The SVD: The Sniper Rifle of the Soviet Union and Russia

The first glimpse one has of the Snaperskaya Vintovka Dragunova, known as the Dragunov or SVD, one gets the impression of a sleek, graceful, and deadly implement of war. Built at Izhvesk Mashinostroitelny Zavod (IZHMESH) in Izhvesk, Russia, the SVD is the primary sniper weapon for the Russians. As well, the SVD and its variants are in use around the world by allies and satellites of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Though not a true sniper weapon by today's standards, the SVD is the first rifle designed and built for sniping. A semi-automatic rifle, it is capable of delivering 1-2 minute of angle accuracy. Most interestingly, in its differing variants it is chambered not only for the cartridges of pre-Soviet Imperial Russia, but also the two foes of the former USSR, both Nazi Germany, and the North American Treaty Organization.

Before the SVD, there was the Mosin-Nagant. The Mosin-Nagant is named for Sergei I. Mosin, a Colonel of the Russian Imperial Army, who designed the rifle and Emil Nagant, a Belgian arms manufacturer, who developed the rifle's magazine. See Steve Helsley, "A Tale of Two Sniper Rifles" Tactical Shooter (September, 1998). In l891, Izhevsk Ordnance Plant began production of the rifle, designated the M1891. Subsequent to the development of the M1891, the Russians began production of a variant, the Dragoon M1891. Designed for heavy cavalry, the Dragoon would be the basis of the Soviet's main sniper rifle years later.

The various Mosin-Nagants were chambered for the 7.62 x 54 Russian cartridge. The rimmed cartridge, at the time of its adoption, was comparable to the .303 British and .30-06 Springfield and pushed a 212-grain bullet to 2030 feet per second (fps) or approximately 610 meters per second (mps). By 1908, the Imperial Russian military had dropped the bullet weight to 148 grains, with an increase in velocity to 2600 fps (780 mps).The cartridge would outlast the Imperial Russian government and its successor.

In 1917, revolution erupted across Russia. At its conclusion, Imperial Russia was gone, supplanted by the USSR. Though the old elites and political and military leadership were no more -- having been exiled, murdered, or sent to concentration camps -- the former military's weaponry remained. The Red Army focused attention on the Dragoon variant of the Mosin-Nagant, and in 1930, Soviet-owned Izhevsk made significant improvements to this variant, designating the new version as the M1891/30. Izhevsk produced the rifle until 1944.

When used as a sniper rifle, the M1891/30 was equipped with either the 4 power PE or the 3.5 power PU day telescope. Of course, the rifles came with iron sights. As well, the bolt handle was turned down and tolerances were tightened. During World War II, in the hands of Soviet soldiers -- many of them women -- the M1891/30 would account for the deaths of many Wermacht and SS soldiers. At the peak of the war, the two armies engaged in ferocious urban combat in Stalingrad and elsewhere and the value of scoped rifles with rapid follow-up shots would not be lost on the Soviet Military.

Two other rifles are worth mentioning at this point: the Avtomat Vintovka Simonova, or AVS 36, and the Samozariadnyia Vintovka Tokorevea, or SVT 40, both semi-automatic rifles chambered for the 7.62 x 54mm R cartridge. The Soviet military made attempts at fielding sniper versions of these rifles during and after the Second World War, however, the rifles were not up to the task, and snipers roundly criticized them for their failings (e.g., inaccuracy, unreliability at low temperatures). Until the Soviets could field a better rifle, the M1891/30 would continue to serve with the Red Army.

The Soviet Union needed a sniper rifle, and Yevgeniy Feodorovich Dragunov (b. 1920, d. 1991) was the man to give them that rifle. Dragunov came from a family of gunsmiths, was a colleague of Mikhail Kalishnikov's, and was also a competitive sport shooter. Dragunov knew something about firearms.

Working with Ivan Samoylov, Dragunov focused on special weapon design throughout the 1950s, with work beginning in earnest on the SVD in 1958. Though the design is a simple and graceful one, there were a number of setbacks and difficulties during the development phase. The magazine, because of the need to accommodate the rimmed 7.62 x 54 R cartridge, took a year alone to design. Entering competition for the next generation sniper rifle of the Red Army, Dragunov found his entry the clear winner, and on July 3, 1963, the USSR adopted the SVD. By 1964, Izhvesk began production of the rifle.

The appearance of the SVD in the arsenal of the USSR did not put an immediate end to the M1891/30's tours of duty. Well after the adoption of the SVD, M1891/30s remained in use around the world. For example, throughout the Vietnam War, the M1891/30, designated the K44, was the primary sniper rifle among the North Vietnamese and Vietcong (notwithstanding the rumors that the Soviets were supplying the North Vietnamese with the SVD). And in many third world countries today, one can find the M1891/30 still in use as a sniper rifle.

To the casual observer, the Dragunov appears to be a variant of the Avtomat Kalishnikov 1947, or AK-47. Other than the safety lever, which is the same as the AK's, the similarities are cosmetic only. The most critical difference between the two rifles is the gas system. The SVD has a short-stroke gas piston system, similar in design and operation to the M1/M14 series of rifles, and to the Tokarev as well. The piston is above the barrel and its short stroke minimizes weight displacement during a shot, which would affect accuracy, and follow-up shot ability. Moreover, the piston rod is separate from the bolt carrier. Further, the SVD also has an adjustable gas regulator to compensate for a dirty gas system when the rifle is under heavy use.

The SVD has on its barrel, a bird-cage style flash suppressor, similar to those found on Western rifles. The suppressor is lugged for attaching a bayonet. The SVD has an open, "skeletonized" thumbhole buttstock, with a cheekpad, for improved sighting.

The primary day telescope on the SVD is the 4 power PSO-1 or its improved version, the PSO-1M2. The PSO-1 has a narrow field of view, 6 degrees, and 24mm objective lens. The scope has a bullet drop compensator that goes to 1000 meters. For shots at distances greater than 1000 meters, the scope has inverted chevrons for distances of 1100, 1200, and 1300 meters. Additionally, the scope has a built-in rangefinder. Based upon a standing figure of 170 cm or 5'7", one can determine distances out to 1000 meters. Further, the scope has battery-powered reticle illuminator.

The SVD is also night vision-capable. The PSO-1 comes with a passive infrared (IR) filter. When engaged, the IR filter allows the user to seek out IR sources. [More on night vision.] Kalishnikov-USA offers the SVD with two passive night optical devices (NOD): the NSPUM NOD comes with the SVDN2 and SVDNS2 rifles and the NSPU-3 NOD comes with the SVDN3 and SVDNS3 rifles.

The SVD has seen combat around the world. Both the Soviets and Afghan rebels used the rifle to great success in Afghanistan. The Cubans engaged American forces with SVDs in Grenada, as did the Iraqis in the Gulf.

Though it is a combat tested gun, it is not a terribly accurate one. The rifle has a 90% target interdiction probability at 300 yards, and a 20% target interdiction probability at 1000. Certainly, some of the rifle's inaccuracy can be attributed to the ammunition. There is little match-grade ammunition available in 7.62 x 54mm R (Lapua comes to mind). However, the major contributor to inaccuracy in the rifle is its design. The barrel is lightweight and cannot be free-floated. Further, it is impossible to adjust the trigger spring.

It is possible to purchase an SVD in the United States, assuming one has the proper credentials (military or law enforcement). The SVD and its folding stock variant, the SVDS, are available through Kalishnikov-USA and come with four magazines; a cleaning and oiling kit; a bayonet; a rifle sling; and the PSO-1M2 scope.

As was often the case during the Cold War, the various members of the Com-Bloc would copy each others' weapon designs. So it was with the SVD. The Red Chinese version of the SVD is known as the Type 79. Quite similar to the SVD, the Type 79 does not equal the Russian original in accuracy.

The Yugoslavian variant is known as the M76. As produced for the former Yugoslavian Army, the M76 is chambered for the 7.92 x 57mm cartridge, used previously by the German military, including the Nazis. The Yugoslavs came out with chamberings in 7.62 x 51mm and 7.62 x 54mm R. There are two key differences between the M76 and SVD. The M76 is equipped with the 4 power ON M76 day telescope with tritium reticle illumination. Also, the M76 has a wood stock and pistol grip, rather than the skeletonized, thumbhole stock of the SVD.

There is one final East Bloc sniper rifle worth mentioning, the Romanian FPK. The FPK looks like an SVD. They are not the same rifle. The FPK, in contrast to the SVD, has a gas system based upon the AKM. The thumbhole stock of the FPK

With the Cold War over and the Soviet Union only a memory, the arms plants of the Com-Bloc have sought out markets in the West, and not just governments. There are commercial variants of the SVD. The two most popular are the "Medved", or Bear, and the "Tiger." IZHMASH currently offers the "Tiger", actually "TIGR" -- chambered for the 7.62 x 54mm R cartridge -- for sale in the United States. The rifle is intended for use on medium and big game hunting. IZHMASH states that the Tiger will operate in temperatures from minus 50 C up to 50 C. There are two versions of the Tiger. The TIGR has the traditional-looking wood thumbhole stock and plastic handguards found on the military versions of the rifle. The TIGR-1 uses higher quality wood in the raised-comb Monte Carlo stock and handguards. Included with the Tigers are one five-round magazine, cleaning and oiling accessories, a sling, and a case. Options for both hunting rifles include a day telescope and mount.

The Chinese have also produced commercial versions of their SVD variant. Polytech's version is known as the PDM-86, and Norinco's called the NDM-86. These rifles are chambered for the 7.62 x 54R cartridge, with a small number (approximately 1000) of the NDM-86s having been exported to the United States chambered for the 7.62 NATO cartridge.

The SVD has served Russia and its allies/satellites well for over thirty years. As the world's first rifle purpose-built for sniping, the SVD is no longer state of the art. What will replace the rifle remains to be seen. Given the increasing conflict in urban areas, it is likely that the Russians will adopt a sniper rifle designed for functioning in such environments. Possibilities include the SVU, a bull-pup variant of the SVD with a barrel length 100mm shorter than the SVD's. As well, there is the VSK-94, a 9mm caliber suppressed sniper rifle adopted for the Russian Federation Interior Ministry. It is likely, though, that the SVD and the Imperial Russian cartridge for which it is chambered, still have many years of service left with the former partners and clients of the USSR.

Contact:

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IZHMASH J.S.C.

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