Dragunov Sniper Rifle

SVD (Dragunov)
Russian-made SVD (top) and SVDS (shortened variant with folding stock) rifles featuring modern synthetic furniture
Type	Semi-automatic sniper rifle, designated marksman rifle
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1963–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Vietnam War Cambodian–Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Soviet war in Afghanistan Nagorno-Karabakh War Salvadorian Civil War Iran–Iraq War Gulf War Somali Civil War Operation Restore Hope Operation Gothic Serpent War in Afghanistan (2001–14) Iraq War Yugoslav Wars First Second Chechen Wars Cambodian–Thai border dispute 2008 South Ossetia War Kargil War 2011 Libyan Civil War Syrian Civil War War in Donbass Yemeni Civil War (2015)
Production history
Designer	Yevgeny Dragunov
Designed	1958
Manufacturer	Kalashnikov Concern Ordnance Factories Organisation Norinco
Produced	1963–present
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Weight	4.30 kg (9.48 lb) (with scope and unloaded magazine) 4.68 kg (10.3 lb) (SVDS) 4.40 kg (9.7 lb) (SVU) 5.02 kg (11.1 lb) (SWD-M)
Length	1,225 mm (48.2 in) (SVD) 1,135 mm (44.7 in) stock extended / 815 mm (32.1 in) stock folded (SVDS) 900 mm (35.4 in) (SVU) 1,125 mm (44.3 in) (SWD-M)
Barrel length	620 mm (24.4 in) (SVD, SWD-M) 565 mm (22.2 in) (SVDS) 600 mm (23.6 in) (SVU)
Cartridge	7.62×54mmR
Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire	30 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	830 m/s (2,723 ft/s) (SVD) 810 m/s (2,657.5 ft/s) (SVDS) 800 m/s (2,624.7 ft/s) (SVU)
Effective firing range	800 m (875 yd)
Feed system	10-round detachable box magazine
Sights	PSO-1 telescopic sight, 1PN51/1PN58 night vision sights and iron sights with an adjustable rear notch sight

The Dragunov sniper rifle (formal Russian: Снайперская Винтовка системы Драгунова образца 1963 года Snayperskaya Vintovka sistem'y Dragunova obraz'tsa 1963 goda (SVD-63), officially "Sniper Rifle, System of Dragunov, Model of the Year 1963") is a semi-automatic sniper/designated marksman rifle chambered in 7.62×54mmR and developed in the Soviet Union.

The Dragunov was designed as a squad support weapon since, according to Soviet and Soviet-derived military doctrines, the long-range engagement ability was lost to ordinary troops when submachine guns and assault rifles (which are optimized for close-range and medium-range, rapid-fire combat) were adopted. For that reason, it was originally named Самозарядная Винтовка системы Драгунова образца 1963 года "Self-Loading Rifle, System of Dragunov, Model of the Year 1963."

It was selected as the winner of a contest that included three competing designs: by Sergei Simonov, Aleksandr Konstantinov and Yevgeny Dragunov. Extensive field testing of the rifles conducted in a wide range of environmental conditions resulted in Dragunov’s proposal being accepted into service in 1963. An initial pre-production batch consisting of 200 rifles was assembled for evaluation purposes, and from 1964 serial production was carried out by Izhmash, later called Kalashnikov Concern.

Since then, the Dragunov has become the standard squad support weapon of several countries, including those of the former Warsaw Pact. Licensed production of the rifle was established in China (Type 79 and Type 85) and Iran (as a direct copy of the Chinese Type 79).