The IZh-27 is a double-barreled shotgun.
== History == IZh-27 was designed in the early 1970s as a successor to the IZh-12. The first standard serial shotguns were made in 1972 and mass production began in 1973. In 1985, the IZh-27 and the TOZ-34 were the most common hunting shotguns in the Soviet Union. Also, a number of these shotguns were sold in foreign countries. In the 1990s, the production of the IZh-27MM variant (IZh-27M chambered in 12/76 mm Magnum shotgun shells) began. In September 2008, IZh-27 was renamed the MP-27 (Mechanical Plant – 27). Over 1.5 million IZh-27 shotguns were made.
== Design == IZh-27 is an over and under hammerless shotgun, with one barrel above the other. The chrome-plated barrels are made from heat-treated 50RA steel (сталь 50PA) It has a walnut or beech stock and fore-end. Some shotguns were equipped with a rubber recoil pad.
== Variants == IZh-27 (ИЖ-27) IZh-27-1S (ИЖ-27-1С) with a single selective trigger IZh-27E (ИЖ-27Е), with automatic ejectors – since 1973 IZh-27E-1S (ИЖ-27Е-1С), with automatic ejectors and a single selective trigger – in 1976 it was awarded the golden medal of the Brno Exhibition and in spring 1977 it received the State quality mark of the USSR. IZh-27ST (ИЖ-27СТ), with 760mm barrels 3.3 – 3.4 kg IZh-27SK (ИЖ-27СK), with 660mm barrels 3.2 – 3.3 kg IZh-27M (ИЖ-27М) In September 2008, it was renamed into MP-27M IZh-27MM (ИЖ-27МM) Variant that allows the user to shoot 12 x 76 mm Magnum cartridges.
== Users == USSR - was allowed as civilian hunting weapon Belarus – is allowed as civilian hunting weapon Bulgaria Kazakhstan – is allowed as civilian hunting weapon Moldova – is allowed as civilian hunting weapon Russian Federation – is allowed as civilian hunting weapon USA – European American Armory began importing IZh-27 shotguns from Russia in 1999. In January 2004, a contract was signed between Remington Arms (Madison, North Carolina) and the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. In 2005 Remington Arms began importing IZh-27 shotguns from Russia, marketed and distributed as the Remington Spartan 310. Remington ceased importing the shotgun in 2009.
== Criminal use == A Baikal IJ-27E (a rebrand of the IZh-27) was one of the three firearms used by Philip Manshaus in the 2019 Bærum murder and mosque attack. A stolen IZh-27 was the gun used by Ruslan Akhtyamov during the 2022 Veshkayma kindergarten shooting, which left five dead, including the perpetrator and the gun's original owner, and another person wounded.
References
== Sources == Universal/Baikal IJ-27E shotgun // "American Rifleman", December 1975 Н. Изметинский, Л. Михайлов. ИЖ-27Е-27-1С – охотничье ружье с одним спуском // журнал «Охота и охотничье хозяйство», No. 9, 1978. стр.30–32 Л. Е. Михайлов, Н. Л. Изметинский. Ижевские охотничьи ружья. 2-е изд., испр. и доп. Ижевск, изд-во «Удмуртия», 1982. стр.160–187 В. Н. Трофимов. Отечественные охотничьи ружья гладкоствольные. М., ДАИРС, 2000. стр.267–280 Виктор Гордиенко. Главный калибр российского охотника // журнал «Мастер-ружьё», No. 1 (50), 2001. стр.112–117 Baikal IZH-27 // "American Rifleman", May 2001
== External links == IZh-27 / Internet Movie Firearms Database