Hi guys,

Just to share with you some pics of my SVD ( Tigr3 ), chambered in 7.62x54r, new production from 2019 ( october 2019 to be exact ), NPZ scope 6x36 ( made in Oct 2019 too by the way ). Bought this rifle last February in my local gun store in France.

Next purchase TR3 ( i hesitate between 7.62x39 or 5.45x39 for this one ) or MKK104 ( 7.62x39 ) from Saiga Izhamsh too.










Lev0'

Beautiful.  Wish we could buy these.

Very nice. Are you happy with trigger feel and groups?

Trigger is very nice. long smooth course, then a wall, and bang just after a point that you can feel very accuratly after 20-30 shots approx. way better than a mk103 or a PSL for exemple.

For the accuracy, Saiga says "sub moa" but I doubt that. I just shot surplus ammo for the moment ( STV scorpio brand, its just surplus ammo but they are CIP approuved ) and I have obtained 15cm group at my first range session with iron sight ( approx 100 rounds fired ). The guy from Saiga obtained a grouping of 45mm with iron sight and russian surplus ammo at the end of the factory line ( there is a test target with the factory certificate in the box ). I wait since two month for my S&Bellot 185gr FMJ round...I have to perfect the zeroing of my NPZ scope with that load. Next step, go on a long range area to test this SVD between 400-1000m on reacting target.

Nice.     How much did it cost?        What sort of permits do you need?

That's pretty bad ass!  Thanks for sharing.

What sort of accuracy? --> I asnwer that just before your post.

How much did it cost? --> 1750€, pre order in september 2019, received in february 2020, actual cost for the semi auto version is 2200€, and the "manual" version is 2300€

What sort of permits do you need? --> Its difficult to compare with your ( us citizen ) procedure. But to be simple, for a semi auto pistol or rifle ( rifle included all barrel lenght, not like your SBR tax stamp or stuff like that ). In France, you have to be subscribe in a Range club, then you ask for a gun with a simple paper procedure, and you go to the gun store with that paper named "autorisation de detention d'arme de categorie B" and you buy the gun. That's all.

So yes, the "surrender white flag frogs" can have nice guns too

Nice, hope it serves you well.

Lol, you have a sense of humor. I like that! So do you have to keep the gun locked up at the shooting range, or can you take it home?

I have a gun safe in my house. My shooting licence gives me the right to transport my gun from home to a range, gun smith, etc...For the transport, no ammo in the same box as the gun ( that's logic in fact ).

Since 2014, russian rifle are more difficult to find because of the embargo. But recently, since 2018 I guess, a italian group named "DTG Group" imports lot of russian guns with a complex travel by some east europe countries to pass over the embargo shit. Moreover, since a 2018 law, ex-full auto transform by gunsmithing is semi auto are forbidden. So bye bye VZ58, M92, east german, romanian etc...

With the US obama embargo for russian brands, I wonder if a us citizen want to buy a SVD/AK rifle, for exemple to a EU citizen and if he pays ITAR tax fee and imports Fee. I think It could be possible, or no ? Or with a part kit package maybe.

SVD dessassembly



Here an exemple of what you can find in French gun store for "AK rifle" :

If you were in fear for your life in your home and used that rifle to kill your attacker what sort of legal issues would you be facing?

For self-defense exists, the 6 conditions are as follows:

   The attack must be unjustified, (i.e. without valid reason)
   The defense must be done for yourself or for another person
   Defense must be immediate
   Defense must be necessary for its protection, that is to say that the only solution is the response
   Defense must be proportional, that is, equal to the severity of the attack
   The defense of property must not result in intentional homicide, that is to say result in the death of a person.

That is the law concept for home invasion in France. BUT, we are in France "pays des droits de l'homme", so there is the law, and there is the "real life". To explain : I have a short barrel shotgun in a safe next to my bed. In that gun, I have 2 rubber buck shot ( consider that as a warning shot ) and a 2 buck shot ( the SHTF shot ). My wife and I are train to stay at first floor, yell "I have a gun get out, blahblahblah" ( maybe with some injures to be honest ) and if the guy stays at ground level of my house : no problem ! but if he walks up the stairs, he has to be prepared. In the same time my wife have to takes her pistol for back up and calls the Gendarmerie to let them come "quickly as they can". BUT, even If the bad guys has a gun, I think I have 90% chance to make some jail if I kill or wounded badly the guy. the terme of justice could be "homicide involontaire" ( if my lawyer is good ) or "homicide volontaire" ( if he's not ).

In french,  we have a expression " Mieux vaut etre jugé par 12 que porté par 6 ". It means "better to be judge by twelve than carry by 6" --- 12 = jury and 6 = your mate carring the coffin...

Interesting. Not terribly different than many states here in the US. Does a short barrel shotgun require any additional fees or paperwork as opposed to your SVD?

We dont need SBR tax stamp or stuff like that. There is a law for the semi auto under 60cm, it can't have folding stock since 2018. For exemple, my GHM9 is now sell with a fix stock, but I can buy a folding stock ( if you know what I mean...).

And other thing that can make you smile : silencer are free of any paper

And no law about vertical grip, sig brace, etc...I can put a chassis on my P320 and its stay a pistol. Other exemple TP9 is a pistol, not a rifle, so its can have folding stock.

Isn't it odd how one country gets one part of firearms rights correct, and then another country gets another part correct but nobody fully gets it correct? Suppressors ought to be as easy to purchase as ear plugs. Nice job on that France.

Congratulations on a great rifle.

I just had a sudden realization that middle-men and importers eat a large portion of my money.... Some of these prices are great, even with after the euro conversion.  Thanks for posting.

In Luxembourg or Italia, prices are less expensive. Exemple TR3 is 1400€ in Italia, and 1600 in Luxembourg. I bought some of my weapons in Luxembourg, ammo are cheap and guns less expensive than in France.

In the other side, a M&P15 cost 1100€ here, a Windham 1800€, an LMT MWS 4800€, and some ruger pistol ( Mk IV for exemple ) : 900€. I think its a little bit more expensive than in the US. The best exemple is DSA Arms SA58 : 4200€ here, and all the version imported had some feed ramp problem...

Great post and good information.

Can you shoot on private property in France?

Yes, with a category of firearms named " Arme de categorie C", to resume : its rifled shotgun, lever action, every bolt action ( 22lr, 308, 338, 408 etc... ) and black powder gun. But you can have a Dragunov or an ar15 but it has to be modified by a gunsmith to shoot 1 bullet after 1 manual rearmament. And a silencer is highly recommend if you are in a town or peri urban area.

The semi auto weapons named "arme de categorie B" ( SVD, ar15, ak,etc...) are only usable in a range club area. A gunstore can have a indoor range or outdoor range too, you paid a year inscription and have access to the site.

But to be honest, lot of guys shoot semi auto in private property with silencer. it's a kind of "not seen not caught" situation

I'd be pretty happy out in the country slinging rounds into a safe backstop 600 meters away via a bolt action topped with a paperwork-free suppressor.

Couldn't you just add the svd adjustable gas block...turn it to the off position when asked

Best thread I’ve seen in a while. Thanks for posting.

There is a healthy shooting community in france and, despite all the "rah rah america is the best" bs, they have a fairly simple process via which they can buy stuff we can't.

Nice shooter OP. Enjoy it.

main is that rifle the coolest

I have an SVT40 and I would love to have an SVD to complement it.

Next purchase TR3 ( i hesitate between 7.62x39 or 5.45x39 for this one ) or MKK104 ( 7.62x39 ) from Saiga Izhamsh too.

https://images.app.goo.gl/ZCf4biM9ZWemfYCw5

Don't hesitate, the choise
is clear, TR 3 has the magic third hole and the sear wich goes with it. To explain it to US shooters our administration is so incompetent that it made all demilitarised weapons forbiden because of this third hole, and in the same time labels saiga tr3  7,62 or 5,45 as civil weapon.

PS I love your SVD, just bought mine in 308 version

That's awesome, we have the same expression here, I thought it was a purely American idiom.  Glad we still have friends of freedom across the Atlantic, the modern concept of liberty started over there.  

A friend has just find a russian brand of silencer : rotor43. They made PBS, modern silencer for AK ( the QD one for TR3/AK12 ), ar15 and for SVD. I will maybe buy one for mine.

http://rotor43.com/

That is very very cool!  We really appreciate the detailed pics.

I also enjoyed seeing the catalogue of available AKs.  Funny thing is, we can actually get most of those AK variants (or close clones) in the US, but because of ever changing import restrictions, you just need to find a used one or have one made by a gunsmith (or build yourself of course!)

As for the SVD and Tiger rifles in particular, be prepared to pay more than $6,500.00 US these days.  ;)  

When I first got into AKs, there were no russian made AKs allowed to be imported in any numbers into the US because of government sanctions so the only SVDs you could get were either chinese copies by Norinco (available in both .308 and 7.62x54R - what was a $1,500 US rifle is now $6,5000 US or more)) or for russian very rare veteran / military bring backs or special "grey market" type imports, but they were available.  Saw a real SVD at a PA gun show once in the mid 90s and it was $4,000.00 US back then so now its more like $20K or more for a real russian (non-Tiger) SVD (I had no money at the time or I would have bought it!).  Later on the Tigers came in the US and they are out there just have to have deep pockets. I even had the opportunity to buy the paratrooper model last year with folding stock and special short flash hider.  It was $8,500.00 US though so I passed!      

My wife has a cousin in Paris she keeps wanting visit - maybe I need to consider a visit :)  Are there shooting ranges in france that anyone can rent a gun or do you have to join / become a member?

Some gunshop in Paris or area around Paris have indoor gunrange, but it's nothing like in USA...sadly...

Here some pics from my instagram gun channel ( hexagun_fr )

Nice and thank you for detailed pics.  I need to get an account to upload pics one of these days.   I dont have an SVD, but I do have a Valmet M78/83 which you might find interesting.  In my opinion an interesting take on the AK sniper type chambered in .308. ;)

1. We hate you

2. Beautiful rifle. I wish I could buy one. We do have the Zastava M91 available to us but they want $3000 for it.

Let us know when you get the TR3.

I didnt not bought a TR3 yet. A friend of mine has bought the TR3 in 5.45x39. He is really happy with it

M91 is more expensive than SVD here in France. more than 3000€uros for a M91, approx 2000€ for an SVD actually.