I ran across a site that was selling Romanian SVDs, but I can't remember what the site was.  These were nice wood-stocked rifles that had the flash suppressor and everything minus a bayonet lug.  

Anybody have any suggestions where I might be able to find one of these rifles?



"Do what you will,
just don't put a bayonet on a sniper rifle."

I haven't ever seen one in a gunstore or gunshow but I have been looking too.

Try cdnninvestments.com they had some last time I checked.

I've seen the Tiger wannabe SVDs before.  A gunstore in my area (I've commented on his business practices before) has been trying to sell one for like $1500 for more than 4 years.  Not worth the money, especially since it is used.  The site that I saw was selling them for like a $1000 and these were nice, new rifles.  For the life of me I can't find the site again.



"Do what you will,
just don't sell Tiger crap for more than a thousand."

Are we talking about Tigers, or Norincos here?

As far as REAL Russian SVDs, I don't think you can find them in the US, but maybe I'm wrong.  The only "real" Russian SVD I've ever seen was at a gunshow, and it turned out to be a Norinco.  I think a Tiger is the closest thing you can get.

You can find the Norinco SVDs in the $1500-2000 price range.

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong about the availiblity of Russian SVDs.

rg00red-
CDNN still has a few of the Chinese rifles in .308 for about $1600. The Romak 3, or Romanian PSL, is NOT a Dragunov even though it does have some resemblance. I have a PSL and it is interesting and fun but fairly difficult to shoot well. However, unlike the Chinese rifles at CDNN, it is in the correct 7.62x54R chambering and I prefer it to them for that single reason.
Tennessee guns might be a good place to inquire about a Romak 3.

I was asking about Romanian SVDs.  You are probably correct about the Russian SVD because I've never seen any myself.  The site that had them was selling them for like $900.  I could have just been really tired and dreamed it, but I'm pretty sure I saw "Romanian Dragunov 7.62x54mm $899."


"Do what you will,
just leave me the hell out of it."

That's what it was.  A Romak 3.  It looks exactly like a Dragunov and is chambered for the 7.62x54mm.  

What is the site address for Tennessee guns?



"Do what you will,
just forgive me for getting the exact designation wrong."

I'll second B27 in that a Romak3 is NOT a real Dragunov.  It's a build off of a RPK.

A Tiger would be a much better choice, but that would be in a whole different price range, due to rarity.

[url]www.dragunov.net[/url] Good pics and info.
Tennesse Guns is[url]www.tennesseeguns.com[/url]
Good luck!

[url]http://www.tennesseeguns.com/firearms.html[/url]

But I didn't see any Romak 3s there.

Not too surprising. I haven't seen any advertised in Shotgun News for months.

ive seen quite a few on gunbroker.com
heres one thats going up tomorrow
[url]http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=2181419[/url]
happy hunting

ok...heres a russian Dragunov (tiger)  for sale
[url]http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=2180725[/url]

....and heres a pre-ban chinese SVD [url]http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=2171168[/url]

On [url]www.gunsamerica.com[/url] there is a Dragunov Tiger NIB for $1250.  These are great rifles, much nicer than the Romaks.

It is one of those "shouldas" for me when I had a chance to get one for $799.  I had just paid off my credit card (down from 8 grand) and almost bought it but didn't want to go back into debt.  Wish I woulda.

There are a FEW real Soviet SVD's in the country--but you are talking M-16 prices ($5k+) for them.

I had a Drag. TIGR.  It is the same action (milled) as the real SVD, basically cut down at the muzzle end a little bit.  It shot OK--I never tried it on paper for exact accuracy measurements, but it would have made a nice deer rifle.  Not exactly what I was looking for in a rifle, so I sold it to get something else (can't remember which gun I got with the money).  

The ROMAK's are OK as bargain guns, but if you can find a TIGR for near the same price, get it.  Try to to look for one with the real SVD buttstock vs. the sporter style shown in the above link.  You just cannot find the real SVD stocks anywhere to swap them out.  

The Chinese guns (especially the .308 guns) are reportedly VERY accurate for a semi auto gun.  Rumor had/has (I am not sure on the truth of it) that the Chinese guns were actually Russian guns marked by the Chinese (since we were not importing Russian stuff at the time).  Either way, they are probably the best of the cheap (sub $1800) Dragunov style guns.

One other gun bears mentioning--there are supposedly "California" TIGR guns out there--when California banned assault weapons by name, they re-marked some of the real Soviet SVD's as TIGR and sold them that way.  I have never seen one, so I cannot confirm or deny that.  I did see one advertised that way, but it turned out to be just a run of the mill sporter stocked TIGR.  

Be on the lookout for mags for the guns.  Many of them are not interchangeable (Chinese, Romaninan, Soviet), and are hard to find.

AFARR

The PSL is nothing more than an overgrown AK, whereas the TIGR is actually a Dragunov, but PC'ed over.  Often, these guns get a poor reputation for accuracy, but it is my belief that its mostly because people are using surplus or cheap Russian ammo.  My PSL shoots 3 inch groups at 100 yards with 1986 dated Russian corrosive copper washed steel core ammo.  I wonder what it could do with match grade ammo.  

Yes, this has happened to me.  I was shooting my PSL along side another guy with a scoped M1A.  He made several comments about how my PSL was nothing more than a good example of bad east block engineering.  He used my 3 inch groups as DIE HARD proof that he was correct as he was getting groups around 1 inch.  I quickly noticed that he was shooting very expensive commercial match grade .308, and probably wouldn't even think of shooting surplus ammo.  I'd love to have been able to hand him some CAVIM!

My PSL: (It's also called a Romak 3 or FPK)

[IMG]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=192182&a=1409106&p=48431021&Sequence=0&res=high[/IMG]

My TIGR: (Yes, it's without an E)

[IMG]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=192182&a=1409106&p=48431027&Sequence=0&res=high[/IMG]

Driftpunch-
Try the Hungarian 147gr. softpoints from Tennessee guns if they still have any. I was able to get 2 inches (3 rds./100 yds.) out of them and I am positive the rifle was capable of better. The stock on the PSL is a VERY bad fit for me and makes it hard to shoot.

Funny how all the romanian psl's have sold out at the online stores (I just noticed three that have them no more). You should check the auction sites. Better yet, just get a tiger hunting carbine for a couple hundred more - it shoots better!

There are 100+ original russian svd's in the US. The 100 that were brought in by an american company called KBI? in the good old preban days, and a literal handful of war trophys that people got... well, who knows how they got them in. If you can find one they go for $5000+. I heard of one selling for $6500 recently.

Then there is the "California Tigr." These are svds manufactured in '93 and brought in by a company called California Armory in '94. They say the BATF made them stamp them "Tigr." They were supposed to be a limited edition of 1000, but they were only able to get about half that number in. They are real svds with the military wooden skeleton buttstock and leather cheek piece (not the tiger hunting carbine thumbhole buttstock shown above), synthetic forearm with rows of ventilated slots (standard on newer russian svds - and unlike the hunting tiger which has no vents), plus the evil military features: bayo lug and flash hider. The barrel length on these is in between the hunting tiger and the older svds - like 3" each way. They start at $2500 now if you can find one. A dealer told me he bought one for $3800.

I don't know how many chinese ndm86's there are out there, but there are quite a few. They are a little more rough in machining, and have black paint applied, (which chips easily :(  and not parkerizing like the russians (or their equivalent). I have seen them go for $1200 to $3000 in the past year depending on condition and accessories. The .308's go for less as people deem them to be less collectable and with a less powerful cartridge. They have one advantage in that we make .308 here... so if the politicians...

An important note. These rifles are sniper caliber weapons (.5-1 moa) with the proper ammo. But it is getting hard to find 7n1. The russians have now developed 7n14 but who knows if we will be seeing any of it. Otherwise you can use s&b match. If you shoot the surplus it will be like 2-3 moa.

Tantal has an early china sports import (CSI) NDM-86 in 762x54R rebuilt with the modern russian furniture which is in the graphics of an svd on his site.

I do not think that we will ever see a "real" Soviet Dragunov in the US. The military version, the SVD was select-fire. Why I don't know. The only reasonable explanation we could ever think up for it was the fact that there was one SVD authorized per Motorized Rifle Platoon. Since the Soviet's forces were geared for high intensity armored warfare, they may have planned on using it as an ad hoc anti-armor weapon against light-skinned vehicles. It was probably also in keeping with the whole massed automatic fire concept that was Soviet (Russian) doctrine from WWII until recently.

If anyone knows the real reason for the Soviets to issue full-auto sniper rifle (besides stupidity), I'd be interested to hear it.