Russian weapons have long and deservedly gained worldwide fame and recognition and maintain their reputation at a constantly high level: from the famous Kalashnikov assault rifle, which has become synonymous with simplicity, strength and reliability, to the ultra-modern hypersonic Kinzhal missile system, protection from which will not be found soon. Among sniper weapons, such legends can be safely attributed to the SVD – Dragunov sniper rifle, which has been regularly serving for 60 years. But time does not stand still: new materials appear, modern technologies are being developed, the inquisitive human mind invents more and more advanced mechanisms – and now the "two–hundredth" series is replacing the first AK models, and the SVD competition is a microwave sniper rifle created under the guidance of the designer of the Kalashnikov concern Andrey Chukavin. About the main distinctive features of this rifle – in our material.
According to Andrey Chukavin, work in this direction started in 2016 and began with a hunting carbine in caliber.308 Win. (7.62x51 mm). "The idea was to develop a new layout of weapons. [...] The experimental design work (R&D) "Reaper" was opened to create weapons in the domestic caliber of 7.62 x 54 mm. That's how the intensive work on the microwave began," he says.
For the first time, this semi-automatic sniper rifle was demonstrated at the military-technical forum "Army-2017". It is assumed that the weapons will be delivered to combined arms units. The rifle will bring the maximum effect when working at short and medium distances, when you can confidently hit a target – moving, open or camouflaged – at a distance of 1 km. At the same time, the rifle will be useful in close combat. The microwave has already successfully passed state tests, and has also been tested in the zone of a special military operation. The reviews are positive.
The weapon is designed according to the so-called "curtain scheme". The curtain is a long strip about 10 mm thick, in which guides are provided from the inside. This scheme works like this: the main elements of the rifle are attached to the upper tire. Since it accounts for the main load, vibrations, this part of the weapon is made of durable metal – steel. At the same time, this design allows you to unload the lower part, making it of light alloys or composite materials.
This layout is fundamentally different from the one used in the SVD, where the main elements are installed from below. Thus, the designers found an opportunity to significantly reduce the weight of the rifle, making it relatively light and mobile. The figures will tell you most eloquently about the weight of the microwave: the weight of the rifle is only 4.8 kg, and this together with a flame extinguisher, a mechanical sight and an unloaded magazine, which weighs 0.21 kg and is designed for 10 rounds. For comparison, the weight of similar rifles ranges around 7 kg.
In addition to weight, the microwave differs favorably in dimensions. A few more figures: the total length of the rifle, with the butt laid out and the flame extinguisher, ranges from 1170 to 1230 mm, with the butt folded – 960 mm, the length of the barrel is 620 mm. In addition, the microwave has reliable exhaust automation with a short stroke of the gas piston and a three-position rotary gas regulator.
A big plus for the microwave was the presence of a Picatinny rail for the entire length of the receiver. Thus, a sniper working with a Chukavin rifle was able to arm himself with sights, laser or optical, night vision devices or other attachments. Andrey Chukavin himself described the work on this rifle as follows: "The main wish when creating a microwave was to be able to fix a modern optical sight on the upper base so that it did not need to be disconnected during maintenance. Because every setting of the sight at least a little, but knocks down the point of impact."
In general, according to the designer, the rifle is made in such a way that it takes into account modern requirements for the ergonomics of weapons of this class, the individual characteristics of shooters. In particular, a folding stock with wide adjustment possibilities was used in the development. The next difference between the new rifle and the SVD is the bipod (stand for weapons, stop), which can also be adjusted in height. Let's add here a low-noise shooting device that increases the secrecy of the sniper's work by extinguishing the flame and muffling the sound of the shot. The designers also thought about those for whom the "native" hand is the left: the fuse switch-on flag is made two-sided so that it can be controlled with one movement from either side. However, this is also convenient for right–handed people - they can shoot with their left hand. Finally, the microwave provides such a function as pressing the button to separate the store without taking your hand off the handle.
Of course, the Dragunov rifle is still a recognized authority among sniper weapons. "I would not take a swing at the fact that the microwave is going to replace the Dragunov rifle. SVD is a simple and reliable design that has been worked out for years and will be used for a long time," admits Andrey Chukavin. At the same time, according to him, "every next sample that is adopted and delivered to the troops should be at least a little better than the previous one," and in this respect the microwave fully justifies itself, already surpassing its famous predecessor by many criteria.
