Los (hunting rifle)

The "Los" was designed in early 1960s, the first rifles were made in 1961,^[2] although serial production began since 1965.^[5]

The rifle received State quality mark of the USSR.^[5]

In March 1965, the price of one standard "Los" rifle was between 90 and 100 roubles.^[6]

In the first half of the 1970s, experimental 9×53mmR cartridges with hollow bullet for immobilization of wild animals for "Los" rifle were made and tested.^[7]

In 1993, Kazan Optical-Mechanical Plant began production of night-vision device for "Bars", "Los-4" and "Los-7" hunting rifles.^[8]

In late 1990s, first "Los-9-1" rifles were made.^[9]

The "Los" has staggered column non-detachable internal box magazine.^[2]

All variants of "Los" rifles have iron sights and they are equipped with scope base for optical sight.^[2]

All Soviet rifles had a wooden stock and fore-end,^[2] although custom aftermarket variants are known.

• "Los" («Лось»)^[1] - first model, 9×53mmR, it has barrel with six grooves (320 mm twist rate).^[2] The standard optical sight for this model was TO-4.^[6] The last rifle was made in 1976.^[5]
• "Los-4" («Лось-4»)^[1] - 7.62×51mm A, in production since 1975 until 1990. It has barrel with four grooves. The standard optical sight for this model was PO-4×34 (ПО-4×34) made by Zagorsk Optical-Mechanical Plant^[4][2]
• "Los-7" («Лось-7»)^[1] - 7.62×51mm A

• "Los-7-1" («Лось-7-1») - "Los-7" variant with detachable magazine, 7.62×51mm A

• "Los-8" («Лось-8») - 9.3×64mm Brenneke^[10]
• "Los-9" («Лось-9»)^[1]

• "Los-9-1" («Лось-9-1») - 9.3×64mm Brenneke,^[11] with 5-round detachable box magazine^[9]
• "Los-9-2" («Лось-9-2») - .30-06 Springfield
• "Los-9-3" («Лось-9-3») - 7×64mm Brenneke

• Baikal 145 "Los" (Baikal 145 «Лось») - .308 Winchester and .223 Remington, with Picatinny rail. The rifle was announced in 2017. In June 2018, "Kalashnikov Concern" announced the start of its production^[12]
• BIL-6,5 (БИЛ-6,5) - 6.5mm target rifle based on "Los" design^[5]
• AVL (АВЛ) - 7.62mm target rifle based on "Los" design (chambered for 7.62×54mmR "Extra").^[5] It was used on shooting contests, including Olympic Games, until the rules changed and rifles were limited to small caliber only.
• ROM-20 (РОМ-20) - a 20 gauge bolt-action shotgun (smoothbore version of "Los-7-1"). In March 2002, one test prototype was shown at the "IWA-2002" exhibition.^[13]

Serial production of Soviet 7.62×51mm A cartridges with 9.7 g expanding bullet began in 1974.^[4]

Soviet 7.62×51mm A cartridges are not interchangeable with foreign 7.62×51mm NATO military cartridges and .308 Winchester commercial cartridges.^[14][4][15]

• Soviet Union – was allowed as civilian hunting weapon^[6]
• Belarus − is allowed as civilian hunting weapon^[16]
•  Georgia − was used by Georgian militias during the Russo-Georgian war^[3]
• Russia − is allowed as civilian hunting weapon^[2][1]
• USA − the import was allowed^[17]

• one "Los" hunting rifle is in the collection of M. T. Kalashnikov Museum in Izhevsk