Dragunov SVD

The Dragunov sniper rifle (formally Russian: Снайперская винтовка Драгунова, literally "Dragunov's sniper rifle") is a semi-automatic sniper rifle/designated marksman rifle chambered in 7.62x54mmR and developed in the Soviet Union. The name "SVD" was from Snayperskaya Vintovka Dragunova (SVD).The Dragunov was designed as a squad support weapon, since according to Soviet and Soviet-derived military doctrines the long-range engagement ability was lost to ordinary troops when submachine guns and assault rifles (which are optimized for close-range and medium-range, rapid-fire combat) were adopted. For that reason it was originally named "Полуавтоматическая винтовка Драгунова" Dragunov's Semi-automatic Rifle.

the Dragunov has become the standard squad support weapon of several countries, including those of the former Warsaw Pact.  Dragunov is a semi-automatic gas-operated rifle with a short-stroke gas-piston system. The weapon is fed from a curved box magazine with a 10-round capacity and the cartridges are double-stacked in a checker pattern. A number of accessories are provided with the rifle, including a blade-type bayonet (AKM clipped point or the AK-74 spear point bayonet), four spare magazines, a leather or nylon sling, magazine pouch, cleaning kit and an accessory/maintenance kit for the telescopic sight.

 Original SVD rifle with wooden furniture, right side.

 

 SVD rifle, major parts and assemblies.

 

 

 SVD-S rifle with foldingbutt and polymer furniture.

 

 

 Russian-madehunting version of the SVD, the 7,62x54R Tigr (Tiger) rifle withnew-style plastic SVD furniture. Note that there's no bayonet lug onthe barrel.

 

 

Foreign SVD clones andlook-alikes: top to bottom Al Kadesih rifle (Iraq), Type 85 rifle(China) and FPK rifle (Romania). Note that only two former rifles aretrue clones of SVD; the latter one, FPK in fact is a modified Kalashnikov AK rifle restyled to look like SVD and chambered for 7,62x54R.

Caliber:7.62x54R
Operation: gas operated, short stroke, rotatingbolt; semi-automatic
Weight: 4.31kg empty with telescope
Length: 1225 mm
Barrel Length: 620 mm
Capacity:10 round detachable box magazine