[Humpty Dumpty]

Congratualtions.

Izh 54 is considered by many the finest gun ever made in Izhevsk.

The one you've got, however, is unusual. The date on the water table - 1954 - suggests the first year of production, and the proof marks look for the most part consistent with that - I can't see them very well, though.

The design of the gun, however, is not.

There were three variations of Izh 54. Yours is consistent with the third one, made from about 1962 to about 1968. This variant featured 720 mm (about 28") monoblock barrels, and rebounding hammers with firing pins in housings that are screwed on from the outside. This is just what we can see on your gun.

However, if it was indeed made in 1954, it had to have 750 mm (30") chopperlump barrels, and non-rebounding locks with firing pin housings screwed from the inside. That's definitely not your gun.

My guess is that someone, at some point, deliberately or accidentally (eg when barrel browning) destroyed the original proof marks and attempted to reproduce them using an earlier gun as a pattern. One thing that convinces me in that, is that "Сделано в СССР" ("Made in USSR") mark is misplaced - there ought to be the serial No there.

That, or you've got an impossibly rare experimental gun that blows up all we know about Izhevst gunmaking.

 

[Humpty Dumpty]

I haven't checked the date table yet, to see if the с date code is consistent with the 1964 date, but since 1963 the factory stopped stamping the mfg year on the water table. Besides, do you notice a sort of a bridge between the two lugs? It doesn't have to be there, the flat between the lugs ought to be level all over. This usually indicated that someone filed off some portion of the flat, which is common when barrels off one gun are filed on another gun. I could be wrong here, but the new barrel theory would explain all inconsistencies about this gun.

I fired my first shots and killed my first duck with an Izh-54 just like yours; it was Grandpa's gun, my Dad still has it. I'm not surprised at all you did so well at Skeet, these guns are a bit on the heavy side but are really well-balanced, with the balance point right where it has to be for Skeet. Hope you'll enjoy it for a long while!

 

[Humpty Dumpty]

Have to correct myself. I wrote:

do you notice a sort of a bridge between the two lugs? It doesn't have to be there, the flat between the lugs ought to be level all over.

I was wrong. The bridge is right where it's supposed to be.

Having researched Izh-54 again for the sake of the book, I'd say this is a very early Export grade. According to my table, the production of the batch marked C started in 1963, so it's not improbable that the gun was actually finished in 1964, especially if assembled by the custom gun department - which it was, judging by the style of proof marks and cocking levers with jewelled finish. This is consistent with the Export grade specification as regular grade assembled to custom grade tolerances and with custom grade parts.

The "Made in USSR" on the rear lump is consitent with the lack of the same inscription on the sides of the action box and "Model Izh-54" on the floorplate. Apparently, the action box was made before the Export grade markings were adopted, and, being case-hardened, the plant couldn't put any additional marks on it. So they put it on the rear lump, which was perhaps the most sensible thing to do.