Cheapness, reliability and good accuracy make the SVD almost the best rifle for shooting at medium distances. But now the troops are waiting for a new sniper rifle, which will replace the legendary SVD.
For more than several decades, a sniper rifle has been produced in Izhevsk, which, perhaps, is known all over the world no less than the Kalashnikov assault rifle. SVD or Dragunov sniper rifle chambered for 7, 62mm is an example of a unique combination of design ideas and simple, Russian-style production. Cheapness, reliability and good accuracy at distances up to 700 meters make the SVD perhaps the best rifle for shooting at medium distances. However, any weapon gets old, and Izhmash recently introduced a new generation sniper rifle.
Ax of war
The history of the most popular short range sniper rifle is varied, as is the range of tasks it solves. If in the cases of the war in Afghanistan, the SVD had minor flaws associated more with the conditions of its operation than with the design, then during the first Chechen campaign, snipers armed with the SVD worked in the snow and rain, and in the terrible summer heat. and the rifle never failed.
Former army sniper and combat veteran Roman Kornilov told Zvezda TV about his personal impressions of working with SVD:
“We had a sniper position equipped to cover the infantry on the slope of the mountain. There was information that an enemy sniper was working in the area. We dug in, disguised ourselves … and waited four days with almost no movement. The rain beat on us, then even the snow fell a little, the rifle was at the ready all this time. Then, when the target appeared in sight, they immediately triggered. Honestly, I checked the rifle a hundred times, I thought caution would not hurt, but I didn't have to. Reliable Soviet weapons did not fail. I also know from my older comrades that when they were serving in Afghanistan, snipers sat in ambush for almost a week, having survived several sandstorms. They completed the task, eliminated the caravan, and when they returned to the base, they began to examine the rifle. The feeling was that she had been sandblasted, honestly. However, they took it straight from the hands of a sniper and fired a shot. I have not seen any other rifle that, in such wild conditions, would remain in working order. The standard PSO-1 sight, which was mounted on the SVD, was polished by the wind and fine grains of sand almost to shine, the lenses were brushed steel … and the rifle itself continued to work."
Student tool
Few people know that even such a popular working machine as the SVD has a number of modifications. Modifications of the most reliable sniper rifle in the world begin with the small-bore TSV-1 rifle, the name of which gives out its purpose: a training sniper rifle. TSV-1 serves to practice shooting skills and allows a person to develop the skills necessary for sniper shooting and helps to better "feel" the weapon. It is hard to kill a person with this rifle, however, it will certainly help a novice athlete or soldier to master the basics of sniper shooting.
Veteran for the Airborne Forces
If motorized riflemen or infantry formations will fit a regular rifle in standard dimensions, then for the Airborne Forces it was always necessary to come up with something different. Almost any type of weapon has to be adapted to a large number of paratroopers' movements: here you can be dropped at any time, anywhere, and many kilometers of marches. However, even for such difficult tasks, an equally simple and effective solution was found.
“When in August 2008 we took part in all well-known events, the SVD-S came in very handy. It seems like the same SVD, but the ergonomics are slightly redesigned, the folding parts make it much easier to move … in a word, charm. I worked it out, folded the stock, moved - with a regular SVD, of course, you can run too, but not as convenient as with a folding version,”recalls Gennady Petrenko, a reserve officer of the 104th Airborne Assault Regiment of the Airborne Forces.
Breakout
In the meantime, Izhmash continues to introduce new developments based on successful experience. The recently released AK-12 assault rifle, with which there were so many hopes and expectations, is already working in the special forces and is receiving only approving reviews. And what about the SVD? In fact, back in 2013, within the walls of the Izhmash design and technology center, a rifle was designed, which, although built on the basis of SVD, however, represents a completely new stage in the development of combined arms sniper weapons. The product called VS-121 even hints by its appearance: the future is already here. And although the rifle is issued by an ammunition magazine, which looks like a march to the "SVD-shny", only reliability remains from the SVD in the new product.
Izhmash OTK employee Alexey Dolbilin told Zvezda TV channel some details about the new rifle:
“First of all, of course, the unusual layout attracts attention. The bullpup was not chosen by chance, because it has a number of significant advantages over the classic scheme. Regarding ammunition, we can say the following - now ordinary 7, 62 caliber cartridges are used for the VS-121, similar to those used in the SVD, however, Izhmash is in full swing working on the creation of promising ammunition. Which ones, I will not say yet. In terms of ergonomics, Izhmash has kept pace with the times, and just like in the case of the AK-12, the VS-121 is equipped with picatinny rails for mounting any sights and additional equipment. The mass of the new rifle is about 4.5 kg, which is at the level of the previous generation rifle. Regarding the work of the automatics and the firing mechanism: there will also be innovations here. Since the old rifle served the country for more than fifty years and did not fail, the new one should not only be reliable and equipped with modern reliable mechanisms. At this stage, the rifle can be equipped with a silencer for silent shooting, which makes it attractive for service not only in the Ministry of Defense, but also in federal departments such as the FSB."
VS-121 is a truly long-awaited child of Izhmash. Along with the AK-12, the new rifle is already so strongly awaited in the troops that constantly, when meeting at exhibitions, officers torture Izhmash representatives with questions: "Well, well, when?" In the case of the VS-121, there is every reason to believe that the new rifle is a real wolf in sheep's clothing. The weapon should become a worthy replacement for the brainchild of Evgeny Fedorovich Dragunov and will continue the glorious history of the Russian troops. It is possible that the new Izhmash rifle will be presented at the Russian Army 2015 exhibition, which will be held this summer and will be timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War.
