This Q&A episode features Max Popenker discussing a wide range of Soviet and Russian firearms. Topics include the Russian-contract Colt 1911, SVD accuracy, PSO-1 scope calibration and features, the impact of Perestroika on Izhmash AK quality, the influence of US 5.56mm on Soviet 5.45mm development, and the relative scarcity of English books on Soviet arms. The discussion also touches upon Russian reports on the vz58, Soviet SMG usage in WWII, SKS history, Soviet vs. American arms trials, Czechoslovakia's non-adoption of the AK, thoughts on the AK-12 and AK-15, the purpose of 9x39mm rifles (Groza, VSS, SR-3), Koborov rifles, helical AK magazines, the fate of PPSh-41s after the PPS-43, the delay in Russian aperture sight adoption, Soviet procurement bureaucracy, SKS use in the Battle of Berlin, Naval Infantry use of the SVT-40, the adoption of 9x18mm over 7.62x25mm, the future of 9x39mm, Soviet small arms copying from Finland, Russian preconceptions of Western guns, the distinction between SVD as a DMR and a sniper rifle, the 12.7x55mm cartridge, and why Russia hasn't adopted a rimless 7.62x54R equivalent.
This video from Forgotten Weapons debunks the common misconception that the Romanian PSL is a Dragunov. It explains that due to Romania's political stance in 1968, they were unable to obtain Soviet SVD technology. Instead, Romania developed its own designated marksman rifle, the PSL, by scaling up the AK design to utilize the 7.62x54R cartridge. The video highlights the PSL's features, including its semi-automatic-only fire, 10-round magazines, automatic hold-open mechanism, and its fitted LSO-2 telescopic sight. It also notes the PSL's widespread availability on the international market after the fall of the Warsaw Pact.
This video explores the feasibility and performance of the SVD rifle in a Close Quarters Battle (CQB) role, a task for which it was not originally designed. The description highlights the SVD's initial purpose as a squad-level designated marksman rifle (DMR) intended to provide longer range capabilities than standard AK rifles. It notes that the SVD's quick-detachable PSO-1 scope was designed to allow for the use of iron sights in CQB. The video uses the 2G-ACM match as a testing ground to evaluate how the SVD performs when pressed into this unintended role, especially with modern optics that can augment its CQB capabilities.
This InRange trailer showcases the SVD rifle being utilized in a 2-Gun match, exploring its potential application in CQB scenarios when augmented with modern optics like a red dot sight. The video delves into the SVD's original design purpose as a squad-level precision rifle with detachability for close-quarters combat, and then tests how effectively it can adapt to such roles in a competition setting. The description highlights the rifle's evolution and its ability to be fitted with contemporary optics for diverse combat needs.
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