Dragunov Sniper Rifle

The Dragunov, specifically the Dragunov SVD, is one of the most popular sniper rifles in the world today. The Russian Dragunov SVD is considered, by collectors, to be one of the most highly prized trophies of all time.

So why is the Dragunov such a popular firearm? Why do so many people want one, and why is it so great?

Let's talk about the Dragunov, what it is, what it does, and the different types of Dragunov sniper rifles in production today.

What is a Dragunov sniper rifle? 

A Dragunov is a type of semi-automatic, gas-operated rifle manufactured originally in the Soviet Union. This is a rugged and reliable firearm which uses a powerful round, effective for up to 3200 feet (1000 meters). It has a chrome-lined barrel, for corrosion resistance. The Dragunov also has a slotted flash suppressor.

The Dragunov bears a number of similarities to the world-famous AK design including the large dust cover, iron sights and lever safety selector.

The Dragunov is classified as a "squad support weapon." It is meant to extend the range of the standard infantry squad mostly equipped with AK-47s or similar mid-range firearms. The Dragunov has a much longer range and greater accuracy than AK-type firearms. The shortcoming of the Dragunov is the smaller round capacity and the lack of a fully automatic rate of fire.

Dragunov Rifle Characteristics 

How do you know it's a Dragunov?

Dragunov rifles share a similar look. After a while you will find that you can distinguish a Dragunov from similar long-barreled rifles by its distinguishing features.

In no particular order, here are the common features of a Dragunov:

1. Long barrel

As befits a sniper rifle, most Dragunovs have a long barrel. Barrel lengths range from 23-24 inches. Note that there are some modern-production Dragunov carbines with shorter barrels but these are certainly not sniper rifles due to the loss of power and accuracy the short barrel causes.

2. Semi-automatic

All Dragunov rifles are semi-automatic. This means that each pull of the trigger fires a single shot.

Semi-automatic firearms are intrinsically less accurate than bolt-action firearms. However, most of the world's modern armed forces have transitioned to semi-automatic sniper rifles due to the rapidity of a follow-up second shot and ease of reloading.

3. Magazine-fed

Dragunovs are loaded by a magazine inserted into the bottom of the receiver. Magazines contain 5-10 rounds each.

4. Skeletonized stock

Nearly all Dragunov-style rifles have a skeletonized stock. This means that the stock (the wooden section held to the user's shoulder) is not a single solid unit. Instead, it has cavities or large missing sections in it.

Some Dragunov-type rifles have folding stocks. This is not a characteristic found on most sniper rifles. Fixed, or non-folding, type stocks are more rigid and are favored by snipers and other long-range shooters.

5. Scopes

Sniper rifles always have optical aiming devices (aka "scopes") mounted atop them. All Dragunov-style rifles come with an optical scope affixed to the receiver.

An interesting feature of Dragunov scope mounts is that they are set high above the receiver (the body of the rifle). This enables the user to peek below the scope and use the iron sights (mounted on the receiver and end of the barrel) to make shorter-range shots.

Dragunov scope reticle 

Here's what you see when aiming at your target!

The scope reticle ("reticle" means what you see when you look in the scope) is much more complicated than the traditional crosshairs. Additionally, the PSO-1 type scope often is either illuminated via tritium, illuminated via LED or has infrared or starlight capacity. This makes the sniper even deadlier in all settings!

Here's what it means:

The horizontal axis

The horizontal axis has a number of hash marks -- ten each on the left and right side. This helps the sniper to factor in wind drift when shooting at long ranges. Depending on range and wind speed, the shooter will aim to right or left of the actual target.

The vertical axis

The vertical axis has several ^-shaped marks. Each of these indicates the bullseye at a different range. The farther the range, the lower the ^ indicated on the sight.

The stuff on the lower-left corner

This diagonal line marked from 2-10 is the brilliant part of the Dragunov scope reticle. The intention here is that the marks indicate the average height of a man. If a target that you see in your scope stands on the bottom horizontal line and touches the "2" pip, then the target is 200 meters away. This "quick and dirty" range estimate is good up to 1000 meters (3290 feet, or 3/4 mile!).

Although this rangefinder technique is far less reliable than today's laser technology, it is also much more robust and reliable.

What makes a Dragunov a sniper rifle? 

A sniper rifle has three characteristics:

1. Range (long range)
2. Accuracy (maintains accuracy at long battlefield ranges)
3. Portability (one-person portable)

The Dragunov has a long range and is reasonably accurate (though not as accurate as bolt-action rifles with a similar range). It is easily portable by a single soldier.

The Dragunov is typically classified as a "designated marksman's weapon." That means that the best sharpshooter in a squad (6-12 soldiers) is equipped with this long-range weapon.

An actual sniper, whose sole responsibility is extremely long-range neutralization of enemy targets, typically is equipped with a more accurate weapon. Over half of the world's sniper rifles are bolt-action (which provide an intrinsic accuracy benefit over semi-automatic actions, at the cost of much slower follow-up shots).

Where can I get a Dragunov? 

My favorite online gun seller is Impact Guns. These sellers have some of the best selection and prices you'll find anywhere.

Impact Guns is highly recommended.