Caution when purchasing new IZH 46

[Oldnslow]

Here is some information you may wish to consider before ordering an IZH 46M from Europe.

I recently ordered one from a dealer in Spain. The serial number indicates a manufacturer date of 2019. After some initial confusion about the operation of the pistol (resolved by Richard here, thank you Richard) I found that it was not nearly as accurate as I had hoped. Initially I attributed this to my mediocre marksmanship but experiences with other (allegedly lesser) air pistols suggested otherwise. Last night I discovered the problem.

The muzzle on my IZH 46M is completely unfinished. It would be an understatement to say that the crown was poorly done, because it has no crown at all. In fact, the rifling stops about a quarter of an inch from the end of the muzzle! I don't even think the muzzle was properly trimmed. Unlike other IZHs I have seen in photographs, the muzzle extends about a quarter of an inch beyond the sight block.

I notified the retailer of this problem this morning and want to give them a chance to promptly remedy this situation before identifying them here, I have no reason to believe they were aware of the problem when the pistol was shipped to me.

[177thrower]

That looks like the back-bored crown on the new Air Venturi branded iteration. See this thread http://targettalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=63084

[brent375hh]

Jeff,

I helped you a while back when you thought your gun was defective because it wasn't cocked. I think you also thought the trigger was bent. That was you correct?

I wouldn't discount its accuracy until you can compare it with a known entity. My Steyr shoots through a cone shape at the end of the barrel, giving perhaps a similar effect. As long as all of the rifling ends at the same length, that wouldn't concern me at all. I would bet that gun will shoot under 5mm ctc at 10 meters.

[Rover]

" known entity"?
Let a Master shoot it and report.

[deadeyedick]

Best Master is a bench vice...clamp the pistol in it and set up a target at 33 feet, then fire multiple shots.
Don’t be surprised if they make a one hole group.

[Oldnslow]

Yes Brent, you helped me when I first got the IZH. The action was stiff and the pumping lever did not readily cock the gun. I've taken your advice and cock it before pumping it. And it seems you have helped me again -- I am pleased to hear that the muzzle looks fine. Thank you.

Rover and Deadeye, thanks for your thoughts as well. I'm a bit skittish about clamping the pistol in a vice and I don't know of any Master near Seattle (please let me know if you do). However you have convinced me to persevere with the IZH and I look forward to it.

[seamaster]

Checking accuracy on a clamp might not be straight forward.

Put some cloth padding to protect the pistol.

Need to clamp it up side down to allow handle cocking. Leave some space underneath for breech lever opening.

Need to keep pistol steady in clamp while you cock the pistol handle.

Not as easy as regular PCP on clamp.

[kevinweiho]

No need to fret. Your new Izzy just needs a “break-in period” for the seals and parts to smooth out, and the excess factory grease/oil in the chamber to be shot out of the pistol. It may not be a looker to many, but it’s a shooter...

[northpaw]

No need to fret. ... It may not be a looker to many, but it’s a shooter...

Not the most acccurate shooter, but a fair plinker.

Btw, the crown of your gun is as it should be.

[B Lafferty]

No need to fret. ... It may not be a looker to many, but it’s a shooter...

Not the most acccurate shooter, but a fair plinker.

Btw, the crown of your gun is as it should be.

Question. What is the best competition score using an Izzy back in the day?
It was reported here at Target Talk back in 2005 that Sergei Barmin shot 591 once in an Asian competition. I suspect the shooter has far more to do with scoring well with an Izzy than any inherent inaccuracy of the pistol. It's heavy and not the best balanced air pistol by today's standards but a more than "fair pinker"......

[northpaw]

It was reported here at Target Talk back in 2005 that Sergei Barmin shot 591 once in an Asian competition. ... It's heavy and not the best balanced air pistol by today's standards but a more than "fair pinker"......

591 wit an IZH 46? No way...
Relative to at Steyr or a Walther I consider the IZH 46 a plinker. And a clumpsy one at that. Regrettably.

[B Lafferty]

It was reported here at Target Talk back in 2005 that Sergei Barmin shot 591 once in an Asian competition. ... It's heavy and not the best balanced air pistol by today's standards but a more than "fair pinker"......

591 wit an IZH 46? No way...
Relative to at Steyr or a Walther I consider the IZH 46 a plinker. And a clumpsy one at that. Regrettably.

I've written to the Baikal factory and to the Russian Shooting Federation inquiring about the competition best score using a IZH 46 and/or 46M and the possible use of the IZH 46 by Barmin in competition. A 591 with an IZH 46 may well be overstated, but I don't see why a score around 580 would not be possible with an excellent shooter.

Sergei Barmin is apparently still alive, having been born in 1959. He was active at the top level of the sport in 1989, the year the IZH 46 was introduced.
https://www.issf-sports.org/athletes/at ... 0407195901
To be continued...

[brent375hh]

I have a IZH 46, non M. It shoots slow, and has more muzzle flip than my Steyr. It really penalizes me when I have poor trigger control. But when I really concentrate and follow through it works well. On a good day I shoot it 10 points behind my Steyr, on a bad day, it provides me with lots of 7s. Those 8 o'clock and 2 o'clock shots are all on me.
It may not be a Porsche, but it is a Mustang. You somewhat get what you pay for, and it provides a solid first step for 1/3 of the cost.
I consider my Webley a plinker. I can't hold the black with it at 10 meters, as a matter of fact, I won't shoot it at 10 meters because my stereo is behind my trap.

[kevinweiho]

Not the most acccurate shooter, but a fair plinker.

You must be really spoiled with the top tier pistols with all the bells and whistles to call the 46M a "fair plinker". My particular Izzy, can stand on its own accuracy-wise against my Steyr LP10 and FWB’s shooting from a bench rest.

[northpaw]

You must be really spoiled with the top tier pistols with all the bells and whistles to call the 46M a "fair plinker". My particular Izzy, can stand on its own accuracy-wise against my Steyr LP10 and FWB’s shooting from a bench rest.

From a BENCH REST you wrote, .. but in a competition you are not supposed to shoot from at bench rest? The bad ergometricks are detrimental to scores.

Spoiled? Yes, I am, at least for your eyes. Former member of our countrys national team for air pistol, and a few nationals won... Yes. I want to use the best equipment available.And I want the same for beginners. A saying in my country: Buying cheap may be expencive in the long run.
For beginners, - respectable gun clubs in my country do not buy IZZYs, or Webleys, they buy Steyrs, Walthers; formerly also Haemmerlies and FWBs (not any more). The quality, and shootability, of the top notch guns is far beyond the IZZIs and Webleys.

[B Lafferty]

You must be really spoiled with the top tier pistols with all the bells and whistles to call the 46M a "fair plinker". My particular Izzy, can stand on its own accuracy-wise against my Steyr LP10 and FWB’s shooting from a bench rest.

From a BENCH REST you wrote, .. but in a competition you are not supposed to shoot from at bench rest? The bad ergometricks are detrimental to scores.

Spoiled? Yes, I am, at least for your eyes. Former member of our countrys national team for air pistol, and a few nationals won... Yes. I want to use the best equipment available.And I want the same for beginners. A saying in my country: Buying cheap may be expencive in the long run.
For beginners, - respectable gun clubs in my country do not buy IZZYs, or Webleys, they buy Steyrs, Walthers; formerly also Haemmerlies and FWBs (not any more). The quality, and shootability, of the top notch guns is far beyond the IZZIs and Webleys.

In my culture, we refer to people like you as snobs. Be that as it may, I'd be curious to see what your national level skills are capable of doing with an IZH 46M or a FWB of similar design.

[Rover]

There is the old story of World Champion Don Nygord winning the California State AP Championship with a Daisy 717.

I suspect that it was a handy match to compete in and that he was just having fun f'in' with the "serious" competitors.

[seamaster]

But Don’s Daisy 717 was not your run of the mill 717.

Don was the gunsmith of all gunsmiths. He polished his sears to mirror smooth.

Many people would loved to have his Daisy 717.

[Green_Canoe]

You must be really spoiled with the top tier pistols with all the bells and whistles to call the 46M a "fair plinker". My particular Izzy, can stand on its own accuracy-wise against my Steyr LP10 and FWB’s shooting from a bench rest.

From a BENCH REST you wrote, .. but in a competition you are not supposed to shoot from at bench rest? The bad ergometricks are detrimental to scores.

Spoiled? Yes, I am, at least for your eyes. Former member of our countrys national team for air pistol, and a few nationals won... Yes. I want to use the best equipment available.And I want the same for beginners. A saying in my country: Buying cheap may be expencive in the long run.
For beginners, - respectable gun clubs in my country do not buy IZZYs, or Webleys, they buy Steyrs, Walthers; formerly also Haemmerlies and FWBs (not any more). The quality, and shootability, of the top notch guns is far beyond the IZZIs and Webleys.

In my culture, we refer to people like you as snobs. Be that as it may, I'd be curious to see what your national level skills are capable of doing with an IZH 46M or a FWB of similar design.

Further defense of the Izzy: In my country (the USA) we shoot FIREARMS. Pellet arms are for kids. ;^) In the past when I bought a one thousand plus dollar arm it was going to shoot real bullets. ;^) I would have never tried shooting pellets if you told me the cost to try it was $1800+. (There are very few, if any, clubs that offer ISSF style shooting around me.) Enter the IZZY... I bought mine used a number of years ago for $350. The only reason I got it was real ammo and reloading components were hard to get in the USA around 2012-2013. Fast forward to today. I'm hooked on the ISSF style AP shooting. Without a cheap entry point I would have never given it a try. Now I'm at a point where I'm looking to upgrade. I'm looking forward to the extra 10 points I'm going to buy by moving up from the Izzy to a Steyr, Morini, Pardini, Walther, or FWB. :^)

[Rover]

"I'm looking forward to the extra 10 points I'm going to buy by moving up from the Izzy to a Steyr, Morini, Pardini, Walther, or FWB. :^)"

On the pipe again, eh?