In the fifties, in connection with the rearmament of our army, designers were given the task of creating a self-loading sniper rifle. Evgeniy Fedorovich Dragunov, already known by that time as the inventor of a number of sports rifles, also got involved in this work.
A few lines from the designer's biography. Born in 1920 in the city of Izhevsk into a family of hereditary gunsmiths. After graduation high school entered the industrial technical school. Then - work at the factory. In 1939, after being drafted into the army, he was sent to the school for junior commanders.
Later, after demobilization in 1945, he worked as a senior gunsmith. About the difficulties the design team encountered. - testimony of Dragunov himself: During the design, we had to overcome a number of contradictions. For example, for reliable operation rifles in difficult conditions, they need to have large gaps between the moving parts, and in order to have better accuracy, everything needs to be fitted as tightly as possible. Or, let’s say, the rifle should be light, but for better accuracy, the heavier it is to a certain limit, the better. In general, we approached the finale already in 1962, having experienced a whole series of failures and successes. Suffice it to say that we have been working on the store for over a year. The forend assembly, which looked simple, turned out to be the most difficult, and we finalized it at the very end. It is curious that SVD won the difficult competition. Simultaneously with Dragunov, A. Konstantinov’s group was involved in the development. Both designers presented their designs almost at the same time. These samples were subjected to the most serious tests. In terms of shooting accuracy and accuracy of combat, these most important characteristics for a sniper, the Dragunov rifle showed best results. What. ultimately determined the outcome of the tests.
In 1963, the SVD was adopted by our army. The Dragunov sniper rifle is designed to destroy emerging, moving, open and camouflaged single targets. The rifle is a self-loading weapon, aimed fire is carried out in single shots.
The main part of the automatic rifle is the bolt frame, which receives the effects of powder gases through a gas piston and pusher. The reloading handle, located on the right, is made integral with the bolt frame. Rifle return mechanism with two coil springs. The trigger mechanism allows only single fire. Flag fuse, double action. It simultaneously locks the trigger and limits rearward movement of the bolt carrier by supporting the charging handle. The trigger ensures that a shot is fired only when the bolt is completely locked. The trigger mechanism is assembled in a separate housing.
A flash suppressor with five longitudinal slots is attached to the muzzle of the barrel, which also masks the shot during night operations and protects the barrel from contamination. The presence of a gas regulator for changing the recoil speed of moving parts ensures the reliability of the rifle in operation.
The rifle is equipped with mechanical (open), optical (PSO-1M2) sights or night sights: NSPUM (SVDN2) or NSPU-3 (SVDN3)
SVDS, folding stock, cover pin, safety, pistol grip and standard magazine are clearly visible
For firing from the SVD, 7.62x53 rifle cartridges are used: ordinary, tracer and armor-piercing incendiary bullets. To increase the accuracy of fire, a special sniper cartridge has been developed for the rifle with a bullet with a steel core, which provides 2.5 times better accuracy of fire than conventional cartridges.
According to most experts, the rifle is ergonomically well designed: the weapon inspires complete confidence in the shooter, is well balanced, and is easy to hold when firing an aimed shot. Compared to a conventional magazine sniper rifle, the practical rate of fire of which is about 5v/m, the Dragunov rifle, according to experts, reaches 30 aimed shots per minute.
Country of origin: Russia
Tactical technical specifications:
Caliber, mm 7.62
Weight without cartridges and sight, kg 4.2
Length, mm 1220
Height with optical sight, mm 230
Width with optical sight, mm 88
Barrel length, mm 620
Initial bullet speed, m/s 830
Rate of fire, v/m 30
Muzzle energy, J 4064
Magazine capacity, 10 rounds
Sighting range with open sight, m 1200
Sighting range with optical sight, m 1300
Sighting range with night sight, m 300
The rifle's automatic operation operates by removing powder gases through a hole in the wall of the barrel bore. The barrel bore is locked by turning the bolt counterclockwise. This scheme was tested by Dragunov in sporting weapons. In contrast to the design of the Kalashnikov assault rifle (locking on two lugs by turning the bolt clockwise), the cartridge rammer is used as a third lug, which made it possible, with the same transverse dimensions of the bolt and rotation angle, to increase the area of the lugs by approximately one and a half times. Three supporting surfaces ensure a stable position of the bolt, which improves the accuracy of fire.
The Dragunov sniper rifle has been in service with our country since 1963 and is the second most popular sniper rifle in the world after those created on the basis of the American Remington 700.
Excellent technical characteristics even today, recognizable appearance and the original sound of a shot have made the SVD popular among civilians. It is present in games, books, there are many stories about its accuracy and penetrating power, often with a dose of fiction.
History of creation
In the 50s, the USSR army was rearmament, which required a modern self-loading sniper rifle that fired single shots.
E. F. Dragunov, working as a senior gunsmith since 1945 and famous for the creation of his sporting firearms, began designing his rifle in 1962. In parallel, the development was led by A. Konstantinov, both designers completed their projects at approximately the same time, Dragunov’s weapons showed themselves to be more accurate in tests and demonstrated greater accuracy of fire.
In 1963, the rifle, called the SVD, was adopted by the Soviet army.
Peculiarities
The future rifle was supposed to fulfill only certain purposes and versatility was not required from it, but the goals set were not easily achievable. High reliability was required, implying increased clearances between moving parts, while high accuracy implied the most rigid structure possible with minimal clearances.
Also, heavy weapons have better stability and show higher accuracy when shooting, but it was necessary to create a light rifle.
When creating it, Dragunov used a bolt design that he had used in sporting weapons. The barrel bore was closed with a bolt that rotated counterclockwise and had two lugs, plus it used the cartridge rammer as a third one. This scheme of operation increases the area of the lug lugs without changing the dimensions of the bolt itself, which has a positive effect on the accuracy of fire.
The safety lever not only blocks the trigger, but also locks the bolt frame, preventing it from moving back. The only shooting mode is single. The barrel has a flame arrester that protects the barrel from contamination and masks shooting at night.
The magazine contains 10 rounds of 7.62x54R caliber; ordinary, tracer, armor-piercing incendiary rifle cartridges, 7N1 and 7N14 sniper cartridges, cartridges with JSP and JHP hollow-point bullets are used.
Technical characteristics, accuracy and accuracy
Thanks to self-loading, produced using the energy of powder gases, the SVD has a good combat rate of fire - up to 30 rounds per minute.
The PSO-1 sight is used, which provides shooting at a range of up to 1300 meters, however, such shooting is not accurate and makes sense only as a distraction or in the presence of group targets.
When adopted into service, the rifling in the barrel was in increments of 320 mm, later the increment was reduced to 240 mm, due to which the dispersion of armor-piercing incendiary bullets decreased, but the dispersion of others increased from 8 to 10 cm when firing at a distance of 100 meters.
It is possible to use a specially designed sniper cartridge, which includes a bullet with a steel core, which increases accuracy by 2.5 times.
According to the standards, the range of a direct shot at a target 30 centimeters high is 350 meters, at a target 50 centimeters high - 430 meters, at a moving target with the speed of a running person 150 centimeters high - 640 meters.
Excellent tactical and technical characteristics allow experienced shooters to hit helicopters and airplanes flying at low speed. In 1989, a Cessna A-37B jet attack aircraft was shot down, and RQ-11 Raven reconnaissance drones are also known to be shot down.
SIDS
In 1991, the rifle underwent modernization, receiving a shortened barrel, an improved flash suppressor along with a gas outlet, a butt folding to the right and a new PSO-1M2 sight.
The modernization was caused by the need to reduce the length of the original weapon, which made it inconvenient to transport it inside military equipment.
SVDK
In 2006, a large-caliber modification 6B9 appeared, designed to destroy targets protected by body armor, inside light equipment or behind cover.
The 9.3 x 64 mm 7N33 cartridge is used, whose bullet has an energy of about 4900 J, which allows it to penetrate 1 centimeter thick armor with an 80% probability at a distance of 100 meters.
Created on the basis of the SVD, however, many components have undergone changes in order to adapt the weapon to the use of a powerful cartridge.
The barrel is partially covered with a perforated steel casing, designed to reduce the load on the forend and bipod. The stock and pistol grip are similar to those used on the SVDS, but the rubber butt plate is significantly enlarged due to the increased recoil when firing. A replaceable flame arrester is installed.
Aiming is done using the 1P70 Hyperon sight; accuracy when shooting at a distance of 300 meters is at the level of 18 centimeters.
SVU
The shortened sniper rifle appeared in the 90s and is used as a sniper weapon used in urban environments. Created on the basis of the SVD, but with a bullpup layout, which provides for the trigger to be placed in front of the magazine and the firing mechanism.
There is a silencer on the barrel that reduces the sound of the shot by 10% relative to the SVD and dissipates it so that it is impossible to determine the sniper’s position, and also suppresses the muzzle flash.
It is capable of automatic fire in bursts, but this mode is used only in emergency situations due to high recoil and a low-capacity magazine.
Conclusions
Despite its impressive age, the rifle remains relevant even today. Successful design makes it an ergonomic and balanced weapon, from which aimed shooting is carried out with convenience, and the rate of fire, reaching 30 rounds per minute, distinguishes it from ordinary sniper rifles.
Snipers with SVDS rifle. Selection-3SVDS (index GRAU-6B3)-Russian self-loading sniper rifle, created in 1991. SIDS is one of the modernizations of the SVD rifle for the needs of the Russian Airborne Forces, who wanted to get a more compact SVD rifle to carry out their combat missions. The rifle was adopted by the Russian Army in 1995. The abbreviation SVDS stands for Dragunov Folding Sniper Rifle.
History of creation
The problem with the SVD rifle for paratroopers was its long dimensions, which created many problems when landing or transporting in armored vehicles due to their limited space. The problem of transporting SVD in armored vehicles became acute during the 1979-1989 war in Afghanistan, after which the GAU gave the task of creating a shortened SVD rifle. Two design bureaus took on the creation of a new rifle. Initially, two modifications were created SIDS: SIDS-A And SVDS-D. SVDS-A-"army" the shortened SVD rifle had a 620 mm long barrel. Second version of the rifle SVDS-D-"airborne" had a 590 mm long barrel. As a result, it was decided to stop only with the name SIDS, and the barrel length will be reduced to 565 mm (the standard rifle has a barrel length of 620 mm). The modernization of the rifle was initially carried out by its creator, Evgeniy Fedorovich Dragunov, but due to age and illness he was unable to complete the modernization of the rifle. Azariy Ivanovich Nesterov, who had 40 years of experience in the field of small arms design, was entrusted with completing the work on modernizing the rifle.
When modernizing the SVD rifle, it was decided to reduce the size of the rifle by installing a folding stock and reducing the size of the barrel. To solve such problems, it was decided to increase the thickness of the barrel and reduce the size of the barrel and flame arrester. Increasing the thickness of the barrel solved the problem of barrel vibration and reducing heating, which has a positive effect on shooting accuracy. The stock stock was replaced with a collapsible tubular stock that folded onto the right side and pistol grip. Creating a folding stock turned out to be the most difficult task, although it seems simple. The butt had to be washed, so ideally that no backlash would be created before and after the shot, since backlash significantly reduces accuracy during shooting. The butt has a non-removable “cheek”, which is fixed in position for shooting from an optical or mechanical sight. The butt end is made of polyamide. During the modernization, the receiver underwent changes, since it was necessary to place a mounting point for the folding stock. Additionally, the trigger housing and trigger mechanism have undergone changes. To simplify design and maintenance gas regulator was abolished, although there are options with a regulator. The barrel does not provide a mount for a bayonet and has been abolished as an archaism.
Automation
Automation SIDS works by removing part of the powder gases from the barrel bore. The exhaust gases press on a long-stroke piston, which pushes the bolt to complete a new reloading cycle. During the rollback, the barrel is unlocked and the cartridge case is extracted. When the barrel rolls back, the trigger is cocked and the mainspring is compressed, which pushes the bolt to its original firing position; when it returns, the bolt captures and sends a new cartridge into the barrel bore. The cartridge is locked by turning the combat cylinder by the protrusions of the receiver. Trigger type trigger. The piston rod does not have a rigid attachment to the bolt, plus the relatively long stroke of the bolt increases the reload time (by a fraction of a second). Increasing the reload time reduces recoil and causes less damage to the cartridge when it is inserted into the barrel, which has a positive effect on the accuracy of fire. The introduction of fire is only semi-automatic (single). The rifle is powered by 10-round metal box magazines. For aiming from a rifle, you can install various optical sights using the " dovetail", if the optical sight malfunctions, you can use a mechanical sight. The safety of the rifle is ensured by a safety lever that blocks the movement of the bolt and trigger
SVDS rifle is a continuation of the SVD rifle, retaining all its main qualities: high reliability, ease of maintenance, good performance characteristics for self-loading rifles. The rifle is distinguished by affordable price and its conveyor production. SIDS intended for arming medium-trained army personnel. The rifle is designed to fire at a distance of up to 1300 meters, the effective firing range is 800 meters. The stated target firing range of 1300 meters is possible when firing at group targets or conducting “harassing fire” so that the enemy does not stick his head out of cover. The rifle is widely used in the Russian Army.
| Number of shots | 10 rounds |
| Barrel caliber | 7.62x54 mm, 565 mm barrel length |
| Combat rate of fire | 30 rounds per minute |
| Maximum rate of fire | no data |
| Sighting range | 1300 meters |
| Maximum firing range | 3800 meters |
| Effective shooting | 600 meters |
| Initial departure speed | 810 m/s |
| Automation | gas outlet, locking by turning the blade |
| Weight | 4.2 kg-dry+0.6 kg-sight+0.2 kg-magazine with cartridges |
| Bullet energy | 3500 J |
| Dimensions | 1135 mm - unfolded, 875 mm - folded |
Snipers are one of the most important “castes” of any modern army. A lot depends on their actions, since in combat conditions a well-aimed shooter incapacitates enemy officers and the most active soldiers. This creates panic and forces the enemy to retreat. It's no wonder that gunsmiths pay so much attention to creating sniper rifles. From modern modifications an experienced shooter can hit a target from a distance of 1.5-1.9 km! But practice shows that the first violin in a real battle is played not by such virtuosos of sniper skill, but by ordinary shooters who are armed with a simple and reliable rifle. Evgeniy Fedorovich Dragunov once created just such a weapon.
Timeless classic
In 2013, it was exactly 50 years since the legendary SVD rifle was adopted by the Soviet army. In November of the same year, information appeared that domestic gunsmiths had created a modernization kit with which the weapon was supposed to be included in the new “Ratnik” kit. The weapon gets a completely new barrel, a new receiver cover with a Piccatini rail on it. It significantly expands the range of possible “body kits” that can be installed by a fighter at any time. Vladimir Zlobin, who currently holds the post of leading designer at Izhmash, reports that a folding bipod and a telescopic butt will be added to the design.
These measures will help significantly improve the ergonomics of the weapon. After all these events, the soldiers will have a practically new rifle in their hands. Dragunov at one time created an excellent, without a doubt, scheme, but modern conditions have slightly different requirements for sniper weapons. Currently, there is talk about creating fundamentally new rifle systems based on the “dragunk”, which will fully meet the realities of the 21st century.
Start of work
The SVD is a fairly old rifle. Dragunov began its development back in 1958. More precisely, at that time he was entrusted with the creation of a fundamentally new self-loading weapon for the army. The choice was not accidental, since Evgeniy Fedorovich by that time had vast experience. Thanks to this, he was able to as soon as possible create a truly excellent and “long-lasting” rifle.
Already at the beginning of 1963, it passed all the complexes of state tests and was adopted by the SA. In just five years! Over the half century that this rifle has existed, it has literally received worldwide recognition: to date, it and its clones are in service with more than 30 countries! Even foreign experts say that the SVD is the best in its class. By the way, Western gunsmiths for a very long time had no idea about the structure of this rifle. The first copies fell into the hands of the US foreign intelligence department only in 1980, after the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan.
Device Basics
The rifle operates on a semi-automatic principle. Powder gases affect the automation after being removed from the barrel. Like the legendary AK, locking occurs by turning the bolt. Unlike Kalashnikov's brainchild, three lugs are used. This has a positive effect on the accuracy and accuracy of shooting. Experts believe that Evgeniy Fedorovich would have made both four and five stops, but this was prevented by the requirements of the USSR Ministry of Defense to simplify the design as much as possible so that the rifle, if necessary, could be produced at any enterprise.
In general, this rifle was not easy to create! Dragunov faced a bunch of mutually exclusive factors and demands during his work. Firstly, Evgeniy Fedorovich was instructed to create weapons with high accuracy shooting, but the Ministry of Defense required high reliability. It was necessary to greatly increase the gaps between the parts, and this had a very bad effect on the accuracy and accuracy... But Dragunov was able to find the ideal compromise, as a result of which his weapon is still able to compete with the best foreign self-loading rifles. Considering that the SVD, the price of which is many times lower than the cost of the main Western analogues, was produced in huge quantities, there will not be a replacement for it for a very long time.
The opinion of leading domestic experts should also be taken into account. They believe that the performance characteristics of the SVD could provide for the creation of weapons with better accuracy, if not for the requirement for maximum unification of the rifle with the AK-47. This was justified from the point of view of minimizing production costs, but did not have a very good effect on the characteristics of the product. However, SVD military snipers are quite happy, since this weapon occupies exactly the niche for which it was developed. Only the absence in combat units of true sniper weapons capable of conducting aimed fire at a distance of more than 900 meters forces the use of the Dragunov in this role.
About accuracy and firing range
What is the standard SVD range? If a soldier is well trained, he can fire at a distance of up to 500 meters. The accuracy indicators do not exceed 1.04 arc minutes. Following types targets (subject to the use of high-quality cartridges) can be hit at the following distances: head target - 300 meters, chest figure - up to half a kilometer, waist figure - up to 600 meters. A sniper can “picture” a running person at a distance of up to 800 meters. The rifle is equipped with a well-proven SVD PSO-1 sight, which theoretically allows firing at 1300 m. But in practice, at this distance it is only possible to hit group targets or use the rifle for harassing fire.
It is important to understand this: Dragunov rifles (SVD) are not classified as sniper weapons in modern understanding this word. A person armed with it supports a standard motorized rifle company at a distance of 600 meters. The shooter suppresses firing points, “takes off” grenade launchers and flamethrowers, preventing them from approaching infantry fighting vehicles and tanks within aimed shot range. Therefore, it is stupid to compare SVD and Barrett. The same American troops actively use weapons similar to it (in some places you can even find old M14s), and no complaints are made against it.
Operating principle and creation stages
As we have already said, the rifle was adopted for service in the USSR in 1963. The state competition started in 1958, at the same time it was won by a team of gunsmiths headed by Evgeniy Fedorovich. It should be noted that Kalashnikov himself participated in the competition. Mikhail Timofeevich presented to the commission a rifle created on the basis of a conventional AKM, converted for single-shot fire and with a reinforced barrel. But Dragunov’s design, in no way inferior to Kalashnikov’s brainchild in terms of reliability, was much more accurate and more accurate. Taking into account the wishes of the commission members, the gunsmith created his legendary SVD.
Ammo and scope
Since the characteristics of the standard cartridges that existed by that time did not satisfy Dragunov, a special sniper type was created. In this case, the SVD bullet has a hardened steel core, which significantly improves ballistics and penetration characteristics. Despite this, the rifle can use the entire range of 7.62x54 mm cartridges (standard SVD caliber), which were created in the USSR and the Russian Federation. Of course, shooting with machine gun ammunition shows extremely poor results. The point here is a frankly poor quality control system for this type of ammunition, when cartridges from the same batch contain completely different powder charges. The lower quality of the gunpowder itself also plays a role. This leads not only to a decrease in range, accuracy and accuracy, but also to increased contamination and wear of the weapon.
In the usual case, the SVD sight is PSO-1. It was created in 1963 specifically for the brainchild of Dragunov, and PSO for a long time was one of the most advanced sights in the whole world; For a long time it was produced by Soviet industry in huge quantities. A special feature of this product was a successful aiming grid, which made it possible to make adjustments to the horizontal deflection “on the fly”, without resorting to adjustments using the side flywheels. This significantly increases the likelihood of a successful shot and eliminates the need to move the weapon from the aiming line.
Shooting
Few people remember this, but the SVD caliber allows the use of expansive cartridges such as JSP and JHP. Fire is only single. Ammo is fed from a detachable box magazine that holds exactly ten rounds. The weapon is equipped with a five-slot flash suppressor, which not only significantly reduces the shooter's visibility at night, but also protects the weapon barrel from contamination. The rifle also includes a gas regulator. With its help, you can adjust the recoil force of the moving parts of the weapon, which has a beneficial effect on durability and SVD. The price of the rifle itself and its spare parts is such that it turns out to be practically “eternal.” Extremely important feature for a mass, conscript army.
Stock, shortened version
The butt is a hard, skeletal type. Another feature of the SVD is the location of the fuse, as well as the receiver, which is manufactured by a simple and cheap stamping method. It also differs from most similar rifles in the standard bayonet included with the weapon. During the entire period of operation, the soldiers clearly pointed out only one drawback - the length. If we were talking about a classic sniper rifle, this value would seem completely normal, but for motorized infantry, especially airborne forces, it was unnecessary.
Therefore, during the war in Afghanistan, an SVDS with a folding stock was created, equipped with a shortened flash suppressor. It should be noted that today most combat units use this particular option. In addition, the Tula Design Bureau subsequently created a modification of the VCA (OTs-03). This is the same SVD, but converted according to the bullpup design. While maintaining the same barrel length, it is much shorter than the original. However, the troops were not delighted with this variety: it has a shorter sighting range and more pronounced recoil with the barrel being thrown up.
The automatic mode, which was the highlight of the Tula development, in reality turned out to be useless due to the terrifying recoil and the small magazine capacity of this version of the SVD. The characteristics of the IED (OTs-03) also did not satisfy the fighters of the special units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB (for whom it, in general, was created). Basically, they are not satisfied with the characteristics of the standard 7.62x54r cartridge. The fact is that the bullet of this cartridge has too high penetration power, which is unacceptable for operations in the city and other populated areas, since this factor can lead to death or serious injury to civilians.
Automation operating principle
Powder gases are removed from the barrel through a special hole. The bolt that locks the barrel moves counterclockwise. We have already said that the SVD is equipped with three lugs, but this is not entirely true: the cartridge rammer is used as the third. This decision made it possible to significantly increase the area of the combat lugs without increasing their number. The result of this design decision was compact shooting from the SVD with high accuracy of the latter.
Some of the powder gases that follow the bullet enter the gas chamber, after which the pressure they create simply throws the gas piston back. The bolt frame goes along with it. At this moment, the barrel channel opens by turning the bolt, the spent cartridge case is ejected, and the bolt frame puts the trigger on cock (self-timer). The return mechanism sends the gas piston with the frame to their original position, and the bolt, using the third stop, sends a new cartridge into the chamber while simultaneously closing the channel of the latter.
The shutter turns to the left. The lugs fit into special protrusions cut into the wall of the receiver. As a weapon, the SVD is distinguished by its extreme simplicity and manufacturability. This still brings honor to Evgeniy Fedorovich.
The principle of firing a new shot
To fire again, the soldier simply needs to pull the trigger again. As soon as it is released, its pull and hook pull out the sear, it turns and disconnects from the combat platoon. The trigger hits the firing pin, which pierces the cartridge primer. This is how a new shot occurs. If it was produced by using the last cartridge, when the bolt moves back, a special stop rises, to which it clings and is fixed in the rearmost position. Simply put, the combat SVD has a bolt delay, for the absence of which some criticize the same AKM.
Other expert opinions
For its time, according to weapons experts, the rifle had excellent ergonomic characteristics: it is perfectly balanced, fits like a glove in the hands, inspiring confidence in the shooter, and is easy to hold in the line of fire. If a truly trained soldier acts as a shooter, then in a minute he can fire up to 30 targeted, well-calibrated shots. If we talk about comments regarding its length and practical range, then we discussed all these points above.
This rifle was used in all armed conflicts in which the USSR participated, and then Russian Federation, since 1963. During this time, it was highly appreciated by foreign military experts, as a result of which Dragunov clones and its derivatives ended up in service with more than three dozen countries around the world. Thus, the SVD (the characteristics of which were discussed in the article) still remains a light, reliable and widespread weapon that fully copes with the tasks for which it was created.
Large-caliber modification
Separately, I would like to dwell on the large-caliber version of the legendary rifle - SVDK. This weapon was developed precisely with the aim of getting rid of some of the shortcomings of its progenitor, leaving other characteristics unchanged. In particular, the designers wanted to achieve greater accuracy and the likelihood of hitting targets wearing body armor. Instead of regular cartridge 7.62*54 mm, which is used in a conventional SVD, ammunition of 9.3*64 mm caliber (9SN/7N33) was chosen. In general, this cartridge is unique for military practice, since it was originally a 9.3 * 64 Brenneke, used exclusively for hunting purposes.
It first appeared in Germany. This happened in 1910. The author was Wilhelm Brenneke, and the development was carried out for the Mauser bolt-action rifle. An analogue of such a cartridge is still used in domestic hunting carbines "Tiger-9", "Los-9". The resulting weapon has a lot in common with the standard SVD. Of course, there are certain differences in details, but they are associated with a different cartridge. Thus, the SVDK has a heavier barrel, a massive stamped magazine, and a bipod with mounts. The last element significantly increases the weight of the weapon, which not all shooters are unambiguous about. Some people like the increased stability, others complain about increased fatigue.
In any case, this weapon was not widely used among the troops. The culprit turned out to be Brenneke's boss. The fact is that its main positive qualities open at a distance of up to 300 meters. At this distance, the standard SVD performs excellently... As the distance increases, accuracy and accuracy drop sharply, and the penetrating qualities of the new ammunition turned out to be much lower than necessary. However, this cartridge performed well against an enemy wearing body armor, so the weapon still has prospects. However, so far the modernized SVD is performing better. This review of the rifle can be considered complete. In our article we tried to consider all the positive and negative aspects weapons, which recently celebrated its half-century anniversary.
SVD stands for Dragunov Sniper Rifle. In the armies of the USSR and the Russian Federation it is designated GAU-6V1. The rifle is chambered for the 7.62x54R mm cartridge and has automatic gas operation. The development of the rifle from 1958 to 1963 was carried out by the team of the Izhevsk Design Bureau “Target Sports Weapons” under the leadership of Evgeniy Fedorovich Dragunov. The rifle was put into service Soviet Army July 3, 1963.
After WWII, tactics and combat operations became different, which required new weapons for snipers. In connection with this, the Main Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defense gave the task to create a self-loading rifle chambered for 7.62x54 mm. E.F. presented samples of his rifles. Dragunov, S.G. Simonov, M.T. Kalashnikov and A.S. Konstantinov. The new rifle was supposed to replace the sniper versions of the SVT-40 and Mosin rifles, as they did not have a sufficient rate of fire and accuracy of combat. SVD it also had to replace the SKS carbine with an intermediate cartridge, since the carbine could not fully replace the sniper rifle, and the AK-47 had already replaced the melee weapon. The problem with all rifles was the creation of a sniper rifle with automatic equipment, since automatic equipment negatively affects many characteristics when shooting, as there is recoil from the bolt, loss of power when part of the powder gases is removed. After competitive testing at the range in 1959 for accuracy, a sample of the SSV-58 rifle designed by E.F. Dragunov was sent for further improvement. In 1963, Dragunov presented a modified version of his OSV-61 rifle. After comparative tests with the Konstantinov rifle, the rifle “ 7.62 mm Dragunov sniper rifle -SVD. In fact, the army received an intermediate version of the rifle, between a “sniper” and a “combat” rifle.
Ammunition
To fire from SVD 7.62x54 mm R rifle cartridges are used. The range of cartridges for SVD is quite wide: tracer, armor-piercing, armor-piercing incendiary, expansive, simple, etc. Shooting from SVD provides only single fire; a 10-round box magazine is used to supply cartridges. The advantage of this ammunition during battle is its prevalence, since every tank or armored personnel carrier or PKM machine gunner has it.
Automation
Dragunov sniper rifle has automatic gas outlet. During a shot, part of the powder gases from the barrel enters the gas chamber in which the piston is located. Powder gases press on the piston, as a result of which the bolt frame is pushed to the rear position and compresses the return spring, cocks the hammer, and when returning to the firing position, the bolt snatches a new cartridge and sends it into the chamber. After shooting all the cartridges from the magazine, the bolt stops in the rear position, which makes it clear to the fighter that he needs to reload the rifle. The end of the barrel has a muzzle brake/flash suppressor to reduce recoil, reduce recoil and keep the bore free of dirt. You can also connect a bayonet knife to the rifle for hand-to-hand combat. Most likely, the bayonet-knife became an attribute after the Second World War from the Mosin rifle with its bayonet; it is doubtful that it will be used in battle SVD as a bladed weapon.
Often automatic SVD compared with the AK-47 automatic, since both have gas-operated automatics, rotary locking of the cartridge in the barrel, a similar bolt shape, and a UDS mechanism. But SVD designed to perform other tasks, for this reason automation SVD Compared to the AK-47, it has longer reload cycles, which reduces recoil and increases the smooth operation of the mechanism. The piston and bolt are not a single unit. The gas outlet unit has a regulator for the removal of powder gases to adjust the operation of the bolt depending on the ammunition and the contamination of the barrel. The safety of the rifle is ensured by a safety lever on the right side.
Sighting range.
The standard sight for the Dragunov sniper rifle is the PSO-1 sight, which is designed for shooting up to 1300 meters. It is generally accepted that shooting at such a distance is possible at group targets or for intimidating fire. With the POS-1 sight in Afghanistan, Vladimir Ilyin managed to hit the enemy at a distance of 1350 meters, which for SVD is a record, as well as rifles with a caliber of 7.62 mm. In reality, a rifle can fire effectively at 600-700 meters.
Accuracy standard for SVD there was shooting at a target at a distance of 100 meters with four cartridges with a steel core, if the spread of hits was 8 cm, then the accuracy was considered normal. In 1967, while shooting from a rifle SVD began to use the 7N1 sniper cartridge. When shooting at 300 meters, the holes from the 7N1 cartridge were placed in a circle of 10-12 cm.
First SVD were produced with a 320 mm barrel rifling, like those of sporting rifles, which ensured excellent shooting accuracy. But with the same rifling pitch, the B-32 armor-piercing incendiary cartridges had poor accuracy and therefore in 1975 it was decided to produce rifles SVD with a rifling pitch of 240 mm to increase the accuracy of B-32 cartridges, which negatively affected the accuracy of simple cartridges, the accuracy increased from 8 cm to 10 cm when firing at 100 meters.
There is a mechanical sight for firing. It is possible to install NSPUM and NSPU-3 night sights with the ability to conduct targeted fire at night at 300 meters. There is an opinion that SVD morally outdated, but this can be refuted by the fact that the rifle is intended for company snipers “the first step of a sniper”, these snipers are not trained to shoot at long distances, and when shooting at long distances there are other rifles for such tasks, the second point is the weak PSO-1 for such distances.
Direct shot range:
- according to the head figure, target size 30 cm-350 meters,
- according to the chest figure, target size 50 cm - 430 meters,
- according to the running figure, the size of the target is 150 cm - 640 meters.
To improve convenience SVD It has an orthopedic butt with a handle in a wooden stock; later, butts began to be made of anti-nuclear plastic.
Based on the SVD rifle the following were created:
- SVDS is a variant of the SVD with a folding stock and a shortened barrel, the rifle is intended for airborne troops, created in 1991, and in 1995 it was adopted by the Russian Army.
- -SVU-version of the SVD bullpup, the bolt mechanism with the magazine is located up to the handle with the trigger.
- -SVDK-SVD developed for the 9.3x64 mm cartridge
- -TSV-1-SVD “Melkashka” chambered for 5.6x15.6 mm
- -SVDM is a modified version of SVD. Added picatinny rail and removable bipod.
- -SVU-AS-short, automatic, with bipod. Appeared in the early 1990s
The rifle is in service not only with countries former USSR, as well as many countries in Europe and Asia. Produced in Yugoslavia, China, Romania, and India.
SVD fully fulfills its tasks for army units, when shooting can be carried out by soldiers of average training and are almost always included in reconnaissance units or DRGs. High reliability and simplicity explain its popularity throughout the world and practical use during major military conflicts. Among the shortcomings of the rifle, one can highlight its PSO-1 sight, since it has only a 4x magnification.
| Number of shots | 10 rounds |
| Barrel caliber | 7.62x54 mm |
| Combat rate of fire | 30 rounds per minute |
| Maximum rate of fire | no data |
| Sighting range | 1300 meters |
| Maximum firing range | 3800 meters |
| Effective shooting | 600 meters |
| Initial departure speed | 830 m/s |
| Automation | gas outlet |
| Weight | 4.5 kg-dry+0.6 kg-sight+0.2 kg-magazine with cartridges |
| Bullet energy | 3500 J |
| Dimensions | 1225 mm |
