Introduced in 1964, the SVD was designed around the Soviet doctrine of the infantry sniper; as more and more infantrymen were equipped with submachine guns and assault rifles to meet the demands of close-quarters urban fighting, the loss in overall range was mitigated by issuing full-powered rifles to skilled marksmen permanently attached to infantry squads, who would engage threats outside the reach of the rest of the unit, in addition to thinning out targets of opportunity like officers, NCOs, radiomen, and the like. While NATO forces did not have a comparable unit through the Cold War, the Designated Marksman concept did come into its own during the War on Terror, with repurposed M14s, AR-10/AR-15 derivatives and similar rifles filling the niche. Hooded pin front and tangent rear sights, with the "arrow in triangle" Izhevsk arsenal mark over "1982" and the serial number "25199" on the underside of the receiver, with matching serial number on the bolt carrier, bolt, hammer, gas cylinder, receiver cover and trigger housing. Milled receiver with integral scope rail on the left, fitted with a PSO-1 pattern scope with integral illumination and IR detection functions, numbered "45638". Smooth stock, with vented hand guard and a thumbhole buttstock numbered "10433" with clamp-on cheekpiece and a cupped buttplate. Includes two extra magazines and a NDM-86 manual.
Excellent, retains 98% plus original black finish with a few light handling marks. Wood is also excellent, with some minor scratches and pressure dents. Mechanically excellent. Scope and accessories are also excellent with clear optics, the IR detection and illuminated reticle capabilities of the scope are untested.
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