A Look At Russia's Dragunov Sniper Rifle

Dragunov Sniper Rifle Completes 50 Years In Russian Military -- Russia & India Report

In June, the Russian Armed Forces celebrated the 50th anniversary of the induction of the Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD). RIR gives you a lowdown of the designation of this powerful weapon, its modifications and prospects.

In the late 1950s, a design competition was held for a self-loading (semi-automatic) sniper rifle for the Soviet Army. The winning team was led by designer Evgeny Dragunov. In 1963, the rifle, named after its developer (literally the Dragunov sniper rifle), was inducted into the military. A special sniper cartridge with a steel core was developed for the rifle; despite that, it is capable of using the entire range of domestically-manufactured 7.62х54R cartridges.

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My Comment: I never had the opportunity to test-fire this rifle, but two of my cousins who served in the Soviet military as paratroopers did. They had to use it during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s .... and they liked it not only for it's accuracy, but also because (like the Kalashnikov) it was easy to maintain and to handle.