Dragunov sniper rifle

The Dragunov sniper rifle  (Russian: SVD) is a semi-automatic sniper/ desginated marksman rifle developed by the Soviet Union and produced in 1963.

History
With a new military doctrine in the Soviet Army due to the development of new submachine guns and assault rifles, the long-range engagement has been lost due to inadequate weaponry. In solution, a adoption of a long-range firearm is necessary to supplment the firepower of a Soviet squad. A contest was held to decide the preferred rifle. Of the three competitors, Yevgeny Dragunov's designed qualified and is accepted in 1963 as the SVD, or the Dragunov. The rifle serves as a squad support weapon in about 28 different countries.

SVDS
A variant of the SVD designed for compactness. Intended for airborne infantry, the SVDS comes with a folding stock and a few modification to the gas cylinder, receiver, and a heavier, though shorter, barrel. This causes the weight to increase to 10.3 lb and barrel length to 565 mm. When folded, the SVDS shortens from 1,135 mm to 815 mm. A variant that allow mounting of night vision devices is called the SVDSN.

SVU
A drastically shortened SVD variant, the SVU is shorter due to its bullpup configuration, reducing its length to 900 mm, but allows the barrel length to stay at a considerable 600 mm, the weight of the firearm rests at 9.7 lb. Another feature is a muzzle brake that allows an approximate 40% recoil reduction. The rifle sight system has folding iron sights and allow mounting of a PSO-1 scope. An automatic version of the SVU is the SVU-A, which can use 20-round magazines.

Aleto Use
A simple rifle made for mass production, yet keep an accurate grouping, the SVD is a favorite among Eastern-influenced forces. The use of the powerful 7.62×54mmR keeps the rifle a very useful firearm for its accuracy, stopping power, and effective range.

Notable Users
Erika Pavlov: Uses it with a custom 20-round magazine.