The TOZ-34 (Russian: ТОЗ-34) is a Soviet double-barreled shotgun.
The TOZ-34 is produced and sold by Tulsky Oruzheiny Zavod[2] since 1964. In 1965, the shotgun was awarded the golden medal of the Leipzig Trade Fair.[3][1][4]
In 1967, the price of one standard TOZ-34 was 150 - 160 roubles.[3] Also, since 1960s these shotguns were sold to foreign countries.[5][6]
In 1970, TOZ-34 and TOZ-34E received the State quality mark of the USSR.[7] In May 1972, the shotgun was awarded the golden medal in Paris.[8][4]
In 1974, the first experimental 28 and 32 gauge TOZ-34 shotguns were made. After all tests and trials were completed, they were officially presented at exhibitions in Petrozavodsk and Yakutsk in 1976.[9] Since autumn 1976, Tula Arms Plant began serial production of 28 gauge TOZ-34 shotguns.[10]
In 1977, TOZ-34 and TOZ-34E were among the ten most common hunting shotguns in the Soviet Union.[11]
Since 1982 began the production of combination guns based on TOZ-34 design (TOZ-34-5,6/20 and TOZ-34-5,6/28),[1] although only a small number of them was made and sold to hunters until July 1987.[12]
In 1985, IZh-27 and TOZ-34 were the most common hunting shotguns in the Soviet Union.[13]
In April 1987, it was announced that Tula Arms Plant would begin mass production of the new TOZ-84 shotgun and this gun will replace in production TOZ-34, TOZ-55 and TOZ-57.[14] However, after the fall of the Soviet Union and the 1990s economic crisis in the Russian Federation, TOZ decided to discontinue production of TOZ-84 and to continue production of TOZ-34.[15]
In 1990s, the prices of firearms increased.[16] In September 1994, the cost of a one new TOZ-34 shotgun was from 430 thousand roubles to 1.4 million roubles.[15]
More than one million TOZ-34 shotguns have been made.[2]
The TOZ-34 is an over and under hammerless smoothbore shotgun, with one barrel above the other.[2][1] The barrels are chrome-plated and have chokes at the muzzle end.[3]
Soviet TOZ-34 have a walnut, birch or beech stock and fore-end.[3]
TOZ-34-5,6/20 and TOZ-34-5,6/28 may be equipped with PO-2,5x20 (ПО-2,5х20) optical sight or PO-1 (ПО-1) optical sight[17]
