Dragunov

Yevgeny Dragunov, an experienced Soviet arms designer, developed the SVD Dragunov semi-automatic sniper rifle in the early 1960s. The Soviet military intended the SVD to replace the ageing Mosin-Nagant sniper rifle. They adopted the SVD Dragunov in 1963, which remains used by the Russian military and other countries worldwide. Several upgrades and modifications have been made to the rifle, and it has inspired imitations and variations, such as the Chinese NDM-86 and the Romanian PSL rifle.

Behaviour & construction

The Dragunov sniper rifle is a lightweight, portable weapon designed for infantry use. It uses a cartridge similar to the 7.62x51mm NATO and is known for its accuracy, reliability, and easy maintenance. It can shoot at distances up to 800 meters and is equipped with a unique scope that allows for both-eye aiming. The rifle has a semi-automatic firing mode and a gas-operated action, making it effective in rapid-fire situations. It has a wooden stock, chrome-vanadium steel barrel, and built-in bipod for stability when shooting.

Fields of use

The SVD Dragunov is primarily used as a designated marksman rifle to engage targets at longer ranges than a standard infantry rifle. Throughout its history, the SVD Dragunov has been used by various military, special forces units and law enforcement agencies worldwide. Despite its age, it remains a popular and effective rifle for them. It has also been used in several conflicts, including the Soviet war in Afghanistan, the Gulf War and the Iraq War.

Interesting facts

The Dragunov SVD is a popular choice for depiction in movies and video games due to its reputation as a reliable and accurate sniper rifle and its association with military and special forces operations. In video games, the Dragunov SVD is often featured as a powerful and accurate long-range weapon that can take out enemies with precision from a distance, like in Call of Duty, Battlefield, Tom Clancy's, Sniper Elite, Medal of Honor, Wolfenstein, Far Cry, Crysis and Sniper.

In movies, the Dragunov SVD is often used as a symbol of military or political power and is often wielded by characters who are skilled marksmen or special forces operatives. You can see it in The Day of the Jackal, Sniper, K-19: The Widowmaker, Red Heat, Airforce One, Rambo III, Mission to Mars, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, War of the Arrows, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Taken 3, Mission Impossible, The Great Wall, Snowden, Ghost in the Shell, The Mummy, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam, Red Sparrow, The Equalizer 2, Escape Plan 2: Hades, and Rampage.

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