Possible?
Maybe start with a Vepr .308 ?

pvtpyle.com
E-mail Pvt.Pyle I think he can get dragunov stock sets....

The SVD Dragunov and the AK system are totally different actions and stock sets do not interchange.

You could buy a Romanian PSL/FPK and have something that will appear close in style to the SVD, closer than anything I think you can get by taking a VEPR or other AK variant and trying to do it.  They are running around $700-$800 wholesale now.

You could always hunt down a TIGR Sporter, the "sporting" variant of the SVD that was sold briefly here, and then add SVD furniture to it, that would be the closest to the *real* thing, or you could get one of the Chinese SVD Dragunov's in 7.62x51mm from CDNN for about $1700.00, and have the real deal cheaper than a Russian or Chinese one in the original 7.62x54mmR.

The Russians really suck for not letting us have SVDs. They could just give it to us without the flash suppressor for peeps sake. The BATF ruling concerning the stock is B.S. as far as I'm concerned.

I was very tempted this summer at pursuing either a PSL or Tiger purchase at a gun store here in St. Louis, but what changed my mind was this damned Campy Clone I'm lugging around. That's beside the fact that I don't like Russian optics.

themao

What about one of these?



www.interordnance.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=INTERORDNANCE.com&Product_Code=SSG97%2F7.62X54-S

Price seems pretty attractive. Anyone have any experience?

I know that AIMSurplus was sitting on some Romaks for a long time at $795, but it looks like they've taken them off their site.

Its not the Russians that dont allow the SVD into the US. Its the ATF. They have an aggreement with the Russians that only certain guns are allowed into the US. The SVD/Tiger is not one of them. You can buy the Tiger in Europe still. They even have a .308 version out.

How much does a SVD stock set go for in the US anyway? I might be able to get some.

DavidC, that's the Romanian FPK/PSL sniper, what is marketed here as the Romak 3 or SSG-95.  That's what I was suggesting for someone who wanted the "look" of the Dragunov SVD but did not want/could not lay out he kind of money it's going to take to get a "real" one.

The Romanian rifles are decently accurate, but honestly, a rack grade Springfield Armory M1A will out shoot it.  My only "negative" experience would be with the people selling it, Inter Ord tried very, very hard to screw me over, but I stuck with it and only got singed a little bit.  For every positive Inter Ord experience you read about, there are about 5 more really bad experiences.

With the Yugo surplus ammo my dads Romak III shoot just over 1 inch groups. I have installed an RSA trigger group since then so I suspect it should do better.

It is a nice rifle if a little ungainly. I don't know if this is the norm for this rifle or not, maybe that one is just really acurate.

As for inter Ordnace.  Just be DAMN sure you know what you are talking about when you dealoing with them.  They will screw you in a second if they think they can.  I have been lucky, I have delt with them many times and never had a problem, but I seem to be the only one. I know there are A LOT of really pissed off people right now still waiting on their 8mm orders from June!

You aren't going to really be able to build a "clone" of an SVD.  The SVD has a different gas system and uses a milled receiver, so right there you're stopped.  Since you're not really building a "clone" but a one-off variation, or an accurized big AK, then the easy way is to just buy a Romak-3 and be done with it.  

The VEPR is another great option.  .308 chambering makes it attractive, and you can get MATCH .308 easy enough that would make a difference in performance over the surplus fodder most of us feed our Romak-3's.  

Personally, my next project is a VEPR in .308.  I intend to have the M14 mag conversion done (I already have a bunch of M14 mags for my M14s and M1A) and put a Choate T-hole in place of the wood.  I'm going to use the wood version, as they are a tad cheaper, and I want the Drag type stock anyway, so a T-hole will work fine.  I know that the RSA trigger will work in a VEPR, so I'm set there for a trigger.  

A 7.62mm NATO AK with a great trigger that takes M14 mags?  Yeah, that's pretty close to the perfect gun.

Ross

Thanks for all the input!

I should have been more clear though,
what I want is a semi .30 cal mag fed rifle
that looks "sorta" like an SVD  
(probably in .308)
I understand I would prob use modified furniture
and muzzle device.
I would like to end up with a more accurate rifle than a Romak.