Dragunov SVD

From The D Archives

The SVD (Russian: Снайперская винтовка Драгунова, Snayperskaya Vintovka Dragunova, lit. "Dragunov sniper rifle") is a semi-automatic sniper rifle chambered in 7.62x54mmR and developed in the Soviet Union.

In the early 1990s a compact variant of the SVD designed for airborne infantry was introduced, known as the SVDS (short for Snayperskaya Vintovka Dragunova Skladnaya, Russian > "Dragunov Sniper Rifle with folding stock"), which features a tubular metal stock that folds to the right side of the receiver (equipped with a synthetic shoulder pad and a fixed cheek riser) and a synthetic pistol grip. The barrel was also given a heavier profile, the receiver housing was strengthened, the gas cylinder block was improved and a ported, conical flash hider was adopted.

The SVDS also comes in a night-capable variant designated SVDSN.

Additional notes

The Finnish Defence Forces also has this rifle, designated as 7.62 TKIV Dragunov, and it is used pretty much in the same role as it was originally designed for. These rifles were acquired at the same time as the first BMP IFV's were bought, since every purchased BMP apparently included a Dragunov for squad close fire support.

Also, a civilian variant of the rifle, known as the Tigr, has been manufactured.

Notable users of the rifle include:

• Iraq: (this particular variant is apparently based on the Romanian copy of the original SVD, the PSL-rifle, along with the Russian one. Designated as the "Al-Qadissiya"-rifle.)

• China: The Chinese national "arms copying service" of Norinco has yet again made a copy of this weapon, known as either the Type 79 or Type 85 with some minor modifications to the weapon itself.