Dragunov SVD
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 620 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.31 kg
- Introduced
- 1963
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Dragunov SVD (Snayperskaya Vintovka sistemy Dragunova, or Dragunov Sniper Rifle) is a Soviet semi-automatic designated marksman rifle chambered in 7.62×54mmR. Designed by Yevgeny Dragunov in the late 1950s and adopted by the Soviet military in 1963, the SVD was developed to provide accurate suppressive fire against enemy personnel and soft targets at ranges beyond the effective reach of standard infantry rifles. Unlike Western sniper rifles focused on extreme precision, the SVD was designed as a squad support weapon for designated marksmen, prioritizing reliability, rapid follow-up shots, and adequate accuracy (approximately 2 MOA) rather than sub-MOA precision. The rifle features a gas-operated short-stroke piston system with a rotating bolt, a chrome-lined 620mm barrel with four right-hand grooves, and comes standard with the PSO-1 4x24 telescopic sight calibrated for the 7.62×54mmR cartridge. The SVD has been widely exported and copied, serving with over 40 nations and remaining in production for over six decades.
The SVD was not designed as a precision sniper rifle but as a squad-level designated marksman weapon, a doctrinal concept the Soviets pioneered decades before NATO adopted it. Its PSO-1 scope includes a built-in infrared detector that could spot enemy active infrared searchlights during the Cold War.
The SVD is often misclassified as a sniper rifle in Western nomenclature, but it was specifically designed as a designated marksman rifle (DMR) for squad-level support. The PSO-1 scope includes a rangefinder reticle, infrared detector, and ballistic compensator calibrated for the 7N1 sniper cartridge. The barrel's rifling twist rate was changed from 320mm (1:12.6 inches) to 240mm (1:9.5 inches) in 1975 to better stabilize new bullet designs. The SVDM modernized variant introduced in 2018 features a thicker 550mm barrel, Picatinny rail system, and modular accessories. The SVD's accuracy with standard military ammunition (7N1, 7N14) is approximately 1.24 MOA (36mm at 100m), which is adequate for its intended role but modest compared to dedicated precision sniper rifles. The rifle accepts a detachable 6x4 spike bayonet. Chinese Type 79 and Type 85 are domestically produced copies. The Iranian Nakhjir 3 is a locally manufactured variant.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Kalashnikov Concern
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- Soviet Union
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1963
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 620 mm
- Overall length
- 1225 mm
- Sight radius
- 540 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.31 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 4.53 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated short stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Trigger pull
- 27.0 N
- Capacity
- 10
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Chrome lined steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 830 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3304 J
- Effective range
- 800 m
- Maximum range
- 1300 m
- Rate of fire
- 30 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Pso 1 scope
Adjustable iron sights
Chrome lined barrel
Flash hider
Bayonet lug
Two position gas regulator
Rotating bolt
Machined receiver
Bipod compatible
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 430 sniper rifles | 4.31 kg | 5.40 kg | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 429 sniper rifles | 1225 mm | 1150 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 434 sniper rifles | 620 mm | 620 mm | Near the median |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 sniper rifles | 10 | 6 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Dragunov SVD
How much does the Dragunov SVD weigh?
The Dragunov SVD weighs 4.31 kg (9.50 lb) empty and 4.53 kg (9.99 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Dragunov SVD?
The Dragunov SVD is chambered in 7.62x54mmR.
How many rounds does the Dragunov SVD hold?
The Dragunov SVD holds 10 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Dragunov SVD?
The Dragunov SVD is 1225 mm (48.2 in) long overall, with a 620 mm (24.4 in) barrel.
Who makes the Dragunov SVD?
The Dragunov SVD is made by Kalashnikov Concern (Russia). It was designed by Yevgeny Dragunov.
When was the Dragunov SVD introduced?
The Dragunov SVD was introduced in 1963.
How does the Dragunov SVD operate?
The Dragunov SVD uses a gas operated short stroke action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Soviet Armed Forces
- 1963
- Russian Armed Forces
- 1991
- Polish Armed Forces
- 1970
- East German National People's Army
- 1970
- Finnish Defence Forces
- Finland
- People's Liberation Army
- China
- Indian Armed Forces
- India
- Iranian Armed Forces
- Iran
- Vietnamese People's Army
- 1975
- Serbian Armed Forces
- Serbia
Provenance
Confidence in this record
86%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/dragunov-svd' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "dragunov-svd", "name": "Dragunov SVD", "manufacturer": { "id": "kalashnikov-concern", "name": "Kalashnikov Concern", "countryCode": "RU", "foundedYear": 1807, "website": "https://kalashnikovgroup.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": true, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:38", "version": "3593fe6aaed7a4f74f79c1f4f9b92bb1f45e039a826875e780967c2ed2b49d04" }, "category": { "id": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "SU", "year_introduced": 1963, "barrel_length_mm": 620, "weight_empty_g": 4310, "action_type": "gas_operated_short_stroke"}