TOZ-55
Soviet over-and-under combination gun for big-game hunting.
The TOZ-55 "Zubr" is a Soviet over-and-under hammerless combination gun built for hunting large game. It was designed by N. I. Korovyakov in the early 1970s, based on his earlier TOZ-34 shotgun. The first examples were produced in 1975 at the Tula Arms Plant.
The gun came with three sets of detachable chrome-plated barrels: a pair of 9mm rifled barrels (600mm), a pair of 12/70mm smoothbore barrels (675mm), and a combination set with a 9mm rifled barrel over a 12-gauge smoothbore barrel. All models had iron sights and a scope base. Standard optical sights included the PO-4×34, TO-6P, and TO-6PM, though custom scopes also exist. The stock and fore-end were walnut, and some guns were engraved.
In April 1987, the Tula Arms Plant announced that the new TOZ-84 would replace the TOZ-34, TOZ-55, and TOZ-57 in production, and the TOZ-55 was discontinued. Despite this, by December 1988 it remained the most common hunting firearm in the Soviet Union chambered in 9×53mmR. After the Soviet collapse, unfinished TOZ-55 guns and spare parts remained at the plant. A simplified version, the TOZ-55-2 "Zubr," was planned for the 1990s, but production of 9×53mmR ammunition stopped in 1992 due to Russia’s economic crisis, and Tula chose to continue making the TOZ-34 instead.
Two other variants existed: the TOZ-55-3 "Zubr," a simplified version with only a pair of 12-gauge smoothbore barrels, and the TOZ-56, a test prototype with a 9mm rifled barrel over a smoothbore barrel. The TOZ-55 was used by the USSR, Latvia, the Russian Federation, and was imported into the United States.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- USSR
- Is Ranged
- yes
- Designer
- N. I. Korovyakov
- Manufacturer
- Tulsky Oruzheiny Zavod
- Production Date
- since 1975
- Weight
- 3.8 kg
- Part Length
- 600mm, 675mm
- Caliber
- 12 gauge / 9×53mmR
- Action
- Break action
- Rate
- variable
- Sights
- iron sights / optical sight
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In the early 1970s, N. I. Korovyakov began work on a new double-barreled combination gun based on the design of his TOZ-34 shotgun. The first TOZ-55 «Zubr» shotguns were made in 1975. In April 1987, it was announced that the Tula Arms Plant would begin mass production of the new TOZ-84 shotgun, which would replace the TOZ-34, TOZ-55, and TOZ-57 in production, leading to the discontinuation of the TOZ-55. Despite this, as of December 1988, the TOZ-55 remained the most common hunting firearm in 9×53mmR caliber in the Soviet Union.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, some unfinished TOZ-55 shotguns and spare parts remained at the Tula Arms Plant. In the 1990s, a new TOZ-55-2 «Zubr» combination gun was announced, but due to the economic crisis in the Russian Federation in 1992, production of 9×53mmR ammunition was discontinued. TOZ decided not to produce this model and instead continued production of the TOZ-34.
The TOZ-55 was equipped with iron sights and a scope base for optical sights. Standard optical sights included the PO-4×34, TO-6P, and TO-6PM, though custom aftermarket variants are known. All TOZ-55s had a walnut stock and fore-end, and some were decorated with engravings.
Reader's Guide
The TOZ-55 «Zubr» represents a notable Soviet-era attempt to create a versatile combination gun for big-game hunting, offering interchangeable barrel sets that allowed the user to switch between rifled and smoothbore configurations. Its design, based on the TOZ-34, provided a hammerless over-and-under action. The gun's significance is underscored by its status as the most common hunting firearm in 9×53mmR caliber in the Soviet Union as late as December 1988, even after production had been discontinued in 1987. The planned replacement by the TOZ-84 and the subsequent economic turmoil of the 1990s, which halted production of its ammunition, effectively ended the TOZ-55's production run. The attempted revival as the TOZ-55-2 was abandoned, leaving the TOZ-55 as a distinctive example of Soviet combination guns that saw use in the USSR, Latvia, the Russian Federation, and was even imported into the United States.
Did You Know?
- The TOZ-55 was based on the design of the TOZ-34 shotgun.
- It was equipped with three pairs of detachable chrome-plated barrels.
- Some unfinished TOZ-55 shotguns remained at the Tula Arms Plant after the fall of the Soviet Union.
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