| EAA Model IZH35M .22 LR Target Pistol | |
alk
about a change of pace! When the editor asked if I would do a test report for
the Handgun Buyer’s Guide 2001 on European American Armory’s IZH35M
.22 LR pistol, I said, “Sure.” But I honestly had no idea what sort
of handgun an IZH35M was. I was a bit surprised when it arrived to discover
that it is a high-quality .22 semiauto intended for formal bullseye-style target
shooting. Even more surprising to me was that it’s manufactured in Russia
by Baikal.
In its basic form,
the IZH35M does not look greatly different from many other autoloaders. The
operating bolt and six-inch barrel are contained in a square-looking housing.
When the gun is operated, however, one sees immediately that the slide is actually
under the barrel, and the barrel itself is rigidly fixed. The ejection port
sets farther back in the receiver than those on most autoloading .22 pistols
of my experience. The very large rear sight assembly sets rearward and hangs
well back over the web of one’s shooting hand. The trigger guard is also
very large.
The most distinctive
thing about the IZH35M, however, is its immense walnut-stained hardwood grip.
This gun is designed for one purpose: offhand target shooting. The grips are
engineered to lock the gun in one’s shooting hand as steadily as possible.
A large wooden flange sets between the shooting hand’s trigger and second
finger for support. The trigger finger rests in a large groove cut into the
wood, and there is a second large groove on the gun’s left side to support
the thumb. Also placed on the left side is another large flange that bears against
the heel of the shooting hand; this also is meant for support. And there is
an adjustable and detachable ledge on the bottom right side of the grip to help
lock the shooting hand in place.
|
SHOOTING
EAA’S
.22 LR TARGET MODEL IZH35M |
||||
|
Factory
Load
|
Velocity
(fps) |
Velocity
Variation (fps) |
50-Foot
Accuracy (Inches) |
|
| Winchester HV 37-gr. HP |
1154
|
86
|
1.03
|
|
|
CCI
Standard Vel. 40-gr. HP
|
1010
|
13
|
1.15
|
|
| Federal
Match 40-gr. |
950
|
29
|
0.93
|
|
| Lapua
Multi-Match 40-gr. |
982
|
14
|
0.66
|
|
| Remington Target 40-gr. |
1004
|
91
|
1.30
|
|
|
NOTES:
Accuracy is the average of three five-shot groups fired from a sandbag
benchrest at 50 feet. Velocity is the average of 10 rounds measured six
feet from the gun’s muzzle.
|
||||
Instead of just
picking up this pistol, it is better to take it in the off hand and place it
firmly into the shooting hand. This is an old target shooter’s maneuver
and helps keep the grip exactly the same every time. Take note: This is a pistol
for right-handed shooters only. There is no way for the left hand to fire it.
Now let’s
look at the functioning of this target pistol. Just as with conventional autoloading
pistols, rounds are loaded into a detachable magazine that slides into the grip.
The capacity of the magazine supplied with the IZH35M is only five rounds; two
magazines are included. A large knurled button on the bottom of the left grip
releases the magazine for reloading. What is different from most other autoloaders,
however, is the manner in which the first round is fed into the chamber. Instead
of pulling back the slide and releasing it, the IZH35M uses a bolt with grooves
cut into tabs on either side. To load the first round into the chamber, point
the pistol in a safe direction, grasp the grooved tabs with the thumb and index
finger of the left hand, pull backwards fully, and release. This pushes the
bolt rearwards so that it picks up the first round in the magazine; when released,
the pistol is ready to fire. Following rounds are fired simply by pulling the
trigger as with any other semiautomatic pistol.
Page Two - Specs, Performance, Conclusion
This article was originally published in Shooting Times Handgun Buyer's Guide 2001.
