Frequently Asked Questions (click on one):

1: "Who makes the best Dragunov?"

2: "Ok, should I get a Russian or a Chinese version?"

3: "About how much will one of these cost me?"

4: "I just bought a Dragunov parts kit, which receiver can I use?"

5: "I am a lucky owner of a Russian SVD imported by KBI. Why is my receiver different from military SVD's?"

6: "Why does my 7.62x54 SVD only get about 2 MOA?"

7: "What are the differences between the 7N1 and the 7N14?"

8: "Where can I get this match grade ammo?"

9: "I have a Romanian "SVD". If it isn't a Dragunov, what is it?"

10: "I hear shooting reloads gives the best accuracy but I've never done it before

11: "Does the Assault Weapon Ban sunset mean SVD's will be imported again?"

12: "I bought a Dragunov magazine online and it doesn't work. Why is that?"

13: "Why is the scope on my Dragunov not centered over the receiver?"

14: "Can I legally add SVD military parts to my Dragunov Tiger?"

1: "Who makes the best Dragunov?"

Well, first of all we can rule out the Romanian version. Regardless of what you may have seen in advertisements, there is no such thing as a Romanian Dragunov. The two manufacturers that are available here in the US are Norinco from China and Izhmash from Russia. The SVD is possibly also manufactured in Poland where it is called a "SWD". Many other countries buy their SVD's from either China or Russia.

2: "Ok, should I get a Russian or a Chinese version?"

If you can afford the price of a Russian manufactured SVD then get that one...if you can find one for sale. KBI imported about 100 of these military SVD's from Russia so it may take time to find one offered for sale. By the way, these qualify as Curio & Relics. As shooters, both are equally accurate. The differences are mainly cosmetic. The Chinese rifles are usually painted with a high gloss black paint that easily chips, plus the metal surfaces are a little rougher in appearance. Also the Chinese NDM's have a slightly different receiver cover. The Russian SVD's have a flat black coating that is extremely durable. The quality of the metal is very good on either rifle.

If you come across a Russian SVD in rough condition or missing parts it is very likely something that has been brought back from a war zone. If there is no US importer info marked anywhere on the receiver that is a big clue. Some people have said there is no legal way for a soldier to "bring back" a weapon from a war zone anymore. So posession of one of these rifles could be considered in violation of federal law.

3: "About how much will one of these cost me?"

Here in the USA, you can expect values to be broken down like this:

Russian SVD: $4500 - $8000 depending on condition and accessories.
Russian Tiger carbine: $1800 - $2500 also depending on condition and accessories (add $1000 to price if California Armory version).
Chinese NDM-86: $2800 - $3800 if in 7.62x54 and $2500 - $3400 if 7.62x51. Add a premium if in deluxe velvet case.
Romanian PSL (ROMAK-3/SSG-97/ FPK): $700 - $900

These prices are for reference only, you may find the occasional better deal online or much higher prices in your local shops.

If you are looking to buy one of these rifles online go here.

4: "I just bought a Dragunov parts kit, which receiver can I use?"

What you most likely bought is a Romanian PSL parts kit. These have popped up at a few online retailers and on ebay. Even though they are being advertised as "Dragunov" rifles, they aren't. These kits are disassembled Romanian PSL rifles, known in the US as ROMAK-3 or SSG-97. The good news is the receivers are easy to come by if you live in the US. The bad news is that the scope rails on these receivers may not be in spec and will have to be modified if you want to use Eastern European optics. See here for more info.

For more discussion on building one of these kits, click on any forum from the links page.

5: "I am a lucky owner of a Russian SVD imported by KBI. Why is my receiver different from military SVDs?"

Update: At some point before 1990 Izhmash updated their receiver design at the request of foreign end users and ommited the outside lightening cut for both military and sporting rifles. This was to add strength to the receiver because the factory had been getting many requests to produce an SVD in non-standard calibers. The main difference in receivers are the lightening cuts over the magazine well. These cuts shaved off a few ounces of weight and gave some relief to the soldier who carried it. It also aided in tactile identification of where to insert the mag in low-light conditions. (L to R: Tiger, KBI SVD, Military SVD). When KBI ordered your SVD from the Russian arsenal Izhmash, what they got were the latest specification of receiver, with lightening cuts on the inside only.

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6: "Why does my 7.62x54 SVD only get about 2 MOA?"

The reason is most likely because you are shooting surplus ammo that you paid $40 for a 440 round tin. The SVD was designed to shoot a match grade cartridge called 7N1 and 7N14.

7: "What are the differences between the 7N1 and the 7N14?"

The 7N1 was the original load developed by Russian armorer Sabelnikov in conjunction with the development of the SVD back in the late 1950's. It has a steel jacketed projectile with an air pocket, steel core, and a lead knocker in the base. The 7N14 is a new load developed for the SVD. It consists of a 151 grain projectile which travels at the same 2723 fps, but it has a lead core projectile and is supposed to be the more accurate of the two. Nikolai Bezborodov, head of R&D at Izhmash, stated that it was the most accurate load for the SVD.

8: "Where can I get this match grade ammo?"

Unfortunately very little made it in to the US for resale. The Russian government has never been interested in exporting their official sniper ammo. What has made it here has come via captured quantities from the Middle East and is now being sold by collectors. A large quantity of Russian 7N1 was imported to the US in April 2006 and sold to the general public for about $150 per case of 880 rounds. Within 2 months it was all sold out.

9: "I have a Romanian "SVD". If it isn't a Dragunov, what is it?"

What you have is a "PSL" which is a Kalashnikov design, not an SVD. It's a Designated Marksman's rifle that is based on the RPK machine gun receiver. The more recent imports of these rifles are called SSG-97's and were brought in by Inter Ordnance. It is the same rifle as the ROMAK-3, just under a different name. Years ago these rifles were mistakenly called FPK's by the US government and the name can still be found in use from time to time (though it's not correct). The receiver is a stamped sheet metal design which has reinforcements below the barrel trunion and at the rear cut-out to prevent cracks due to the strong recoil. The gas system is like an AK series with the gas piston being attached to the bolt carrier. The ROMAK (ROManian Avtomat Kalashnikov) 3's imported were made at the Regia Autonoma de Tehnicå Militarå (RATMIL)and had their bayonet lugs removed to meet import restrictions. After a consolidation of military arsenals when Romania joined NATO, production of the PSL is at the ARMS arsenal in Cugir, Romania and is completely retooled with all brand new state-of-the-art modern equipment purchased from Belgium and Croatia. Click here for more comparison pictures.

The rifle on the top is the ROMAK 3. On the bottom is the Russian Tigr/Tiger, which is a hunting version of the SVD. You can clearly see the differences between the design of the hand guards, butt stocks, and receivers.

10: "I hear shooting reloads gives the best accuracy but I've never done it before"

Reloading is very common among Dragunov owners and can be a pleasant part of your shooting experience. It is possible to reload both the 7.62x54R caliber and the 7.62x51NATO. You just need to start with Boxer primed brass, either already fired in your rifle or purchased brand new. To ID a spent case as having a Boxer primer look inside at the bottom of the case. If you see one tiny hole it's a boxer primer. Two holes means it's a Berdan primer and can't be easily reloaded. For a basic starter in becoming a reloader click here.

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11: "Does the Assault Weapon Ban sunset mean SVD's will be imported again?"

The ban never had any effect on Russian SVD's and Tigers, nor Chinese NDM-86's. These rifles are banned under completely different agreements with Russia and China. So no, you will not be able to get newly imported Dragunovs now that the ban has expired. Pres. Clinton banned Chinese exports of arms and ammunition to the United States in 1994, which was a separate ban from the Assault Weapon Ban and is part of his Crime Bill. For more information click here: Russian Agreement on Arms and Ammunition

12: "I bought a Dragunov magazine online and it doesn't work. Why is that?"

The recent importation of parts from Romania has encouraged a lot of dealers try to profit from the popularity of the Dragunov rifles. Some of these dealers either through ignorance or hoping to prey on uneducated buyers list their Romanian parts as real Dragunov parts. This includes the 10 round 7.62x54R magazines. Since these parts and magazines will only work for the Romanian PSL rifle they are not interchangeable with a Chinese or Russian Dragunov. To complicate matters, the Romanian magazines have a very similar appearance to real SVD magazines. The easiest way to tell a Romanian mag is by the X on the sides. (Left - Right: Chinese 7.62x51, Romanian 7.62x54, Russian 7.62x54)

13: "Why is the scope on my Dragunov not centered over the receiver?"

Ever wonder why all Russian scopes sit off-center over the receiver of your rifle? It is not because the designers have a bias against left handed shooters. Actually, it's because the original design of the Dragunov sniper rifle was to have a feature that allowed it to be loaded with stripper clips. The receiver cover originally was similar to the SKS design and had a slot to hold Moisin Nagant 5 round stripper clips. The scope had to be off to the side to allow space for this feature. When the stripper idea was scrapped the PSO scope and mount had already been designed. It was decided to retain the offset design and extra instructions were given to each soldier issued the SVD to adjust for windage when changing elevation settings. Because the scope doesn't sight down the center of the bore a windage correction must be made each time the elevation is changed on the scope turret. A variation of this early design can be seen below:

14: "Can I legally add SVD military parts to my Dragunov Tiger?"

According to a recent decision by the ATF Technical Branch and contained in this letter, owners of Dragunov Tigers may install military features such as flash hiders and polymer stock sets.

BEFORE YOU FIRE YOUR DRAGUNOV:

The new Dragunov owner should know that the finish on your Chinese NDM-86 is not very durable. You should take care to protect the finish from scrapes and chips that result from ejecting brass. The area to the rear of the ejection port is where the shell casing head scrapes against the receiver cover. Many owners will cover that area with a layer or 2 of black electrician's tape. You can also use black duct tape or whatever else that will not mar the finish and provide a cushion against contact from the brass. Owners of Russian Dragunovs should heed this advice as well but the Romanian PSL's don't seem to be affected by this problem due to their different ejection pattern.