The Snayperskaya Vintovka Dragunova (Dragunov Marksman Rifle), named SVDm-2 in games, is a gas-operated semi-automatic designated marksman rifle that appears in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.
Overview
The SVD was first developed by Yevgeny Dragunov in the early 1960s and is currently manufactured by Izhevsk Mechanical Works. Today, the SVD has been the primary Designated Marksman weapon of most former Soviet republics and former Warsaw Pact countries. It has been featured in all STALKER games, but in most cases, it is a very uncommon weapon to be found. In all games, the SVD has a synthetic foregrip and stock, the features of currently manufactured SVDs.
Excluding explosive and gauss weapons, the SVD also deals the most damage per shot in the series, so even if the player doesn't kill with the first shot, it will often cause the victim to collapse from severe bleeding, provided they use high-grade armor piercing ammunition.
Appearances
Shadow of Chernobyl
The SVD is used by Monolith snipers on the pathway through the Red Forest, although according to its description it is also used by mutant hunters of Duty. Despite the latter description, Duty members never field the rifle here, or in any STALKER game for that matter. Colonel Petrenko may sometimes sell it for 60000 Ru (in ver 1.0005).
Monolith snipers also use it in the first section of the CNPP.
If one's game is patched to 1.003, the player has a good source of ammunition from Freedom.
Characteristics
Much like in all games, the SVD is the second-most powerful sniper rifle in the game, surpassed only by the Gauss Gun. It is capable of easily penetrating medium armor, very likely to cause stalkers with anything less to collapse from bleeding, and is highly accurate on any range. It also still possesses a fairly decent RoF, although the second-slowest of all sniper rifles, still making it easy to make follow-up shots if the player fails to kill a target with a single shot.
Along with the usual poor close-combat performance inherent with all sniper rifles, its only other drawbacks are its weight and rarity of both the gun and its ammunition.
Clear Sky
In Clear Sky, the SVD is the sniper rifle widely fielded by Freedom and it is held by the base guards. In some uncommon cases, Freedom Experts use it as their weapon. It is only purchasable from Ashot when the player joins Freedom.
In addition, you can get an SVD and an Exoskeleton as a reward from Freedom for destroying the Duty base. The Renegades use this sniper rifle in the Red Forest, so it's very easily obtainable there. Monolith fighters also use this sniper rifle in Limansk (they are on rooftops and in a tower), and extensively in CNPP. Three Monolith snipers will spawn once you walk a certain path to trigger the sequence.
Upgrades
It can be upgraded for optimum precision and less recoil but only Uncle Yar, Freedom's technician, can upgrade the SVD. When fully upgraded, the SVD is the most accurate weapon in the player's arsenal. In the right hands, any stalker will fall before this weapon with a single bullet to the head at all ranges.
The weapon costs a small fortune to repair because of the rifle's intricate mechanism, and it is advisable one keeps it fully repaired at all times to ensure optimal accuracy. Because of the weapon's quality, it cannot use cheap 7.62x54mm PP rounds and can only use the more expensive 7.62x54 AP rounds.
Call of Pripyat
Yar is likely the first user of this weapon that the player will see — his version is difficult to obtain as he's always in safe areas, except during his side quest to Kopachi, at which time he is almost invulnerable (he has a huge amount of health). Freedom Experts who are not outfitted with an Exoskeleton may make use of an SVD, but this requires siding with them in the faction war in order for Loki's chapter to acquire them. By the time they start showing up, Hawaiian will be selling them in his store as well, along with the SVUmk2.
Monolith makes heavy use of the SVD, with nearly every squad featuring a Veteran or Expert armed with it. Preachers also make use of it during the Evacuation. If the player sided with Duty this is likely the only place they will be able to acquire the SVD, or the SVUmk2. Lt.Kirilov gives you an SVD during a side mission involving mercenaries in Pripyat that is only available if you completed Garik's subquest at the scientist's bunker.
SVDm2 Stash Locations
- Zaton — it can be obtained early on in a stash in North-Western part of Zaton past the Sawmill. Keep going on the road until you reach the gate. Turn around and look under the tree closest to the road on the left-hand side.
- Yanov — north of tunnels, where Trapper sends you to eliminate the two burers for a side-quest. Outside, on the tracks, there is an abandoned train. On top of the train you can find SVDm2 in perfect condition along with 20 rounds.
Upgrades
The upgrade tree can either fine-tune the SVD's accuracy and bullet velocity to near Gauss Rifle performance, or can be optimized for handling and recoil, allowing the player to use it more as a high-powered semi-automatic rifle. Its scope can be customized for long range (6x) and night vision or target identification, making it one of a small handful capable of distinguishing friend or foe and 'seeing' through foliage.
Variants
Nimble sells you a unique version called Lynx. Even though it does not look any different in appearance, it has been taken apart, heavily customized, and reassembled manually by an expert gunsmith. The result is a weapon that provides better stopping power and accuracy to the user that is second only to a Gauss Gun.
Notes
- It's worth noting that in hands of NPCs SVDm-2 and SVUmk-2 are ridiculously powerful on Veteran difficulty and so on. They can kill the player in 2 hits even when he is wearing exoskeleton or "Bulat" suit. Of course, the player can't achieve such a kill even on weakest possible difficulty.
Cut content
Originally, the Dragunov was supposed to have wooden furniture and indeed, appears as such in pre-release builds. For one reason or another, the Dragunov's wooden furnishing was replaced with synthetic ones by the time Shadow of Chernobyl was released.
Gallery
Shadow of Chernobyl
Call of Pripyat
Trivia
- The weapon's model features a 5-round magazine, yet in-game, the weapon features 10 rounds by default.
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