by
B.B. Pelletier
I find it hard
to believe that in a year's time I did not do a posting on this
pistol! But a search and examination of the index on September
30 says I didn't, so today I'm going to rectify that oversight.
The cocking/pump lever swings
far forward to cock the action and pump the gun. Such a long lever
reduces the effort needed to charge this powerful air pistol.
The linkage allows the fulcrum
of the lever to slide to the most effective point, thus reducing
the force needed to pump the gun.
One
of the finest single-stroke pistols ever made!
By
now you ought to know that the Russians really know how to rifle
a barrel. The IZH 61
rifle is legendary, and a lot of you have bought it on my recommendation,
alone. I haven't heard from anyone who was not pleased with this
rifle. Well, the IZH 46 pistol
is a whole other level of quality up from the model 61 rifle.
It's a single-stroke pneumatic pistol that uses an innovative
cocking linkage incorporating a sliding fulcrum for the pump.
As a result, it is one of the easiest single-strokes to pump,
yet also one of the most powerful guns. As a result, this
is a pistol that won't tire you during a standard 60-shot men's
match or a 40-shot women's match.
World-class
features!
The 27.5cm (just a hair shy of
11") barrel is world-class. No human can shoot as well
as this barrel permits, which is true of every world-class target
pistol. The sights are adjustable for width in the front -
to go with a choice of rear notches (the notches do not adjust).
The sights adjust with click-detent wheels. The sighting plane
lies low in the hand - a desirable feature. The trigger adjusts
for position, pull weight (second stage only), first-stage travel
and overtravel. It breaks cleanly without a hint of creep.
A few detractors...
At 40.3 oz., the 46 is several ounces heavier than
any of today's world-class 10-meter pistols. The grips are smooth
wood and not very adjustable. All that adjusts is the palm shelf,
where the top 10-meter pistol grips also adjust for rake (forward
angle), cant (sideways angle) and rotation (forcing the wrist
to rotate around to the side to align the sights). These things
help a shooter adjust a pistol that will lock in place when the
shooter assumes the correct position. The finest pistols have
a rear sight notch that adjusts infinitely through a range of
widths. The best triggers also have trigger blade rotation, cant
angle and the ability to dial a portion of the mandated 500-gram
pull weight into the first stage. And, the dry-fire feature
on the 46 is a little hokey.
Dry
fire
A target pistol has to have a dry-fire
feature because 2/3 to 4/5 of all shots a competitor shoots will
be dry. It's part of the training to learn the trigger and to
grow accustomed to the balance of the pistol. When I am competing,
I can get into my stance, which never changes during the match,
then pick up my pistol and fire without sighting. If you were
to blindfold me, I'd still shoot a credible score because my arm
knows where the pistol needs to be, and my feet keep the gun centered
on the bull. That comes from many hours of practice. But the dry-fire
feature on the 46 requires you to cock the action by lifting up
on the breech cover, then push it closed to the locked position
for every shot. Other 10-meter pistols are very light and smooth
in dry-fire. The 46 fights you every step of the way. On top
of that, when the trigger does break, it doesn't feel the same
as when the gun shoots - which is the kiss of death for a dry-fire
feature!
The dry fire feature is engaged by lifting the breech
cover until the gun is cocked, then returning it to the lowered
position.
The
46M is powerful!
I own a standard model 46,
which may not be available any longer. The 46M that replaced it
has a longer pump stroke for higher pressures that deliver about
50 to 70 f.p.s. higher velocity with target pellets. Side-by-side,
you can tell the M model is a trifle harder to pump. When it's
by itself, you'll never notice the difference. I would love to
trade up to an M, even though my 8-year-old model 46 still functions
fine. My 46 gets about 430 f.p.s. with RWS R-10 Match Pellets (light). A 46M will get 480 to 500 f.p.s. with the same
pellet.
This is a super
bargain!
When the IZH 46 first came to the
U.S., it was imported by hobbyist businesses that knew nothing
about the American airgun market. They put a price of $650 on
it, making it close to the same price as FWB and Walther guns
that already had established reputations and credentials at the
world cup level. There was no rationale for this "strategy,"
which blew up in the faces of the early importers. Within 12 months,
they were gone, and a second wave of vendors tried to see how
cheaply they could sell them. Whatever dignity the 46 might have
had was destroyed by them. Then, EAA began importing most of the
IZH/Baikal line, including firearms. The market slowly straightened
itself out to what we see today. The low price at which you
can purchase this outstanding target pistol will someday be called
"The Golden Age of Affordable Airguns" by shooters who
missed out.
So, why
don't I shoot a 46 in competition if I like it so much? Simple,
I have a pistol I like even better. You'll pay $1,000 for the
Aeron B99,
the PCP equivalent of my CO2 target pistol. (Read Aeron B99 - a quality 10-meter target pistol) If I had the money, I would get an
FWB P40, because it has all the features I want. They sell for
around $1,400 at present, and I have wanted one like it for more
than a decade. So many airguns, so little money!