Russian and Chinese Bipod for the Dragunov Receiver
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Many Dragunov shooters have long contemplated on the best place to attach a bipod but the choices are not too promising. The first place that comes to mind is the barrel itself. Unfortunately a bipod in this configuration will harm accuracy by effecting barrel harmonics (vibration) when fired. |
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The other option many SVD shooters consider is the reciever itself. |
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Until recently the only way to mount a bipod in this area was to drill a hole to secure a Harris or similar bipod. |
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Some Dragunov owners may
not realize there is a bipod that is specifically designed
just for their rifle. The bipod is not made by Izhmash (the SVD factory) but is a commercial product for SVD and Tigr owners. |
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This is the Russian bipod SDA-C101 that is designed just for the Dragunov receiver and requires zero modifications to your rifle. Note that this bipod will only fit Russian or Chinese Dragunov receivers, not Romanian PSLs. |
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Attaching this cast metal bipod is pretty easy, just place the clamp in the recess on either side of the receiver, and tighten the screw. |
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The bipod is held securely in place, though there is some slight lateral movement. When not in use, the legs fold forward towards the muzzle. |
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The bipod feet are a very hard and durable rubber, great for securing on a slick surface like the hood of a car. They extend from 5 to 7.5 inches (12.7 to 19cm). Perhaps the most important benefit of having the bipod is how it can actually improve your accuracy. By not having to rest the rifle on its barrel or even its handguards, the barrel harmonics are not disturbed and shots will be more consistent. |
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Here is a 3 shot group at 100 yards with .308 handloads through the Chinese NDM-86 utilizing the Russian bipod. |
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| Russian Versus Chinese Bipods | |
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In case you weren't following this discussion thread, there is a new bipod option available for Russian and Chinese Dragunov owners. I got mine in yesterday straight from Hong Kong, and to sum up my opinion, it's as good as the Russian version. The Hexagon Production bipod is marketed for Airsoft players not to real Dragunov owners. With that in mind, the bipod is very well made of all steel construction with rubber feet. They both weigh the same (about 1.2 pounds) with not a single piece of plastic on either. |
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You can see from the photos that the Chinese metal is better finished (the Chinese version is the matte black, the Russian is the glossy black) but the welds are not as clean at the bipod "feet". They are both made of cast metal. |
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The legs extend to the same length on both (from 5 inches to 7.5 inches). The spring that pops the legs apart is much stronger on the Russian version, meaning it takes more of an effort to squeeze them closed. When you pull the spring-loaded plunger to extend the legs, the Russian legs will extend and stop at its longest position, the Chinese version's legs will drop off the end of the bipod because there is no catch to limit their extention beyong maximum (a design flaw). |
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The receiver clamps are slightly rounded on the Russian version but they are both the same size. The Russian version has a cut-out on the rear of the left side clamp while the Chinese version has the cut on the middle of both clamps. (My Russian bipod is from the 1990s so newer Russian bipods may be slighly different). |
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The tightening screws are different but operate the same. The Chinese version of the outer screw is checkered, the Russian one is smooth. The inner screw on the Russian version has a flat-head screw driver slot while the Chinese bipod has a hex nut. No instructions are provided but it's a pretty straight-forward job to mount it. Note the rivets on the legs. |
| We used to be able to buy the Russian bipod for less than $100 in the early 90's. Now they are listed between $200 and $300 on auction sites. We've seen a few sell as high as $600 during the 2008 election craze. This Hexagon Productions bipod lists for $40. | сошки Снайпер АДС-С101 |
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In Russia there is a new style of bipod that is designed by Izhmash for the Dragunov rifle. |
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The S-1 Bipod is very expensive in Russia and its complicated design makes it far more rigid than the aftermarket bipods mentioned above. |
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So far only a handful of these have been imported to the US. |
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