Sniper Rifle

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The development of the SVD spanned from 1958 to 1963, culminating in a contest involving three competing designer groups led by Sergei Simonov, Aleksandr Konstantinov, and Yevgeny Dragunov. Simonov's prototype was rejected in April 1960. Although Konstantinov's 2B-W-10 design proved simpler and cheaper, it lacked the necessary accuracy, durability, and reliability found in Dragunov's proposal. Extensive field testing across diverse environmental conditions confirmed Dragunov's rifle as the superior choice, leading to its acceptance into service in July 1963. An initial pre-production batch of 200 rifles was assembled for evaluation before serial production began in 1964 at Izhmash (later Kalashnikov Concern). The rifle became a standard squad support weapon across former Warsaw Pact nations. China reverse-engineered captured samples from the Sino-Vietnamese War to produce the Type 79 and Type 85, while Iran later created the Nakhjir 3 clone based on the Chinese model.

In Their Own Story

In Russian service, the SVD is being replaced by the Chukavin SVCh. As of February 2023, Kalashnikov Concern began mass-producing the Chukavin, which utilizes SVD-compatible box magazines when chambered for the 7.62×54mmR. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have largely shifted to Western rifles chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum or 7.62×51mm NATO, alongside anti-materiel options like the Barrett M107A1 and the domestic UAR-10. Despite these replacements, sources indicate the SVD remains in service with Ukrainian forces specifically in the designated marksman rifle role. The weapon's legacy is defined by its ability to function as a semi-automatic platform where manual bolt cycling is unnecessary, offering a balance of fire rate and precision distinct from traditional bolt-action counterparts.

Reader's Guide

The SVD operates via a short-stroke gas piston system with a two-position gas regulator. Position #1 opens an escape port for standard conditions, while position #2 closes it to direct extra gas to the piston, increasing recoil velocity to resolve reliability issues caused by fouling, extreme cold, high altitude, or under-powered ammunition. The rifle features a rotating bolt with three locking lugs and a free-floating firing pin; this design can lead to accidental discharges if the channel is obstructed. It feeds from a 10-round detachable box magazine with staggered zigzag cartridges. For precision, the barrel uses a 240 mm (1:9.4 in) twist rate since 1975, optimized for standard ball ammunition like LPS Gzh, though it sacrifices some accuracy compared to the original 320 mm twist designed for 7N1 sniper rounds. The rifle must not exceed 0.7 MOA median deviation in factory testing using 7N1 ammo.

Did You Know?

• The SVD was selected as the winner of a contest in July 1963 after extensive field testing proved it more accurate and reliable than competitors from Simonov and Konstantinov.
• In 1975, the barrel twist rate was increased to 240 mm (1:9.4 in), which reduced precision with 7N1 sniper cartridges by exactly 19% but allowed for better performance with standard light ball ammunition.
• The rifle features a free-floating firing pin that is not retained, creating a risk of accidental discharge if the firing pin channel becomes obstructed due to poor maintenance or extreme cold.
• China produced the Type 79 and Type 85 by reverse-engineering SVD samples captured during the Sino-Vietnamese War, which Iran later copied as the Nakhjir 3.
• The PSO-1 optical sight includes a bullet drop compensation (BDC) turret that must be factory-tuned for specific rifle/cartridge combinations and air density to function correctly at ranges up to 1,000 meters.