. All guns have a combined stock and pistol grip.
Modifications
There are enough options for the Vepr hunting carbine. These are mainly rifled models, such as SOK-94 - released in 1995. This variety is in service with the guard units of the FSUE Ministry of Internal Affairs. SOK-95 “Vepr-308” and “Super” models are available in several versions. Some options, such as SOK-95 M, 95 MS, as well as a carbine chambered for .35 Remington are discontinued. Since 2000, SOK-94R Pioneer was put into production.
However, the most common is the Vepr-12 smoothbore carbine, produced under cartridges of 12 × 76 millimeters. It has several designs and is intended for both hunting and self-defense and sports competitions. From other options, its latest model - the Vepr-12 Hammer smoothbore carbine - is distinguished by the installation of a mounted flame arrester. It is mounted on the muzzle of the barrel. In addition, it has a locking mechanism for the trigger, eliminating the possibility of firing with a folded butt.
Vepr-12
It is designed and manufactured by the Hammer factory. This smooth-bore rifle - "Vepr-12" - is intended both for self-defense and for use in various military departments, including their security structures. Often, these weapons can be seen at IPSC competitions. The Vepr-12 smoothbore carbine, structurally based on the Kalashnikov light machine gun system, at the same time has all the necessary changes for its reliable operation with twelfth caliber cartridges. In addition, bullets with a sleeve of seventy and seventy-six millimeters can be used in this weapon. The Vepr 12 smoothbore carbine has an aiming range of one hundred meters. Food is provided by removable box magazines with a capacity of eight rounds. To increase the corrosion resistance of the channel and the chamber, as well as the rod on the slide frame and gas chamber, they are released chrome-plated.
Benefits
In general, the Vepr Hammer smoothbore rifle is very similar to the famous Saigu-12K, but it differs from this model in some of its features.
Constructive differences with a similar shotgun are the presence of a model made in Vyatskiye Polyany that has a double-sided fuse with a store receiver. However, the most important advantage, which is characterized by a smooth-bore carbine "Boar Hammer" - is its bolt-on delay. Thanks to this characteristic, the weapon has ease of handling. The shooter can always see when he is running out of ammunition, and reloading is quick and convenient.
The lid of the Vepr-12 Hammer rifle box is folded up-and-down, as on the AKS-74U assault rifle. It is mounted quite tightly and without play on the box. The manufacturer installed a removable arrester on the muzzle of the barrel. At the same time, Picatinny rails are made on the box lid, as well as on the forend and under the gas chamber, allowing convenient and quick installation of such additional devices as a tactical flashlight, laser sight or bipod. Among the shortcomings, users note a somewhat large weight, which with an equipped store is about five kilograms.
Executions and prices
Compared to the Saiga, its analogue, the Vepr-12 Hammer smoothbore carbine is a bit more expensive. For example, version 01 is distinguished by an elongated barrel up to five hundred and twenty millimeters. In addition, it provides for the possibility of firing with a folded butt and a fixed flash suppressor. These smooth-bore rifles, prices starting at thirty-six thousand, are only sold with the buyer's permission. Version 02, characterized by a barrel extended to 680 millimeters and a base in the muzzle of the barrel, designed for internal bushings, unified with carbines from the Bekas series, will cost forty-one thousand rubles when purchased.