The Dragunov Replacement for Poland: New 7,62×51 mm marksman rifle

Before the start of Second World War, Polish Armed Forces hadn’t introduced the wz. 38M chambered in 7.92×57 mm self-loading rifles on time, nor their version with optical sight. Similarly, competing design by Edward Stecki (using delayed blowback action) that was planned as a marksman rifle (though it was more of pretext to continue works than actual need) failed to see the day.

Because of that, the first self-loading rifles with magnified optics that Polish soldiers have used, were Russian SVT-40 with PU scope and AVS-36 with PE scopes. However, majority of precision weapons were variants of bolt-action Mosin M91/30. In 1960s they were replaced with SVD self-loading marksman rifles, still used in Polish Armed Forces.

Designated marksman is a soldier operating within an infantry team. He’s under the team leader command and can support his team with a precision fire at higher distance than the effective range of the team’s primary weapons. A marksman is usually equipped with a self-loading marksman rifle with magnified scope, firing faster than bolt-action sniper rifles.

Sniper is a soldier operating in a small autonomous group, acting independently of larger units. He is usually armed with bolt-action rifle with magnified scope or more rarely a self-loading weapon. His duties include scouting and observation, counter-sniping, and elimination of priority targets. Occasionally they use high-caliber anti-materiel rifles to destroy enemy equipment.

In 1949 Red Army accepted the AK automatic rifle fed with 7.62×39 mm intermediate cartridge. It fitted the needs of contemporary battlefields, giving soldiers light, handy weapon with high firepower. It was not a gun designated for precision shooting at ranges beyond 300-400 meters, however. After a few years of AK use, military decided to supplement infantry teams with two new constructions using Russian 7.62x54R mm rifle ammunition. In 1955 tactical and technical demands were compiled for a universal machine gun, and in 1958 for a self-loading marksman rifle. That last one was intended to replace sniper Mosin M91/30.

It was assumed that the weapon will be used at the platoon level, hitting targets at greater range than automatic rifles. Units were supposed to gain a weapon for accurate fire at the distance of up to 800 meters. It was estimated that Russian marksman had 50% chance of hitting standing human-sized target at the range of 800 meters, and 80% chance at 500 meters. For distances of 200 or less meters the chance was over 90%. Time was the limitation. A marksman, most of the time could not fire at more than two similar targets within a minute.

Russian SVD using 7.62x54R mm remains as primary self-loading marksman rifle used by Polish Armed Forces since late 1960s. It’s also used by special Police units

The task of constructing a 7.62x54R mm chambered marksman rifle was given to design bureau of Fyodor Barbarian, Alexander S. Konstantinov, Yevgeniy F. Dragunov, and Yevgeniy F. Simonov. Later, they were joined by Mikhail T. Kalashnikov, though the constructor wasn’t putting much faith into success of his AK-based marksman rifles. He did submit two models but later he withdrew from the contest, focusing on designing RPK light machine gun, which was added to the Russian weaponry in 1959.

The new Russian marksman rifle was intended to be a construction designed as a military precision rifle from start. It was sort of a novelty, with all the previous constructions being based off existing models in military use. They were selected according to their accuracy and then modified.

Contest started in the beginning of 1960. After factory tests were finished, three weapons were approved for participation: Simonov’s SVS-128-P.60, Dragunov’s SSV-61 (first model SSV-58 Snayperska Samozaryadnyia Vintovka, was constructed in 1958), and Konstantinov’s 2B-W-10.

In April 1960, Simonov’s construction was rejected as not meeting the requirements. Rifles of his rivals were not fully meeting tactical and technical assumption either. During the next two years Konstantinov and Dragunov honed their constructions – interestingly, they were cooperating closely. Both rifles were similar to each other. 2B-W-10 came as better designed technologically, simpler and cheaper in production. The test showed however, that despite linear construction (stock in one line with barrel) it is less accurate and is grouping worse. 2B-W-10 was also less durable and less reliable. Technological advantages could not compensate those flaws, especially that marksman weapons production is relatively small making the cost of production less important.

Yevgeniy Fyodorovich Dragunov (1920-1991), was an NCO and a gunsmith during World War Two, and from December 1945 a weapon designer at IzhMash

Two constructions competing in Russian self-loading marksman rifle contest, upper Konstantinov’s  2B-W-10, lower Dragunov’s SV-58

Finally, the Dragunov’s rifle was chosen, entering the service on July 3rd, 1961. Its serial production as an SVD (Snajperskaja Vintovka Dragunova) was started in 1963 (which leads to weapon being occasionally listed academically as SVD-63). A few years later, the gun ousted a bolt-action Mosin-Nagant M91/30. The designer’s success was in large part owed to his experience in building sporting guns, including Zenit rifles. Dragunov’s project in the modified forms of SVDM and SVDS is still produced by Kalashnikov Concern. Unlicensed copies are also produced by China.

In the Russian post-war military doctrine, copied also by Polish Armed Forces, a designated marksman armed with self-loading Dragunov rifle was tightly tied to his team, one of three composing a mechanized or motorized infantry platoon (each battalion having nine SVD). He was performing role of a spotter and precision long range support, firing at distances exceeding effective range of automatic rifles. The marksman manual and firing instructions were written with Dragunov rifle in mind, and references to designated marksmen were in manuals for platoon and team leaders. Operating within frame of a team with voice-based communications greatly diminishes marksmen independence, however, and greatly limits their ability to perform typical sniper tasks. It is also worth remembering that contemporary military forces were dedicated to full-scale military operations involving nuclear weapons. In such conditions individual soldiers don’t really count. The emphasis was placed on operations of whole mechanized or armored units.

SVD marksman rifle produced by Izhevsk Works (currently belonging to Kalashnikov Concern) since 1963. Barrel length 620 mm, total length 1130 mm, weight 4.7 kg

SVD uses a gas-operated mechanism, with short-stroke gas-piston system. The rifle is locked through rotating bolt with three locking lugs engaging locking recesses. Dragunov is a hammer-fired design, and is only suited for semi-auto fire.

SVD has two safeties: manual preventing accidental discharge and self-acting preventing out of battery detonation.

The rifle uses external double-stack box magazine with capacity of 10 cartridges. After firing the last bullet, the bolt carrier locks in the rear position until released by pulling charging handle. The weapon has a signature wooden stock with large indent, pistol grip-shaped front part and a cheek rest.

SVD is equipped with built-in iron sights (with a sliding tangent rear sight adjustable up to 1200 m) used in emergency situations. A standard issue is supplied with a PSO-1 4×24 optical scope made since 1964.

Modified SVDM with stiffer receiver, thicker 550-mm barrel, folding stock, bipod, and universal rail. Total length 1155 mm, weight 5.3 kg.

Since 1960s Russians were improving Dragunov rifle, releasing among the others SVDS variant with a folding stock. Barrel length 565 mm, total length 875/1135 mm, weight 4.2 kg

Russian overview board of Dragunov rifle

The primary self-loading marksman rifle used by Polish Armed Forces remains the Russian SVD since 1965. In 1960s and 1970s Polish Armed Forces purchased two large batches of Dragunov marksman rifles. Over 1.3 thousand units were delivered, including a SVDS version for airborne forces, with a side-folding stock.

Modification of 900 Polish SVD to a new standard was planned In the early 1990s. In 1992 the first tactical and technical details were set, and a year later – in Baryt project – the first prototype was made. Works were lead by Wojskowy Instytut Techniczny Uzbrojenia (WITU or Military Institute of Armament Technology), project also involved Zakłady Metalowe Łucznik metal works from Radom, Wojskowe Zakłady Elektroniczne (Military Industrial Electronic Works) from Zielonka, and Przemysłowe Centrum Optyki (Industrial Optics Center) from Warsaw. It was the first native construction made with the use of Computer Aided Design software.

SVD-M rifles had barrel and scope base produced at Łucznik, and LD-6 6×42 scope designed by Optics Center with better magnification and field of vision than PSO-1. Signature trait of SVD-M was a bipod designed by Electronic Works with adjustable height that was attached to lower handguard. 158 SVDs were modified that way in Łucznik in the middle of 1990s.

Dragunov rifle modernized to SVD-M standard in Poland in 1990s. Distinguished by replaced barrel and folding bipod

At the beginning of 1990s modernization of 900 SVD rifles was planned. In 1992 tactical and technical expectations were set, and in 1993, in Baryt project, an SVD-M prototype was made.

Besides SVD and SVD-M, Polish Armed Forces use a small number of other self-loading marksman rifles using 7.62 × 51 NATO ammo. The only units using them are Special Forces. Formoza (JWF) and GROM (JWG) units have a few American M14s. A number of models used by divers were modernized, replacing original wooden stocks with new aluminum ones. In JWG marksman rifle role have been filled by more modern American Bushmaster BAR-10, Knight’s Armament Co. (KAC) SR-25, Mark 11 Mod 0 and M110, and until recently LaRue Tactical PredatOBR LT-10 with 368 mm/14.5″ barrels. All those models are based on AR-10 construction and use 10- and 20-round box magazines.

GROM SF – unit has most experience with various types of self-loading marksman rifles. Since its beginnings, the unit was receiving (among the others) American M14/M21

Experiences accumulated through multiple deployments of Polish Military Contingent in Iraq and Afghanistan that led to introduction of snipers in the Land Forces (previously they were in Special Forces only). They were exceptionally useful in the role of spotters, forward air controllers, supporting their units with precision fire, and securing their operations.

In 2008 in Wędrzyn by an initiative of general brigadier Mirosław Różański, then commander of 17th Mechanized Brigade, a Marksman Course (KSW) was initiated. The sniper name wasn’t used because of the political reasons. In 2011 the course was renamed to Marksman Training Center (OSSW) and later to Marksman Training Cycle (CSSW). Location and supervising unit was also changed, from 17th Brigade to Center Of Artillery And Weapon Training in Toruń. CSSW is composed of two officers (manager and lecturer) and seven instructors. Training takes two months and involves tactics, camouflage, stealth movement, tracking, ballistics, and shooting.

Currently, snipers serve in marksman sections subjected to battalion commanders. They operate in small, 2 or 3 man sniper groups away from other units. Snipers are armed with modified SAKO TRG 22 i ZMT Bor chambered in 7.62×51 mm, multi-caliber 7.62×51/8.6×70 mm SAKO TRG M10, and 12.7×99 mm ZMT Tor rifles. CSSW armament includes a number of self-loading marksman rifles using 7.62 mm calibers, including SVD/SVD-M and constructions based on AR-10 for educational use.

SVD-M had barrel and scope mount produced in Łucznik, and was equipped with LD-6 6×42 scope. 158 Dragunov rifles were modified that way during middle of 1990s in Radom.

The newest SVD rifles used by Polish Armed Forces are over forty years old. Because of wear and morale impact, as well as low supply of precision 7.62x54R mm ammo, they need to be phased out within the next few years. Some of them were replaced on a level of mechanized sub-units with bolt-action rifles, first with TRG 22 and later Bor, but it was sub-par solution. Precision weapon is more delicate than SVD, and soldiers armed with them were easily distinguished from the rest of their teams.

That lead both CSSW instructors and the elite units like 25th Brigade Of Air Cavalry and 6th Airborne Brigade to demand a purchase of new, self-loading 7.62×51 mm marksman rifle. Initially there was a dissonance between needs of snipers and marksmen. The first ones were asking for self-loading weapon with longer barrel and a better scope, making it heavier and more cumbersome, while the others simply wanted 7.62 mm rifle with greater range and accuracy.

Na początku lat 1990. planowano modyfikację 900 karabinów SWD. W 1992 pojawiły się założenia taktyczno-techniczne, a w 1993 w ramach programu Baryt wykonano prototyp SWD-M

On April 28, 2015, Armament Inspectorate announced technical dialogue with the aim of gaining advice and information necessary to prepare tender description and conditions for a 7.62 mm self-loading marksman rifle.

Construction, referred in the documentation with an acronym SPKW, should be designed to eliminate personnel equipped with ballistic armor, and lightly armored targets at the distance of up to 800 meters, in various climate and weather conditions. The weapon has to work in temperature range from +55 °C to -50 °C.

SPKW should be gas-operated. Barrel longevity cannot be lower than 10 thousand shots. The rifle should have an integrated safety preventing accidental discharge and mechanism preventing out of battery detonation. Assumed operational time is 30 years or 10 thousand shots of barrel life.

The mass of SPKW rifle with attached magazine but without ammo and optics can’t exceed 6 kg. Weapon should have 510 mm or shorter barrel, and total length not exceeding 1100 mm. This wiould mean a weapon slightly shorter than Dragunov which, with 620 mm long barrel was measuring a total of 1225 mm. The new rifle, like SVD needs an external magazine with ammunition capacity of 10 or more. The shot groups cannot exceed 1.5 MOA, while using precision ammo.

SPKW should be capable of having a silencer attached directly to the barrel or a muzzle device. The barrel should be easily replaced in field conditions. It remains open to interpretation, though. If it would be brought to a gunsmith (or a specialist after proper course) in an operational base, almost every construction available on market fit that criteria. If the requirement would be understood as meaning replacement of the barrel by soldiers themselves during combat, the majority of rifles won’t meet it. A self-loading weapon with such quality might be less accurate than weapon with a permanent barrel. This is, however, notification from the technical dialogue, it may be changed during later proceedings.

SPKW color should be in earthy tones, tan, khaki, FDE or gray – not black. Military wants the gun to include NAR rails (NATO Accessory Rail, STANAG 4694 Ed. 1), allowing for mounting a scope with additional night vision or thermal vision attachment or alternative iron or reflex sights. SPKW should also have a possibility of attaching additional accessories on the sides and underneath the barrel with Magpul M-LOK rail interface system.

The rifle should be fitted with a bipod, attached at the bottom rail and back-up iron sights on the top rail. Each SPKW set should contain maintenance tools, polymer transport case, textile case, as well as multimedia presentation of construction, inne workings, assembly, repair, and maintenance.

SPKW should be compatible with Schmidt & Bender 3-12×50 PM II scope and NSV-80/NSV-1000 night vision attachments used by Polish Armed Forces. The rifle should use 7.62 mm × 51 NATO precision ammo already used by Polish Armed Forces (MEN Win Match cartridge with 10.9 g Lapua bullet and Lapua with Win Scenar with 12 g bullet GB432).

According to information gathered in technical dialogue, self-loading marksman rifle should be delivered with a red dot sight weighing no more than 120 g and a dot not larger than 3 MOA. RDS would be used for short range engagements and would have to work with night vision devices (monocular or goggles).

SVD-M partially disassembled

For the technical dialogue ten candidates were reported. Those were Allies Incorporated, Aycom, Cedar Services, Cenrex, Cenzin, Port Arthur, Umo, Milicon, Łucznik Arms Factory, and Works11. Of course, participating in the technical dialogue doesn’t assure further involvement nor binds the company to take their chances in the following tender. Some of the participating entities are present on the Polish market for years, being representatives of renowned weapon manufacturers, such as Cenrex – Heckler & Koch, with many orders delivered to Special Forces. Umo offers weapons produced by Remington Defence and Beretta, Milicon – POF-USA, and Works11 – Knight’s Armament Co. (producer of self-loading M110 SASS). The remaining competitors are smaller, known for deliveries of specialized gear for Police and Armed Forces, usually offering American clones of self-loading AR-10 rifle, such as Port Arthur with LaRue Tactical (which were supplied to Police and JWG).

In 2015, Łucznik revealed that for the technical dialogue for SPKW they enrolled their MSBS-7.62N project. It is a variant of their modular MSBS-5.56 assault rifle, modified to use 7.62 × 51 ammo. Two years later, during International Defence Industry Exposition in Kielce, Tarnów Mechanical Works showed a dummy of a Self-Loading Marksman Rifle (Samopowtarzalny Karabin Wyborowy, SKW) weapon family. Part of the planned family included SKW-762 firing 7.62×51 mm ammo.

Polish Armed Forces partially replaced self-loading SVD with bolt-action SAKO TRG 22 and ZMT Bor sniper rifles using 7.62×51 mm NATO/.308 Winchester

After the technical dialogue ended, Armed Forces decided they need two versions of precision rifle. Such construction would fit needs of both the sniper sections, and the marksmen serving in regular teams. Armament Inspectorate after talks with potential providers removed the problematic requirement for barrel that can be replaced in combat conditions.

Not coincidentally, the technical dialog involved the very specific description of ammunition. This is the same ammo used while firing TRG 22 and Bor, with known parameters, including their accuracy. For snipers, the shot precision is the most important, with mass playing the secondary role, though it still can’t exceed 6 kilograms.

Marksmen of airborne units would prefer lighter and more handy self-loading 7.62×51 mm rifles, even at the expense of slightly lower range and precision, but still exceeding capabilities of 5.56×45 mm rifle ammo.

This brings us back to idea of introducing at least one 7.62 mm rifle per team. It would be a safeguard to deal with opponents beyond the range of 5.56 mm bullet or behind a cover an intermediate cartridge can’t penetrate. During the missions in Afghanistan the engagements often took place at distances greater than those European forces were used to. What’s worse, 5.56 mm ammo couldn’t pierce clay walls, the most typical obstacle behind which enemy was hiding. The first version of SPKW, considered the baseline, is to be equipped with a fixed adjustable stock, optical sight and 508 mm/20 inch barrel. Second version should have shorter, 406 mm/16 inch barrel and a side folding stock. Not only it makes transportation easier but also makes parachuting and rope descent easier.

What is interesting, adding the folded stock condition means the requirement cannot be met by AR-10 clones because their recoil mechanism is placed within the stock tube. That makes it hard, though not impossible to fold it to the side. There are commercial solutions that allow that but they are not used by any armed forces.

The weapon should be, what is a slightly unexpected, fed from a polymer magazine with metal reinforced feed lips. In both variants, the primary sight will be a magnified scope with additional mini-reflex sight mounted on its body for shorter engagements. Additionally, the weapon will be in set with extra BUIS.

In 2015 purchase of 250 self-loading rifles was planned with possible extension by another similarly sized batch. At that time, Polish Armed Forces didn’t see much point in introduction of such weapon in larger numbers. Such limited number, undermined the point of designing and producing new self-loading rifles in Poland, unlike modifying an existing construction like it was planned by Łucznik, though even that solution wasn’t clearly viable economic-wise.

All that was changed with creation of Territorial Defense Force (TDF, Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej) and giving it right to organize tenders for certain types of military weapons and equipment. Formation of a total of seventeen TDF brigades, each composed of 3 to 5 battalions, with plans from 2017 predicting over 60 battalions, including 3-5 companies of light infantry each.

Estimations from 2017 included 314 companies of TDF. Each 150-men company would be composed of three 40-men platoons of light infantry, not counting HQ, a support platoon, and a security team. Each platoon includes three teams (sections) of light infantry. Support platoon would be one team of mortars, one team of marksmen (more like snipers with Bor bolt-action rifles), and an engineer/sapper team.

TDF command plans for two self-loading marksman rifles to be present in each 12 men team of light infantry. As we can count, each platoon would get 6 self-loading marksman rifles, each company 18. If we take the planned number of 314 companies for granted, full number of 7.62 mm precision rifles in TDF would exceed 6.6 thousand. That makes it a much bigger number than the initial demand of 250-500 units.

Little known self-loading marksman rifle used in small numbers in GROM unit, American Bushmaster BAR-10, provided together with a batch of Bushmaster XM15-E2S carbines

GROM has a great esteem for weapons produced by Knight’s Armaments Co., thus the new batch of self-loading marksman rifles M110 was also provided by that producer

In 2000s, marksmen from GROM had identical rifles as American soldiers, KAC SR-25 and KAC Mark 11 Mod 0 (pictured)

The newest weapon in GROM unit arsenal, a LaRue LT-10 designated marksman rifle purchased since 2016

TDF development plans might change but the need of Polish Armed Forces self-loading marksman rifles can be deemed to be at least 2-3 thousand. The first tender for new weapons is to be issued in 2018/2019 and be set for around 250 SPKW for Land Forces and 800 for TDF.

It is hard to say who will be the tender supervisor. Until now, it were Land Forces who dealt with marksman rifles but Minister Of National Defense decision 76/MON on April 4, 2017, changed the tender supervisors. If MSBS-7.62 will be picked as marksman rifle, the oversight will belong to TDF Command instead of Armed Forces Support Inspectorate.

Whoever wins in the competition for the delivery of SVD replacement will earn itself a major position for a few next decades. Weapons delivered in 2019 and later will remain in service until the middle of XXI century. Here comes the matter of control over potential supplier, reviewing its previous records, presence on market, and verification of previous deliveries quality.

This article was originally published on MILMAG 05-06/2018