Classic Army SVD Review
By Exarach
Real Steel History: The Dragunov sniper rifle (formally Russian: Снайперская винтовка Драгунова,Snayperskaya Vintovka Dragunova (SVD), literally "Dragunov's sniper rifle") is asemi-automatic sniper rifle chambered in 7.62x54mmR and developed in the Soviet Union.
It was selected as the winner of a contest that included three competing designs: the first was a rifle designed by Sergei Simonov (known as the SSV-58), the second design, a prototype designated 2B-W10 by Alexander Konstantinov, and the third rifle, the SVD-137, a design submitted by Yevgeny Dragunov. Extensive field testing of the rifles conducted in a wide range of environmental conditions resulted in Dragunov’s proposal being accepted into service in 1963. An initial pre-production batch consisting of 200 rifles was assembled for evaluation purposes, and from 1964 serial production was carried out by Izhevsk Mechanical Works.
Since then, the Dragunov has become the standard squad support weapon of several countries, including those of the former Warsaw Pact. Licensed production of the rifle was established in China (Type 79 and Type 85) and Iran (as a direct copy of the Chinese Type 79).
Basic Statistics:Barrel Length: 631mm
Weight: 3.3kg
Barrel Diameter: 6.08
FPS: 350-360 with .25’s
Advertised FPS: 440-460
Initial Feelings: **Note summary at bottom**
Let me preface this, I wanted a Dragunov, very much, I have considered getting back into semi airsoft since I gave up my SL8, and I have always loved the Dragunov. I had two conditions. It had to be a faithful replica, and I had to be wood. It was a long internal struggle between the RS and the CA, and finally the CA won out mainly due to price, I figured I was getting a good DMR platform, with a nice and unique field presence, at 200$ less than the RS. SO, I called up gearbox, and asked if Ron could order me one in the “Fake Wood” version, by CA. All went well.
So, once I got the call from Gearbox that the Dragunov had come in, I was overjoyed, I immediately arranged transport from Tucson to Phoenix to come and pick it up. I could hardly wait.
So, I bounce into the store, all smiles and anticipation, and ready to take a machete to my savings account, and tell them I am here…..For the DRAGUNOV, mhahahaha….
The CA Dragunov comes in an enormous White box with very little marking, it is quite nice, a step above the usual CA boxing job, and about 4ft long, so Ron comes over and puts lays enormous box in front of me and I am absolutely shaking, I wiggle the lid loose, pry off the top, and gaze upon my Russian Beauty within.
I was already prepared for a bad wood job by CA, as fake wood never looks as good as the real deal, but when I first looked at what lay before me, I had a startling reality check, no..lets be honest, I died a little inside…a lot actually… Ca had really gotten me down again…..
So, I shrug my shoulders, put on a grim face, and figure, you know what? I can deal with that wood, I knew it would be pretty bad, so its my own fault for elevating my own expectations too much… Its fake wood, what did I expect? Besides, what makes a real airsoft rifle is the performance right? No one would be laughing at my Liver-spotted Russian baby when she showed them what she could really do right?
Now let’s be honest. I knew it wasn’t going to be as accurate as the Real Sword, but I could hope right? I know CA, so I should have know what I was in for, But I figured, hey, it’s a $400 gun right? CA must have put some quality work into this one! So after some wrangling with the handguard, and a good natured rubbing about the ease of removal, which I deserved, I asked if I can chrono the gun, “Sure! What do you want to test with?” ”.25’s” ”OK! Be right back”
As I loaded the mag, I noticed one redeeming feature. The mag was nice, I mean, the mag was awesome! It feels great and solid in your hand, its just the right size, and it feeds all 40 rounds quite nicely! Mag went home with a nice solid “CLICK” and we were ready to rock! Stuck the barrel into the chrono and fired!
470!?…450!?..400!?.........................343?........What............
Yep, you read that right. 343 Fps…..
At that point my hopes were dead, and the glooming CA reality set in again. It wasn’t perfect, It wasn’t what I had hoped for, but I staggered on. I figured a tightbore barrel would really help! And a new spring would be easy to come by! Motor was a little bit tricky, but ok! It’s doable……..
When I left Gearbox that day, make no mistake, I felt very disillusioned.
I figured I would give the gun a night to sleep on, and a field test before I gave a final verdict, but my hopes were low.
The next day:
The next morning I awoke, took another look in the box, then I closed my eyes and picked up the SVD, In all honesty, The plastic handguards have a nice feel, and the steel is of good quality, and has a satisfying smoothness, but the handguards are just so bad.
I loaded the rifle, and plugged an 8.4 stick into the ridiculously small compartment. And set off for the field.
I was not stunned. The CA SVD gets good range for an AEG, but not for a dedicated DMR or Sniper platform, and definitely not for $400. HOWEVER, I began to see some potential emerge.
Using .23’s the gun could reach out to about 150-200 feet consistently with a decent spread, however the pellets had a very unsatisfactory trajectory, and were mainly floaters, I was not sold. At least it sounded nice.
The accuracy was good, but not even close to what I had hoped, and the slightest wind destroyed the accuracy. However, I could not use a heaver pellet, due to the abysmal FPS.
The gun currently sits with me in Tucson, and it remains to be seen what will happen with it in the future. I believe it has potential; however, it is going to need some work.
***********************Clif’s notes/Summary
If you didn’t want to read my essay, and I don’t blame you, here what you need to know.
The fake wood feels nice, but looks god awful
The steel body is of good quality and looks nice
The Fps is not where it needs to be 340w/.25’s
The Handguard has very little room, and is a pain to remove.
The hop is interesting, and it remains to be seen if it will work or not.
The gearbox will be cracked at a later date, stay tuned.
Initial reaction: Bad, 2nd opinion: Liking it a little better each time.
Praying this gun will open up to her full potential during further field testing
I am still excited about the CA SVD, However, I got a strong reality check, and have needed to work my way back up from there.
Pictures and Comments!The CA SVD comes in this beautiful white box! Its almost 4 1/2Ft long!
Unboxed! This is what she looks like, as you can see, I got the wood version.
Only markings on the SVD/View of bolt cover
A major problem that I noticed after taking the gun home. Obviously someone at the CA Factory was on a bender when they put this together, or they think Russian craftsman are blind, but If you look close, you can see that My Fake wood kit, is, in fact, TWO DIFFERENT COLORS. I know right?? Not only is it bad enough to only offer a fake wood handguard and stock, but two different colors??!?!!? COME ON CA. I thought it was quite humorous, and at least its something unique about my rifle, however aesthetically unappealing.
Another full shot of the gun, the color difference is definitely noticeable! At least the steel looks nice.
The handguard battery compartment. TINY. Definitely going to have to buy a lipo for this one.
Classic Army actually did a beautiful Job with the rear sight
Another minor annoyance. My gun came with what appears to be RUST on the GB cover. I mean really? Look at it?
Also a nice view of the shiny unique SVD hop up. Mine had several nicks in the hop metal as well. But overall it works ok
In Conclusion: On the whole, the CA SVD is not a bad gun, it is just not the RealSword, and if you are expecting it to be, you will be disappointed. However, look at it as an opportunity, I will be willing to do things with this rifle that I would never do to a $600+ weapon, and now, it is a project, which is a great challenge to someone like me. This review was not meant to put anyone off of the CA SVD, much the opposite, I would infact recommend it to anyone looking to buy a dragunov that will be field usable and fun. Just be prepared to take it with a grain of salt and accept both its benefits and its shortcomings in stride.
Overall the CA SVD is a beautiful, and unique weapon, and could dominate the field with a little modification. it has its weaknesses, but they are a trade off for owning a gun that is rarely seen on the field, and $200 less then its closest competitor, Once you get over the fact of what it is not, and begin to see what it is, I feel most users will be pretty happy with what they bought. Is it worth the $400? That remains to be seen....
Thanks once again to the guys at gearbox for jumping through the hoops to once again bring me another rifle, and uphold a tradition of great customer service!
Fantastic work as always guys!
I will keep you all updated as the gun is used!
For now,
Exarach Out.
