What is the SVD Dragunov?

The SVD Dragunov is a type of sniper rifle. It was designed by Yevgeny Dragunov and first manufactured in Russia in 1963. It was used by both the Soviet Army and the current Russian military and is also used by many other national militaries as of 2014.

The Dragunov entered service with the Soviet Army in 1963 as the winner of a contest to design a long-range squad support weapon for ground troops. The rifle fires standard 7.62x54mmR ammunition as well as a special 7N14 round used for precision shooting. Several variants have been made including the SVU-A, SVDK, SWD-M, Al-Kadeshi and the Medved and Tigr hunting rifles.