SVD help

[GingerBreadMan]

After just not getting along with my L96 I have decided instead, I want an SVD but the question is, what one? As far as i'm aware the two main ones are the A&K and the King arms. is one of these a clone of the other?

I was also looking at the airsoft pro hop up unit but on ASPUK, it says that it wont fit the King arms

So finally, anyone with experience can you please say what one is better and what upgrades are needed or recommended.

[TacMaster]

A&K have very good reputation for their SVDs. Out of the box, the upgrades many users have added include:

• Cocking handle extender- makes it much easier to pull the bolt back
• A high quality tightbore, Prometheus and PDi are good choices
• Enhanced spring sears- the stock spring is quite powerful from what I've heard

There may be more needed for it, and I'm sure an owner can tell you- this is just me repeating what I dimly remember reading before

[GingerBreadMan]

A&K have very good reputation for their SVDs. Out of the box, the upgrades many users have added include:

• Cocking handle extender- makes it much easier to pull the bolt back
• A high quality tightbore, Prometheus and PDi are good choices
• Enhanced spring sears- the stock spring is quite powerful from what I've heard

There may be more needed for it, and I'm sure an owner can tell you- this is just me repeating what I dimly remember reading before

That is what i have heard too and I have been looking at a better barrel, upgrade hop up unit and the cocking handle. I will be downgrading the spring so the sears aren't really needed.

However, i have also heard some people say that it works well with no upgrades or just an upgraded rubber.

 

[Sitting Duck]

for what it is worth & pasted from the site:

 

A&K Dragunov

A spring clone of more expensive manufacturers. They utilise a quick spring change mechanism to change FPS in a matter of minutes. This rifle uses AEG springs. These have distinctive Blue aluminium pistons. The hops are a good design but reports suggest the range is lacking. We have introduced a new improved hop unit along with other upgrades available from our webstore, see: http://www.airsoftsniperparts.com/apps/webstore/products/category/639221?page=1

ASG Concern Izhmash Dragunov SVD
aka ARES Dragunov SVD - yes ARES had them branded in the first release!
These share the same piston as the A&K version however the hop units are not.
The trigger sear is also compatible with the A&K version but you'll need to drill a small hole underneath for a spring to slot in.

 

http://www.airsoftsniperparts.com/apps/webstore/products/show/2657310

 

it says it may not fit - there may have been a change the hop page says

I have a ASG & an AEG SVD and one new hop from Gunfire so it should fit one of them

but not fitted it yet - need to do a few bit swap arounds as I got a longer 650 barrel to go in bolt

(then nick the 590 barrel for a L85 DMR I'm thinking of doing - more projects so little time)

 

end of day you "may" be able to fit it but if not it is not end of world

the SVD is a very good buget sniper anyway and even if you can't achieve absolute top of the max possible range

it is still more accurate than many other guns for the money

 

there are 2 types of mags though - cyma svd's use a slightly different mag that is the only thing to watch out for

I think the normal svd can just use normal AK mags in there - up to 1,000 bb's !!!!

wow best get the cocking lever then coz ya little pinky's will hurt by then

 

soz I can't give a deffo 101% answer if they have changed stuff recently but still not end of world I reckon

[two_zero]

Realsword! \o/

[Chock]

A&K one is not bad. Overall it feels solidly built and is all metal with nicely finished internals (but boy do you know it is full metal when you pick it up, however, the weight of it is pretty close to the real SVD, i.e. it's very heavy). I found that it was a pain in the ass to get my replica PSO-1 onto its rail, but it did eventually go on there after a bit of persuasion with a rubber headed mallet and a softwood drift. The foregrip furniture is a bit cheap in feel, you know the type, i.e. it does some nasty creaking when you squeeze it, but it can be replaced of course, although not all replacement furniture is compatible with the A&K Dragunov, so choose carefully if you do decide to change it, I've actually kept the stock foregrip on mine, but may replace it at some point. The rear stock is good however, but the leather cheekpad which attaches to it is a bit cheap looking. It does function okay, but you might want to get a genuine replacement for that at some point. The cocking handle on new ones is unbelievably hard to pull back, but you sort of get used to how to cock it after a while, which helps, although if you are serious about using it regularly, then the extended cocking handle would be worth having, especially in cold weather.

 

The A&K SVD can actually be upgraded with a kit to make it a semi-automatic gas blowback, which it should be, since the real SVD is semi-automatic, because it was designed as a squad level DMR to be deployed in large numbers rather than a dedicated sniper rifle. That semi-auto upgrade and many other upgrades for the thing mean it is a popular modding rifle and there are many forums dedicated to that. Nevertheless, for about 140 quid, it's actually a pretty usable rifle straight out of the box, being that it does about 480fps, and you can get by with it not being semi-auto, although of course it has only iron sights as it comes, but these are accurate, being properly marked with the range ticks that an SVD has, rather than A&K simply having thrown a bog standard AK47 rear sight on there (which has different calibration to the SVD's rear sight).

 

But of course, no SVD is complete without a PSO-1 telescopic sight, with its iconic curved line rangefinding reticule. You can find copies of that, specifically for airsoft versions on amazon and ebay, which make them usable at the sort of range you'd be sniping from. They are invariably from China, but surprisingly well made and authentic looking, which is not bad considering they can be had for about 60 quid (think I might have paid about 55 quid for mine if I recall correctly), and it does work well, even having a switchable illuminated (red) reticule which works off a little watch type battery in the thing.

 

So with that in mind, you might find that even if you kept the thing fairly standard, you'd still be looking at about 200 quid if you bought the rifle and the PSO-1 scope, which you pretty much have to do with an SVD, since the PSO-1 sight was actually designed for the SVD and it rarely looks nice with any other sort of scope on it. You should bear in mind that if you do have one, then you'd be well advised to get something like a AKS74U or an MP5K for back up, because there is no way you could fight at close range with the SVD on your own, you'd get absolutely raped, it's just too long a weapon to fight close in with, and even with practice, your rate of fire would still be painfully slow, although with how much it weighs, you certainly could beat someone to death with it

[GingerBreadMan]

Realsword! \o/

Yeah, I'd love a real sword at some point maybe

 

 

Thanks for that chock and everyone else, definitely a lot of good info about them if I do swap my l96 for one, but I guess I'll have to skirmish it first!

[Jambo88]

Go to the GUM clinic

[SniperOverwatch]

I wield the King Arms Ultra Grade SVD, so far I haven't gamed with her yet. But the previous owner liked it alot. The PSO-1 scope is a bit tricky to put on, but once she's on, that sumbitch is on there for life. Application of scope may require gentle taps from a hammer to start off the process, thats what I had to do.

But all in all, from the reviews I've done...All forms of SVDs are great pieces of kit. Here's mine. Her name is Katya. Yes I named her......DONT JUDGE.

 

I also have a L96 as well. I must say that compared to the L96, the SVD is hands down a better buy. I bought the L96 as a clearance gun from the local gun doc for $75 but she had to get fixed, by same gun doc and had a metal 2-stage trigger installed.

 

 

 

[SniperOverwatch]

A&K one is not bad. Overall it feels solidly built and is all metal with nicely finished internals (but boy do you know it is full metal when you pick it up, however, the weight of it is pretty close to the real SVD, i.e. it's very heavy). I found that it was a pain in the ass to get my replica PSO-1 onto its rail, but it did eventually go on there after a bit of persuasion with a rubber headed mallet and a softwood drift. The foregrip furniture is a bit cheap in feel, you know the type, i.e. it does some nasty creaking when you squeeze it, but it can be replaced of course, although not all replacement furniture is compatible with the A&K Dragunov, so choose carefully if you do decide to change it, I've actually kept the stock foregrip on mine, but may replace it at some point. The rear stock is good however, but the leather cheekpad which attaches to it is a bit cheap looking. It does function okay, but you might want to get a genuine replacement for that at some point. The cocking handle on new ones is unbelievably hard to pull back, but you sort of get used to how to cock it after a while, which helps, although if you are serious about using it regularly, then the extended cocking handle would be worth having, especially in cold weather.

 

The A&K SVD can actually be upgraded with a kit to make it a semi-automatic gas blowback, which it should be, since the real SVD is semi-automatic, because it was designed as a squad level DMR to be deployed in large numbers rather than a dedicated sniper rifle. That semi-auto upgrade and many other upgrades for the thing mean it is a popular modding rifle and there are many forums dedicated to that. Nevertheless, for about 140 quid, it's actually a pretty usable rifle straight out of the box, being that it does about 480fps, and you can get by with it not being semi-auto, although of course it has only iron sights as it comes, but these are accurate, being properly marked with the range ticks that an SVD has, rather than A&K simply having thrown a bog standard AK47 rear sight on there (which has different calibration to the SVD's rear sight).

 

But of course, no SVD is complete without a PSO-1 telescopic sight, with its iconic curved line rangefinding reticule. You can find copies of that, specifically for airsoft versions on amazon and ebay, which make them usable at the sort of range you'd be sniping from. They are invariably from China, but surprisingly well made and authentic looking, which is not bad considering they can be had for about 60 quid (think I might have paid about 55 quid for mine if I recall correctly), and it does work well, even having a switchable illuminated (red) reticule which works off a little watch type battery in the thing.

 

So with that in mind, you might find that even if you kept the thing fairly standard, you'd still be looking at about 200 quid if you bought the rifle and the PSO-1 scope, which you pretty much have to do with an SVD, since the PSO-1 sight was actually designed for the SVD and it rarely looks nice with any other sort of scope on it. You should bear in mind that if you do have one, then you'd be well advised to get something like a AKS74U or an MP5K for back up, because there is no way you could fight at close range with the SVD on your own, you'd get absolutely raped, it's just too long a weapon to fight close in with, and even with practice, your rate of fire would still be painfully slow, although with how much it weighs, you certainly could beat someone to death with it

 

Yes, it is a long piece of kit. I have two sniper rifles, the L96 short barrel sniper, but am investing in a MP-5 as a up close and personal gun just incase someone gets to close for comfort.